The most evil of people The 'Ulamaa have mentioned ten actions that negate Islam. These are: First, associating other deities with the worship of the One God Who has no partners. Allah (Ta'aala) says: {Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He Wills sins other than that...} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 116) Second, relying on an intermediary between oneself and Allah (Ta'aala) when seeking intercession. Third, refusal to condemn the kufr of those who rely on other deities instead of Allah (Ta'aala), or doubting that they are disbelievers, or approving of their religion, is itself disbelief. Fourth, belief that there is a more perfect guidance than that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), or that there is a form of governance that is preferable to this, such as someone who prefers the rule of tyrants to that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam). Fifth, dislike of any part of the Revelation, even though one may act upon it, is disbelief. Allah (Ta'aala) says: {That is because they hate that which Allah has sent down (this Qur'an and Islamic Laws); so He has made their deeds fruitless.} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 47: Ayah 9) Sixth, disparaging any part of the Deen or any aspect of reward or punishment: {Say: 'Was it at Allah and His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons signs, Revelations, etc.) and His Messenger that you were mocking?' Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had Believed.} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 9: Ayat 65-66) Seventh, practising magic, either black or white, is proof of disbelief: {...but the shayateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, 'We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).'} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 2: Ayah 102) Eighth, helping and assisting the disbelievers in overcoming the Muslims: {And if any amongst you takes them (as Auliya' [friends, protectors, helpers]), then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are dhaalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust).} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 51) Ninth, belief that it is not necessary to follow the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), and that it is permitted to step outside the Law of Allah (Ta'aala), as al Khadir did when he exceeded what had been revealed to (Prophet) Musa ('alayhee salaam). This is disbelief. Tenth, wilful neglect of Allah's Deen, neither learning it nor acting upon it. Allah (Ta'aala) says: {And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayat of his Lord, then turns aside therefrom? Verily, We shall exact retribution from the mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners).} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 32: Ayah 22) No distinction is made as regards these actions in terms of intention, whether a person is joking or serious or even acts out of fear. The only excuse is compulsion. These ten actions are extremely dangerous and exceedingly common. Every Muslim should beware of them and feel a real fear in his heart of even drawing near them. (1) We will now take a closer look [Insha' Allah] at two of these matters which are particularly relevant to our discussion, because of the significance and the proximity of the danger that they represent, and because this will clarify matters regarding political legitimacy, loyalty and opposition. The first matter is the disbelief of someone who maintains that some other guidance is preferable to that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), or that some system of governance other than that which he established is better: Ruling by Other than What Allah has RevealedThe marginalisation of the Sharee'ah, its disappearance from the mainstream of Islamic life and its replacement by laws formulated by ignorant humans is a modern heresy that has arisen during the last few centuries of the life of our Community. This has happened despite the fact that Muslim societies had for centuries sheltered under the protection of the Sharee'ah, which provided for everyone's security, whether the governor or the governed. Although some people were disobedient, some more than others, nevertheless the guiding principle, both in public and private life alike, was provided by the Sharee'ah. Similarly, the continuation of the Jihad, the pushing back of the frontiers of disbelief and the raising up of the Word of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) throughout the world, carried on over and above this. Thus the charge that the Sharee'ah, that Islamic Law, is deficient, reactionary, and incompatible with progress in the modern world, is something that could not have been made until the rise of European colonialism and the resulting forgetfulness of the Muslims: they forgot Allah (Ta'aala) and so He made them forget their own souls. We find, however, much guidance in the Qur'an and in the Sunnah that clearly speaks about the governance of the Community. This most surely constitutes a part of our Belief, and is one of the most essential elements of our 'Aqeedah. Allah (Ta'aala) says: {And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are kafirun (disbelievers.)} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 44) and: {And whosoever does not judge by that which Allah has revealed, such are the dhaalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers).} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 45) and: {And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed (then) such (people) are the fasiqun (the rebellious i.e. disobedient to Allah).} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 47) And He (Ta'aala) says: {Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance? And who is better in Judgement than Allah for a people who have firm Faith.} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 50) and: {But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 65) and: {Or have they partners with Allah (false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not ordained?} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 42: Ayah 21) And He (Ta'aala) says in Surat an Nur: { They (hypocrites) say: 'We have believed in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey.', then a party of them turn away thereafter, such are not Believers. And when they are called to Allah (i.e. His Words, the Qur'an) and His Messenger, to Judge between them, lo! a party of them refuses (to come) and turns away. But if the truth is on their side, they come to him willingly with submission. Is their a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt or fear lest Allah and His Messenger should wrong them in Judgement. Nay, it is they themselves who are the dhaalimun (polytheists, hypocrites and wrong-doers). The only saying of the Faithful Believers, when they are called to Allah (His Words, the Qur'an) and His Messenger, to Judge between them, is that they say: 'We hear and we obey.' And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise).} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 24: Ayat 47-51) And He (Ta'aala) says in Surat an Nisaa: {And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right Path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the Believers' Way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 115) Then Allah (Ta'aala) exposes the claims of those who say they are Believers, but who prefer to be ruled by disbelievers: {Have you seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down before you, and they wish to go for judgement (in their disputes) to the taghut (false judges) while they have been ordered to reject them. But Shaytaan wishes to lead them far astray. And when it is said to them: 'Come to what Allah has sent down and to the Messenger',you see the hypocrites turn away from you (O Muhammad) with aversion.} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayat 60-61) One of our 'Ulamaa summed this up nicely when he compared the person who wishes to substitute secular law for the Sharee'ah to a beetle that loves the smell of urine and faeces but hates the fragrance of roses and musk. (2) And He (Ta'aala) says: {Those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), they will be among the lowest (most humiliated).} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 58: Ayah 20) The worst form of dispute is to oppose Allah and His Messenger and to turn away from the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala), and the Sunnah of His Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam). The humiliation that the Muslims are today experiencing throughout the world is only a natural consequence of their having abandoned the Sharee'ah. Muslims today are numerous but they are like flotsam on a full tide. They have been seduced by the basest of nations and conquered by the most degenerate of people. Indeed, the words of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), have come True: He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) said: 'These nations will call one another to invade you as people call one another to come and eat from one bowl.' Someone asked: 'Will it be because we are so few?' He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) replied: 'Indeed no, in these days you will be many but you will be like flotsam and jetsam on the sea, for Allah (Ta'aala) will strip fear of you from the breasts of your enemies and He will cast Al Wahn into you.' They said: 'What is Al Wahn?' He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) said: 'Love of the world and a distaste for death.' (3) A large part of the imbalance in Muslim life today is due to the handiwork of men who, disguised as scholars, have persuaded people to substitute human speculation for the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala). Surely they will carry the full burden of their actions, and also that of those whom they have led astray, until the Day of Resurrection. Islam will not be sullied by them. May Allah (Ta'aala) preserve the 'Ulamaa from among our rightly guided predecessors who guarded the gates of Islam so that none of its enemies could penetrate beyond them. Ibn Katheer discusses the condition of the Muslim Nation in the days of the Tatars. Discussing in his tafseer the ayah: {Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance? } (5: 50), he says, 'The Law of Allah (Ta'aala) encourages whatever is beneficial and discourages whatever is detrimental. Allah (Ta'aala) has rejected all who would depart from it, and who accept the views, opinions, and conventions determined by men without any support from the Sharee'ah. This was done in the times of the Jahiliyyah, when people ruled by chance and blind conjecture in accordance with their own views and opinions. So too do the Tatars rule, in accordance with their own royal policy, pronounced by their king Ghingis Khan, which they call the 'Yasaq'. This 'Yasaq' is a hotchpotch of all the rules and systems that he has come across, taken from the Jews and Christians and the Muslims, with many elements added which are based purely on his whims and fancies. This, the Tatars say, is the law of the land to which they give precedence, above the Book of Allah (Ta'aala) and the Sunnah of His Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam). Whoever amongst them does this is a disbeliever who must be opposed until he returns to the Rule of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) and His Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam). Such a person should not rule even for a day.' (4) Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraheem Al ash Shaykh outlines the ways in which a ruler may commit the greater disbelief (Kufr ul Akbar) that takes a person out of Islam: If the ruler who rules by other than the Revelation of Allah (Ta'aala) challenges the legal obligation to rule by the Sharee'ah then he is outside Islam. This is the meaning of what has been reported by at Tabari on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (radiallaahu 'anhu), who said that there is no disagreement among the 'Ulamaa about someone who challenges the legitimacy of the Sharee'ah; that this is a fundamental point about which everyone agrees; and that anyone who challenges a fundamental point of Belief - or even a secondary issue that all the 'Ulamaa are agreed about - or who denies any part of the Revelation out of hand, is a disbeliever and is not a part of this Community. (5) If such a ruler does not challenge the legitimacy of the Sharee'ah, but believes that he rules by a better system of law than that which the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) observed, a system which in his opinion is more coherent and more suited to the needs of the people in the face of their changing needs and circumstances, then there can be no doubt that he too is a disbeliever. He has formulated a rule that can never compete with that of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala). There is no issue whatsoever whose answer is not contained in the text of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, either explicitly or implicitly; whether or not a person knows this is a different matter. If a ruler does not believe that what he has is better than the Sharee'ah, but still thinks that it is at least equal to it, then he is like the others. This is disbelief that takes him out of the Community, because it seeks to equate a creature with his Creator. This is also true if someone believes that a ruler has a right to deviate from the Sharee'ah in the way that the three types of rulers outlined above do. It is even worse still when a person stubbornly supports his own rule in opposition to that of Allah (Ta'aala) and His Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), aggrandising it at the expense of the Sharee'ah. This is what modern secular rulers do, whose recourse is to French, British and American law, or to whatever else they please to choose from non-Muslim systems. What could be greater disbelief than this? What could be more excessive than this in contradicting the declaration of Faith, 'There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger'? (6) Finally, there is the disbelief of many chieftains of the tribes and clans of the Bedouins - and others like them - who cling to the tales of their ancestors, to their habits and traditions. These form a kind of inherited common law by which they rule themselves in preference to, and in spite of, the Revealed Law of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala). Then there is the type of disbelief that does not take one out of the Community, and which Ibn 'Abbas (radiallaahu 'anhu) termed 'a disbelief less than disbelief'. Thus someone who is overcome by his own desires in a particular situation may act contrary to the Sharee'ah, and yet still be aware that he is acting wrongly. He may later reproach himself for his error and failure to follow the guidance of Allah (Ta'aala). Even though this action does not take him out of the Community, it is still a very great sin, greater than fornication or drinking or theft. Allah (Ta'aala) has called this 'disbelief', so it is more grave than other wrong actions which have not been described in this fashion. (7) It is because of the significance and importance of the matter that we have examined the subject of governance in detail. To ally oneself with a ruler who does not rule by what Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) has revealed, to approve of his rule and the implementation of legislation under his authority - saying this is lawful, without the Permission of Allah (Ta'aala) - is a contradiction of the declaration of Faith. Allah (Ta'aala) is the only God, to whom all devotion from the heart is due, in love, and in awe, and in obedience, and in submission. Such behaviour is a contradiction of the statement, 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah', since whoever truly believes this will follow what the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) has commanded and leave what he has forbidden and what he has criticised. If people only understood this fact then tyranny could not persist, nor could it establish disbelief and push the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala) to one side. The second matter that should be considered in this context is the helping and assisting of the disbelievers against the Muslims. Helping the disbelievers Against the MuslimsAllah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) says: {And if any amongst you takes them (the Jews and Christians, as Auliya' [friends, protectors, helpers]), then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are dhaalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust).} (The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 51) This is a major contradiction of the declaration of Faith into which many people today have fallen. They are nominally Muslims and still apparently within the fold of the Faithful. And yet, we have come to feel a certain embarrassment when it comes to calling a spade a spade, to saying to the supporters of kufr, 'You are disbelievers!' Some people even see this as an impertinence in view of the wonder and awe, and the fear and anxiety, that they feel for the enemies of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala). And so the matter of setting the pace, of setting an example, has given way under the weight of their feebleness of faith. They are dazzled by the enemies of Allah (Ta'aala) and long to be like them, even to the point that if they entered the hole of a lizard they would follow them into it. Reference Link The Journey into the Hereafter - The Unbeliever and Hell (part 7 of 8) - How the Hellfire will receive the unbelievers.

