Chapter Five

Conformity of My Conclusions with the position of ’Abdullaṭīf ibn ’Abdurraḥmān ibn Ḥasan, endorsed by Sulaymān ibn Saḥmān, and the Practice of Scholars, as Passed Down from the Early Generations ’Abdullaṭīf ibn ’Abdurraḥmān ibn Ḥasan, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: «وما ذكرتَه عن الأعراب؛ من الفرق بين من استحل الحكم بغير ما أنزل الله، ومن لم يستحل؛ فهو الذي عليه العمل، وإليه المرجع عند أهل العلم» "What you mentioned about the Bedouins—in terms of differemtiating between those who deem it permissible to judge by other than what Allāh has revealed, and those who do not—is the position upheld and referred to by scholars." [‘Uyūn Ar-Rasā'il (2/605)] Sulaymān ibn Saḥmān, may Allāh have mercy on him, explained: «يعني: أن من استحل الحكم بغير ما أنزل الله، ورأى أن حكم الطاغوت أحسن من حكم الله ... فمن اعتقد هذا؛ فهو كافر، وأما من لم يستحل هذا، ويرى أن حكم الطاغوت باطل، وأن حكم الله ورسوله هو الحق؛ فهذا لا يكفر، ولا يخرج من الإسلام» "This means that anyone who deems it permissible to judge by other than what Allāh has revealed and believes that the judgment of Aṭ-Ṭāghūt is superior to that of Allāh is a disbeliever. However, anyone who does not deem this permissible and believes that the judgment of the Aṭ-Ṭāghūt is false and that the judgment of Allāh and His Messenger is the truth is not a disbeliever and remains within the gold of Islam." [‘Uyūn Ar-Rasā'il (2/603)] Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh have mercy on him, attributed this view to "Ibn ’Abbās and his companions" [Fatāwā (7/350)], as well as to "Aḥmad ibn Hanbal"(1) [Fatāwā (7/312)], "many of the Imams of the Sunnah" [Fatāwā (7/312)], and "other early scholars" [Fatāwā (5/227)], indeed, to "the majority of the early generations." [Fatāwā (7/350)] Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allāh have mercy on him, described it as the view of "Ibn ’Abbās and the majority of the Companions" [Madārij As-Sālikīn (1/345)]. Ibn Bāz, may Allāh have mercy on him, also considered it the view of "Ibn ’Abbās, Mujāhid, and a group of the early generations." [Fatāwā (6/250)] _ (1) When Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, may Allāh have mercy on him, was asked about the type of disbelief mentioned in the Āyah, he replied: «كفر لا ينقل عن الملة» "It is disbelief that does not expel one from Islam." [Fatāwā Ibn Taymiyyah (7/254)].