and philosophers—then they are worse than the hypocrites of this ummah, since they openly profess disbelief while concealing hypocrisy. Thus, they are worse than those who outwardly profess faith while concealing hypocrisy.

The point is that those who adhere to an abrogated religion containing alterations are better than these people who claim that commands and prohibitions no longer apply to them at all. In this state, they stand outside all scriptures, religious laws and faiths; they acknowledge no command or prohibition from Allah as binding upon them under any circumstances.

Indeed, they are worse than polytheists who hold fast to remnants of earlier religions, such as the Arab polytheists who retained remnants of the religion of Abraham, peace be upon him. Those people had some measure of truth to which they adhered, even though they were also polytheists. These people, however, acknowledge no truth as binding upon them, imagining that they have been left without restraint, subject to neither commands nor prohibitions.

Whoever maintains that he, or some other group, is no longer subject to any command or prohibition, such that nothing is obligatory or forbidden for them—such people are the most disbelieving people on earth. They are of the same kind as Pharaoh and his ilk. Yet even they must adhere to something by which to live, for humankind cannot live without some form of command and prohibition. Thus, they abandon obedience to and worship of the Most Merciful for obedience to and worship of Satan.

It was Pharaoh who said to Moses:

“And what is the Lord of the worlds?”

Yet he had gods whom he worshipped, as his people said to him:

“and abandon you and your gods.”