The most evil of people

The 'Ulamaa have mentioned ten actions that negate Islam. These are:

First, associating other deities with the worship of the One God Who has no partners. Allah (Ta'aala) says:

{Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship)
with Him, but He forgives whom He Wills sins other than that...}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 116)

Second, relying on an intermediary between oneself and Allah (Ta'aala) when seeking intercession.

Third, refusal to condemn the kufr of those who rely on other deities instead of Allah (Ta'aala), or doubting that they are disbelievers, or approving of their religion, is itself disbelief.

Fourth, belief that there is a more perfect guidance than that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), or that there is a form of governance that is preferable to this, such as someone who prefers the rule of tyrants to that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam).

Fifth, dislike of any part of the Revelation, even though one may act upon it, is disbelief. Allah (Ta'aala) says:

{That is because they hate that which Allah has sent down (this
Qur'an and Islamic Laws); so He has made their deeds fruitless.}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 47: Ayah 9)

Sixth, disparaging any part of the Deen or any aspect of reward or punishment:

{Say: 'Was it at Allah and His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons signs,
Revelations, etc.) and His Messenger that you were mocking?' Make
no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had Believed.}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 9: Ayat 65-66)

Seventh, practising magic, either black or white, is proof of disbelief:

{...but the shayateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such
things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut, but
neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said,
'We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).'}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 2: Ayah 102)

Eighth, helping and assisting the disbelievers in overcoming the Muslims:

{And if any amongst you takes them (as Auliya' [friends, protectors, helpers]),
then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people
who are dhaalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust).}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 51)

Ninth, belief that it is not necessary to follow the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), and that it is permitted to step outside the Law of Allah (Ta'aala), as al Khadir did when he exceeded what had been revealed to (Prophet) Musa ('alayhee salaam). This is disbelief.

Tenth, wilful neglect of Allah's Deen, neither learning it nor acting upon it. Allah (Ta'aala) says:

{And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayat of his
Lord, then turns aside therefrom? Verily, We shall exact retribution from
the mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners).}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 32: Ayah 22)

No distinction is made as regards these actions in terms of intention, whether a person is joking or serious or even acts out of fear. The only excuse is compulsion. These ten actions are extremely dangerous and exceedingly common. Every Muslim should beware of them and feel a real fear in his heart of even drawing near them. (1)

We will now take a closer look [Insha' Allah] at two of these matters which are particularly relevant to our discussion, because of the significance and the proximity of the danger that they represent, and because this will clarify matters regarding political legitimacy, loyalty and opposition.

The first matter is the disbelief of someone who maintains that some other guidance is preferable to that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), or that some system of governance other than that which he established is better:

Ruling by Other than What Allah has Revealed
The marginalisation of the Sharee'ah, its disappearance from the mainstream of Islamic life and its replacement by laws formulated by ignorant humans is a modern heresy that has arisen during the last few centuries of the life of our Community. This has happened despite the fact that Muslim societies had for centuries sheltered under the protection of the Sharee'ah, which provided for everyone's security, whether the governor or the governed. Although some people were disobedient, some more than others, nevertheless the guiding principle, both in public and private life alike, was provided by the Sharee'ah.

Similarly, the continuation of the Jihad, the pushing back of the frontiers of disbelief and the raising up of the Word of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) throughout the world, carried on over and above this.

Thus the charge that the Sharee'ah, that Islamic Law, is deficient, reactionary, and incompatible with progress in the modern world, is something that could not have been made until the rise of European colonialism and the resulting forgetfulness of the Muslims: they forgot Allah (Ta'aala) and so He made them forget their own souls.

We find, however, much guidance in the Qur'an and in the Sunnah that clearly speaks about the governance of the Community. This most surely constitutes a part of our Belief, and is one of the most essential elements of our 'Aqeedah.

Allah (Ta'aala) says:

{And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed,
such are kafirun (disbelievers.)}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 44)

and:

{And whosoever does not judge by that which Allah has revealed, such
are the dhaalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers).}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 45)

and:

{And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed (then) such
(people) are the fasiqun (the rebellious i.e. disobedient to Allah).}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 47)

And He (Ta'aala) says:

{Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance?
And who is better in Judgement than Allah for a people
who have firm Faith.}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 50)

and:

{But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you
(O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in
themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept
(them) with full submission.}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 65)

and:

{Or have they partners with Allah (false gods) who have instituted
for them a religion which Allah has not ordained?}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 42: Ayah 21)

And He (Ta'aala) says in Surat an Nur:

{ They (hypocrites) say: 'We have believed in Allah and in the Messenger,
and we obey.', then a party of them turn away thereafter, such are not
Believers. And when they are called to Allah (i.e. His Words, the Qur'an)
and His Messenger, to Judge between them, lo! a party of them refuses
(to come) and turns away. But if the truth is on their side, they come
to him willingly with submission.

