Overall meaning: When this noble Companion heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite the verse that tells of the Jews and Christians—that they made their scholars and monks into deities who legislate for them in opposition to Allah’s law, and that they then obeyed them—he found the verse problematic, for he assumed worship was limited to prostration and similar acts. The Prophet ﷺ therefore clarified that one form of worshipping those rabbis and monks is to obey them when they forbid what Allah has permitted and permit what Allah has forbidden, contrary to the judgment of Allah, Exalted, and His Messenger ﷺ.

Relevance of the ḥadith to this chapter: Obeying a created being in disobedience to Allah is worship of that being instead of Allah, especially in the matter of legislation and the enactment of laws that oppose Allah’s ruling.

Lessons drawn from the ḥadith:

1. Obeying scholars—or any other created beings—in altering Allah’s rulings, while the follower knows their ruling contradicts divine law, is major shirk.
2. The right to declare things lawful or unlawful belongs solely to Allah, exalted be He.
3. This ḥadith highlights a specific form of polytheism: the shirk of obedience.
4. Instructing the uninformed is legislated and encouraged.
5. The concept of worship is broad; it includes every word or deed, outward or inward, that Allah loves and approves of.