Is their a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt or fear lest Allah and His
Messenger should wrong them in Judgement. Nay, it is they themselves
who are the dhaalimun (polytheists, hypocrites and wrong-doers). The only
saying of the Faithful Believers, when they are called to Allah (His Words, the
Qur'an) and His Messenger, to Judge between them, is that they say: 'We hear
and we obey.' And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise).}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 24: Ayat 47-51)

And He (Ta'aala) says in Surat an Nisaa:

{And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right Path
has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the Believers' Way,
We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell -
what an evil destination!}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 115)

Then Allah (Ta'aala) exposes the claims of those who say they are Believers, but who prefer to be ruled by disbelievers:

{Have you seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in that
which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down before
you, and they wish to go for judgement (in their disputes) to the taghut
(false judges) while they have been ordered to reject them.

But Shaytaan wishes to lead them far astray. And when it is said to
them: 'Come to what Allah has sent down and to the Messenger',you
see the hypocrites turn away from you (O Muhammad) with aversion.}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayat 60-61)

One of our 'Ulamaa summed this up nicely when he compared the person who wishes to substitute secular law for the Sharee'ah to a beetle that loves the smell of urine and faeces but hates the fragrance of roses and musk. (2)

And He (Ta'aala) says:

{Those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad),
they will be among the lowest (most humiliated).}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 58: Ayah 20)

The worst form of dispute is to oppose Allah and His Messenger and to turn away from the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala), and the Sunnah of His Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam). The humiliation that the Muslims are today experiencing throughout the world is only a natural consequence of their having abandoned the Sharee'ah. Muslims today are numerous but they are like flotsam on a full tide. They have been seduced by the basest of nations and conquered by the most degenerate of people.

Indeed, the words of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), have come True: He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) said:

'These nations will call one another to invade you as people call one another
to come and eat from one bowl.' Someone asked: 'Will it be because we are so few?'
He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) replied: 'Indeed no, in these days you will be many
but you will be like flotsam and jetsam on the sea, for Allah (Ta'aala) will strip fear of
you from the breasts of your enemies and He will cast Al Wahn into you.' They said:
'What is Al Wahn?' He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) said:

'Love of the world and a distaste for death.' (3)

A large part of the imbalance in Muslim life today is due to the handiwork of men who, disguised as scholars, have persuaded people to substitute human speculation for the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala). Surely they will carry the full burden of their actions, and also that of those whom they have led astray, until the Day of Resurrection. Islam will not be sullied by them. May Allah (Ta'aala) preserve the 'Ulamaa from among our rightly guided predecessors who guarded the gates of Islam so that none of its enemies could penetrate beyond them.

Ibn Katheer discusses the condition of the Muslim Nation in the days of the Tatars. Discussing in his tafseer the ayah: {Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance? } (5: 50), he says,

'The Law of Allah (Ta'aala) encourages whatever is beneficial and discourages whatever is detrimental. Allah (Ta'aala) has rejected all who would depart from it, and who accept the views, opinions, and conventions determined by men without any support from the Sharee'ah. This was done in the times of the Jahiliyyah, when people ruled by chance and blind conjecture in accordance with their own views and opinions.

So too do the Tatars rule, in accordance with their own royal policy, pronounced by their king Ghingis Khan, which they call the 'Yasaq'. This 'Yasaq' is a hotchpotch of all the rules and systems that he has come across, taken from the Jews and Christians and the Muslims, with many elements added which are based purely on his whims and fancies. This, the Tatars say, is the law of the land to which they give precedence, above the Book of Allah (Ta'aala) and the Sunnah of His Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam).

Whoever amongst them does this is a disbeliever who must be opposed until he returns to the Rule of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) and His Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam).

Such a person should not rule even for a day.' (4)

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraheem Al ash Shaykh outlines the ways in which a ruler may commit the greater disbelief (Kufr ul Akbar) that takes a person out of Islam:

If the ruler who rules by other than the Revelation of Allah (Ta'aala) challenges the legal obligation to rule by the Sharee'ah then he is outside Islam. This is the meaning of what has been reported by at Tabari on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (radiallaahu 'anhu), who said that there is no disagreement among the 'Ulamaa about someone who challenges the legitimacy of the Sharee'ah; that this is a fundamental point about which everyone agrees; and that anyone who challenges a fundamental point of Belief - or even a secondary issue that all the 'Ulamaa are agreed about - or who denies any part of the Revelation out of hand, is a disbeliever and is not a part of this Community. (5)

If such a ruler does not challenge the legitimacy of the Sharee'ah, but believes that he rules by a better system of law than that which the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) observed, a system which in his opinion is more coherent and more suited to the needs of the people in the face of their changing needs and circumstances, then there can be no doubt that he too is a disbeliever. He has formulated a rule that can never compete with that of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala). There is no issue whatsoever whose answer is not contained in the text of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, either explicitly or implicitly; whether or not a person knows this is a different matter.

If a ruler does not believe that what he has is better than the Sharee'ah, but still thinks that it is at least equal to it, then he is like the others. This is disbelief that takes him out of the Community, because it seeks to equate a creature with his Creator. This is also true if someone believes that a ruler has a right to deviate from the Sharee'ah in the way that the three types of rulers outlined above do.

It is even worse still when a person stubbornly supports his own rule in opposition to that of Allah (Ta'aala) and His Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), aggrandising it at the expense of the Sharee'ah. This is what modern secular rulers do, whose recourse is to French, British and American law, or to whatever else they please to choose from non-Muslim systems.

What could be greater disbelief than this?
What could be more excessive than this in contradicting the declaration of Faith, 'There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger'? (6)

Finally, there is the disbelief of many chieftains of the tribes and clans of the Bedouins - and others like them - who cling to the tales of their ancestors, to their habits and traditions. These form a kind of inherited common law by which they rule themselves in preference to, and in spite of, the Revealed Law of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala).

Then there is the type of disbelief that does not take one out of the Community, and which Ibn 'Abbas (radiallaahu 'anhu) termed 'a disbelief less than disbelief'. Thus someone who is overcome by his own desires in a particular situation may act contrary to the Sharee'ah, and yet still be aware that he is acting wrongly. He may later reproach himself for his error and failure to follow the guidance of Allah (Ta'aala). Even though this action does not take him out of the Community, it is still a very great sin, greater than fornication or drinking or theft. Allah (Ta'aala) has called this 'disbelief', so it is more grave than other wrong actions which have not been described in this fashion. (7)

It is because of the significance and importance of the matter that we have examined the subject of governance in detail. To ally oneself with a ruler who does not rule by what Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) has revealed, to approve of his rule and the implementation of legislation under his authority - saying this is lawful, without the Permission of Allah (Ta'aala) - is a contradiction of the declaration of Faith. Allah (Ta'aala) is the only God, to whom all devotion from the heart is due, in love, and in awe, and in obedience, and in submission.

Such behaviour is a contradiction of the statement, 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah', since whoever truly believes this will follow what the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) has commanded and leave what he has forbidden and what he has criticised. If people only understood this fact then tyranny could not persist, nor could it establish disbelief and push the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala) to one side.

The second matter that should be considered in this context is the helping and assisting of the disbelievers against the Muslims.

Helping the disbelievers Against the Muslims
Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) says:

{And if any amongst you takes them (the Jews and Christians, as Auliya'
[friends, protectors, helpers]), then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allah
guides not those people who are dhaalimun (polytheists
and wrong-doers and unjust).}

(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 51)

This is a major contradiction of the declaration of Faith into which many people today have fallen. They are nominally Muslims and still apparently within the fold of the Faithful. And yet, we have come to feel a certain embarrassment when it comes to calling a spade a spade, to saying to the supporters of kufr, 'You are disbelievers!'

Some people even see this as an impertinence in view of the wonder and awe, and the fear and anxiety, that they feel for the enemies of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala). And so the matter of setting the pace, of setting an example, has given way under the weight of their feebleness of faith. They are dazzled by the enemies of Allah (Ta'aala) and long to be like them, even to the point that if they entered the hole of a lizard they would follow them into it.

Reference Link

The Journey into the Hereafter - The Unbeliever and Hell (part 7 of 8) - How the Hellfire will receive the unbelievers.

The Unbeliever and Hell {…and for those who deny the Hour, We have prepared a flaming Fire (i.e. Hell). (11) When it (Hell) sees them from a far place, they will hear its raging and its roaring.} [Al-Furqan 25:11-12]. {...وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن كَذَّبَ بِالسَّاعَةِ سَعِيرًا ﴿١١﴾ إِذَا رَأَتْهُم مِّن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ سَمِعُوا لَهَا تَغَيُّظًا وَزَفِيرًا} الفرقان: 11-12 Transliteration: waaAAtadnaliman kaththaba bialssaAAati saAAeeran (11) Itha raathum min makanin baAAeedin samiAAoo laha taghayyuthan wazafeeran When they near it, they will anticipate their shackles and their destiny as fuel: {Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers iron chains, iron collars, and a blazing Fire.} [Al-Insan 76:4]. {نَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ سَلَاسِلَ وَأَغْلَالًا وَسَعِيرًا} الإنسان: 4 Transliteration: Inna aAAtadna lilkafireena salasila waaghlalan wasaAAeeran {Verily, with Us are fetters (to bind them), and a raging Fire.} [Al-Muzzammil 73:12]. {إِنَّ لَدَيْنَا أَنكَالًا وَجَحِيمًا} المزمل: 12 Transliteration: Inna ladayna ankalan wajaheeman Angels will rush at God’s command to seize and shackle him: {(It will be said): “Seize him and fetter him,} [Al-Haaqah 69:30]. {خُذُوهُ فَغُلُّوهُ} الحاقة: 30 Transliteration: Khuthoohu faghulloohu {…And We shall put iron collars round the necks of those who disbelieved.} [Saba’ 34:33]. {...وَجَعَلْنَا الْأَغْلَالَ فِي أَعْنَاقِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا...} سبأ: 33 Transliteration: wajaAAalna alaghlala fee aAAnaqi allatheena kafaroo Bound in chains… {Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!} [Al-Haaqah 69:32]. {ثُمَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةٍ ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًا فَاسْلُكُوهُ} الحاقة: 32 Transliteration: Thumma fee silsilatin tharAAuhasabAAoona thiraAAan faoslukoohu …he will be dragged along: {When iron collars will be rounded over their necks, and the chains, they shall be dragged along.} [Ghafir 40:71]. {إِذِ الْأَغْلَالُ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ وَالسَّلَاسِلُ يُسْحَبُونَ} غافر: 71 Transliteration: Ithi alaghlalu fee aAAnaqihim waalssalasilu yushaboona While they are being tied down, chained, and dragged to be thrown into Hell, they will hear its rage: {And for those who disbelieve in their Lord (Allah) is the torment of Hell, and worst indeed is that destination. (6) When they are cast therein, they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its breath as it blazes forth. (7) It almost bursts up with fury. Every time a group is cast therein, its keeper will ask: “Did no warner come to you?” } [Al-Mulk 67:6-8]. {وَلِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿٦﴾ إِذَا أُلْقُوا فِيهَا سَمِعُوا لَهَا شَهِيقًا وَهِيَ تَفُورُ ﴿٧﴾ تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ ۖ كُلَّمَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ} الملك: 6-8 Transliteration: Walillatheena kafaroo birabbihim AAathabu jahannama wabisa almaseeru (6) Itha olqoo feehasamiAAoo laha shaheeqan wahiya tafooru (7) Takadu tamayyazu mina alghaythi kullama olqiya feeha fawjun saalahum khazanatuha alam yatikum natheerun Since they will be driven from the great plain of gathering, naked and hungry, they will beg the inhabitants of Paradise for water: {And the dwellers of the Fire will call to the dwellers of Paradise: “Pour on us some water or anything that Allah has provided you with.” They will say: “Both (water and provision) Allah has forbidden to the disbelievers.”} [Al-A’raaf 7:50]. {وَنَادَىٰ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَنْ أَفِيضُوا عَلَيْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّـهُ ۚ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّـهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ} الأعراف: 50 Transliteration: Wanada ashabu alnari ashaba aljannati an afeedoo AAalayna mina almai aw mimma razaqakumu Allahu qaloo inna Allaha harramahuma AAala alkafireena At the same time the faithful in Paradise will be received with honor, made comfortable, and served with delicious banquets, the disbeliever will dine in Hell: {“Then moreover, verily, you the erring-ones, the deniers (of Resurrection)! (51) “You verily will eat of the trees of Zaqqum. (52) “Then you will fill your bellies therewith,} [Al-Waqi’a 56:51-53]. {ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ أَيُّهَا الضَّالُّونَ الْمُكَذِّبُونَ ﴿٥١﴾ لَآكِلُونَ مِن شَجَرٍ مِّن زَقُّومٍ ﴿٥٢﴾ فَمَالِئُونَ مِنْهَا الْبُطُونَ} الواقعة: 51-53 Transliteration: Thumma innakum ayyuha alddalloona almukaththiboona (51) Laakiloona min shajarin min zaqqoomin (52)Famalioona minha albutoona Zaqqoom: a tree whose roots are in the bottom of Hell and which branches into its other levels; its fruit resembles the heads of the devils: {Is that (Paradise) better entertainment or the tree of Zaqqum (a horrible tree in Hell)? (62) Truly We have made it (as) a trail for the Zalimun (polytheists, disbelievers, wrong-doers, etc.). (63) Verily, it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-fire, (64) The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of Shayatin (devils); (65) Truly, they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith.} [As-Saaffat 37:62-66]. {أَذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ نُّزُلًا أَمْ شَجَرَةُ الزَّقُّومِ ﴿٦٢﴾ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهَا فِتْنَةً لِّلظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٦٣﴾ إِنَّهَا شَجَرَةٌ تَخْرُجُ فِي أَصْلِ الْجَحِيمِ ﴿٦٤﴾ طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُ رُءُوسُ الشَّيَاطِينِ ﴿٦٥﴾ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَآكِلُونَ مِنْهَا فَمَالِئُونَ مِنْهَا الْبُطُونَ} الصافات: 62-66 Transliteration: Athalika khayrun nuzulan am shajaratu alzzaqqoomi (62) Inna jaAAalnahafitnatan lilththalimeena (63) Innaha shajaratun takhruju fee asli aljaheemi (64) TalAAuha kaannahu ruoosu alshshayateeni (65) Fainnahum laakiloona minhafamalioona minha albutoona The wicked will have other food to eat as well, some that chokes, [1]and some like dry, thorny bushes. [2] {Nor any food except filth from the washing of wounds, (36) None will eat except the Khati’un (sinners, disbelievers, polytheists, etc.).} [Al-Haaqqa 69:36-37]. {وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنْ غِسْلِينٍ ﴿٣٦﴾ لَّا يَأْكُلُهُ إِلَّا الْخَاطِئُونَ} الحاقة: 36-37 Transliteration: WalataAAamun illa min ghisleenin (36) La yakuluhu illaalkhatioona And to wash down their melancholy meals, an extremely cold mix of their own pus, blood, sweat and wound discharge [3] as well as boiling, scolding water which dissolves their intestines: {… and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels?} [Muhammad 47:15]. {...وَسُقُوا مَاءً حَمِيمًا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُمْ} محمد: 15 Transliteration: wasuqoo maan hameeman faqattaAAa amAAaahum The clothing of the denizens of Hell will be made of fire and pitch: {... then as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them,…} [Al-Hajj 22:19]. {...فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارٍ...} الحج: 19 Transliteration: faallatheena kafaroo quttiAAat lahum thiyabun min narin {Their garments will be of pitch, and fire will cover their faces.} [Ibrahim 14:50]. {سَرَابِيلُهُم مِّن قَطِرَانٍ وَتَغْشَىٰ وُجُوهَهُمُ النَّارُ} إبراهيم: 50 Transliteration: Sarabeeluhum min qatranin wataghshawujoohahumu alnnaru Their sandals, [4] bed, and canopies will likewise be made of fire; [5] a punishment encapsulating the entire body, from heedless head to transgressing toe: {Then pour over his head the torment of boiling water,} [Ad-Dukhan 44:48]. {ثُمَّ صُبُّوا فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْحَمِيمِ} الدخان: 48 Transliteration: Thumma subboo fawqa rasihi min AAathabi alhameemi {On the Day when the torment (Hell-fire) shall cover them from above them and from underneath their feet, and it will be said: “Taste what you used to do.”} [Al-’Ankaboot 29:55]. {يَوْمَ يَغْشَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ وَيَقُولُ ذُوقُوا مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ} العنكبوت: 55 Transliteration: Yawma yaghshahumu alAAathabu min fawqihim wamin tahti arjulihim wayaqoolu thooqoo ma kuntum taAAmaloona Their punishment in Hell will vary according to their disbelief and other sins. {And what will make you know what the crushing Fire is? (5) The fire of Allah, kindled, (6) Which leaps up over the hearts, (7) Verily, it shall be closed in on them, (8) In pillars stretched forth (i.e. they will be punished in the Fire with pillars, etc.).} [Al-Humaza 104:5-9]. {وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ ﴿٥﴾ نَارُ اللَّـهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ ﴿٦﴾ الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ ﴿٧﴾ إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ ﴿٨﴾ فِي عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍ} الهمزة: 5-9 Transliteration: Wama adraka ma alhutamatu (5) Naru Allahi almooqadatu (6) Allatee tattaliAAu AAala alafidati (7)lnnaha AAalayhim musadatun (8) Fee AAamadin mumaddadatin Every time the skin will burn through, it will be replenished with new skin: {Surely! Those who disbelieved in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment. Truly, Allah is Ever Most Powerful, All-Wise.} [An-Nisaa’ 4:56]. {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَارًا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا} النساء: 56 Transliteration: Inna allatheena kafaroo biayatina sawfa nusleehim naran kullama nadijat julooduhum baddalnahum juloodan ghayraha liyathooqoo alAAathaba inna Allaha kana AAazeezan hakeeman Worst of all, the punishment will keep increasing: {So taste you (the results of your evil actions); no increase shall We give you, except in torment.} [An-Naba’ 78:30]. {فَذُوقُوا فَلَن نَّزِيدَكُمْ إِلَّا عَذَابًا} النبأ: 30 Transliteration: Fathooqoo falan nazeedakum illaAAathaban The psychological effect of this punishing chastisement will be tremendous. A chastisement so severe that its sufferers will cry out for it to be multiplied on those who led them astray: {They will say: “Our Lord! Whoever brought this upon us, add to him a double torment in the Fire!”} [Saad 38:61]. {قَالُوا رَبَّنَا مَن قَدَّمَ لَنَا هَـٰذَا فَزِدْهُ عَذَابًا ضِعْفًا فِي النَّارِ} ص: 61 Transliteration: Qaloo rabbana man qaddama lana hathafazidhu AAathaban diAAfan fee alnnari The daring will make their first attempt to break out, but: {And for them are hooked rods of iron (to punish them). (21) Every time they seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be driven back therein, and (it will be) said to them: “Taste the torment of burning!”} [Al-Hajj 22:21-22]. {وَلَهُم مَّقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ ﴿٢١﴾ كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَن يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ} الحج: 21-22 Transliteration: Walahum maqamiAAu min hadeedin (21) Kullama aradoo an yakhrujoo minha min ghammin oAAeedoo feehawathooqoo AAathaba alhareeqi After failing several times, they will seek assistance from Iblees, the Great Satan himself. {And Shaitan (Satan) will say when the matter has been decided: “Verily, Allah promised you a promise of truth. And I too promised you, but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you, so you responded to me. So blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating me (Satan) as a partner with Allah (by obeying me in the life of the world). Verily, there is a painful torment for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.).”} [Ibrahim 14:22]. {وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدتُّكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِيَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا أَن دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي ۖ فَلَا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنفُسَكُم ۖ مَّا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُصْرِخِيَّ ۖ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ} إبراهيم: 22 Transliteration: Waqala alshshaytanu lamma qudiya alamru inna Allaha waAAadakum waAAda alhaqqi wawaAAadtukum faakhlaftukum wama kana liya AAalaykum min sultanin illa an daAAawtukum faistajabtum lee falataloomoonee waloomoo anfusakum maana bimusrikhikum wama antum bimusrikhiyya innee kafartu bimaashraktumooni min qablu inna alththalimeena lahum AAathabun aleemun Giving up on Satan, they will turn to the angels guarding Hell to get their torment reduced, even if just for a day: {And those in the Fire will say to the keepers (angels) of Hell: “Call upon your Lord to lighten for us the torment for a day!”} [Ghafir 40:49]. {وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي النَّارِ لِخَزَنَةِ جَهَنَّمَ ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ يُخَفِّفْ عَنَّا يَوْمًا مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ} غافر: 49 Transliteration: Waqala allatheena fee alnnari likhazanati jahannama odAAoo rabbakum yukhaffif AAanna yawman mina alAAathabi Awaiting the response for as long as God wills, the guards will come back and ask: {They will say: “Did there not come to you, your Messengers with (clear) evidences and signs? They will say: “Yes.” They will reply: “Then call (as you like)! And the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but in error!”} [Ghafir 40:50]. {قَالُوا أَوَلَمْ تَكُ تَأْتِيكُمْ رُسُلُكُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ ۚ قَالُوا فَادْعُوا ۗ وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ} غافر: 50 Transliteration: Qaloo awalam taku tateekum rusulukum bialbayyinati qaloo bala qaloo faodAAoo wama duAAao alkafireena illa fee dalalin Losing hope in the reduction of punishment, they will seek death. This time they will turn to the Hell’s Chief Keeper, the angel, Malik, pleading to him for forty years: { And they will cry: “O Malik (Keeper of Hell)! Let your Lord make an end of us.”…} [Az-Zukhruf 43:77]. {وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ} الزخرف: 43 Transliteration: Wanadaw ya maliku liyaqdi AAalaynarabbuka His curt rebuttal after a thousand years will be: {… He will say: “Verily you shall abide forever.”} [Az-Zukhruf 43:77]. {قَالَ إِنَّكُم مَّاكِثُونَ} الزخرف: 77 Transliteration: qala innakum makithoona Eventually, they will return to He Whom they refused to turn to in this world, asking for one last chance: {They will say, ‘Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray. Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil], we would indeed be wrongdoers.’} [Al-Mu’minoon 23:106-107]. {قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا ضَالِّينَ ﴿١٠٦﴾ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ} المؤمنون: 106-107 Transliteration: Qaloo rabbana ghalabat AAalaynashiqwatuna wakunna qawman dalleena (106) Rabbanaakhrijna minha fain AAudna fainna thalimoona God’s respond will be thus: {He (Allah) will say: “Remain you in it with ignominy! And speak you not to Me!”} [Al-Mu’minoon 23:108]. {قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ} المؤمنون: 108 Transliteration: Qala ikhsaoo feeha wala tukallimooni The pain from this response will be worse than their fiery torment. For the disbeliever will know his stay in Hell will be for an eternity, his omission from Paradise absolute and final: {Verily, those who disbelieve and did wrong [by concealing the truth about Prophet Muhammad SAW and his message of true Islamic Monotheism written with them in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], Allah will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to anyway, - (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi). (168) Except the way of Hell, to dwell therein forever, and this is ever easy for Allah.} [An-Nisaa’ 4:168-169]. {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَظَلَمُوا لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّـهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقًا ﴿١٦٨﴾ إِلَّا طَرِيقَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّـهِ يَسِيرًا} النساء: 168-169 Transliteration: Inna allatheena kafaroo wathalamoo lam yakuni Allahu liyaghfira lahum wala liyahdiyahumtareeqan (168) Illa tareeqa jahannama khalideena feehaabadan wakana thalika AAala Allahi yaseeran The greatest deprivation and sorrow for an unbeliever will be spiritual: he will be veiled from God and will be deprived of seeing Him: {Nay! Surely, they (evil-doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day.} [Al-Mutaffifin 83:15]. {كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ} المطففين: 15 Transliteration: Kalla innahum AAan rabbihim yawmaithin lamahjooboona Just like they refused to “see” Him in this life, they will be separated from God in the next life. The faithful will jeer at them. {But this Day (the Day of Resurrection) those who believe will laugh at the disbelievers (34) On (high) thrones, looking (at all things). (35) Are not the disbelievers paid (fully) for what they used to do?}[Al-Mutaffifin 83:34-36]. {فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾ عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾ هَلْ ثُوِّبَ الْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ} المطففين: 34-36 Transliteration: Faalyawma allatheena amanoo mina alkuffari yadhakoona (34)AAala alaraiki yanthuroona (35) Hal thuwwiba alkuffaru ma kanoo yafAAaloona Their total despair and grief will culminate when death is brought in the form of a ram and slaughtered in front of them, so they know no refuge will ever be found in a final dissolution. {And warn them (O Muhammad SAW) of the Day of grief and regrets, when the case has been decided, while (now) they are in a state of carelessness, and they believe not.} [Maryam 19:39]. {وَأَنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ وَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ} مريم: 39 Transliteration: Waanthirhum yawma alhasrati ith qudiya alamru wahum fee ghaflatin wahum la yuminoona

Footnotes: [1] Quran 73:13. [2] Quran 88:6-7. [3] Quran 78:24-25. [4] Saheeh Muslim. [5] Quran 7:41.

By IslamReligion.com [co-author Abdurrahman Mahdi].

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The evil doers

Thus, in many of ayaat containing warnings for those who disobey Allah, Allah mentions His punishment of the evil-doers in this world as well as the punishment which He has prepared for them in the next life.

In other verses, He mentions only the punishments of the next life, because its punishment is much greater, and its reward is much greater, and it is the place of permanence. So, when the punishments of this world are mentioned, they are secondary to the mentioning of the punishments of the next life, as in the following story of Yusuf (peace be upon him):

“In this way we empowered Yusuf in the earth, he moves therein wherever he pleases. We will not negate the reward of those who do good, and the reward of the next life is better for those who believe, and used to fear Allah.” [Surah Yusuf: 56-57]

“And so Allah gave them the reward of this life, and the best of rewards for

the next life.” [Surah Al- ‘Imran:148]

“And those who migrated for the sake of Allah after they had been oppressed, we will establish them in the earth in a goodly fashion, and the reward of the next life is greater, if they only knew. Those who have patience, and depend fully on their Lord.” [Surah An- Nahl: 41-42]

Allah said about Ibrahim (upon him be peace) in another ayah:

“And we gave him his reward in this life, and verily he is among the righteous in the next life.” [Surah An- Nahl: 122]

As for what Allah has mentioned about the punishment of this life and the next, we can look to Surah An-Nazi'at in which He said:

“By those (angels) who violently tear out (the souls of the wicked at death)

And by those who gently draw out (the souls of the righteous at death).”

[Surah An-Nazi'at: 1-2]

And then, in the same Surah, Allah said:

“On that day when the great trembling and quaking occurs (upon the first sounding of the Horn, which signals Allah's putting to death of all creation)

Which is followed by another, similar (the second sounding of the Horn, which signals the bringing to life of the whole creation).” [Surah An-Nazi'at: 6-7]

In which He mentioned the day of Qiyamah in general, and then He said: “Has the story of Musa reached you? * When his Lord called him in the sacred valley of Tuwa * (Saying) Go to Fir'aun, for verily he has transgressed * And say to him: Do you have any desire to be purified? * And that I should guide you to your Lord so that you should fear Him? * Then Musa showed him the Great Sign * But Fir'aun rejected and disobeyed * Then he turned away, striving hard (against the truth) * Then he collected his forces, and made a proclamation * Saying: I am your lord, most high * So Allah destroyed him, and made an example of him in the hereafter, and in this life * Verily in this there is an instructive warning for those who fear Allah.” [Surah An-Nazi'at: 15-26]

Then, Allah mentioned the place of beginning, and the place of return in detail saying:

“Are you more difficult to create or the heavens? Allah has constructed them * He raised high the canopy, and gave it order and perfection ... *And so, when the great overwhelming event arrives (i.e. Qiyama) * On that day, man will remember all that he used to strive for * And hell-fire will be made plainly visible for all who see * Then, as for the one who transgressed * And preferred the life of this world * Verily (for such) the fire is the final abode * And as for those who had fear of their standing before their Lord, and forbid themselves the dictates of their hawaa *Verily the Garden (of Paradise) is their final abode.” [Surah An-Nazi'at: 27-28, 34-41]

Also, in Surah al-Muzammil, Allah mentions His own statement:

“And leave me with those who deny the truth, who possess the good things of this life, and leave them for a short time *Verily, we have fetters (to bind them) and fire (to burn them) *And food that chokes, and a painful punishment *One day, the earth and the mountains will tremble and quake, and the mountains will be like a heap of sand poured out and flowing down *Verily, we have sent to you a Prophet as a witness over you, just as we sent to Fir'aun a Prophet * But Fir'aun disobeyed the Prophet, so we seized him with a heavy punishment.” [Surah Al-Muzammil: 11-16]

Also, in Surah Al-Haaqqah, Allah mentions the stories of the disbelieving nations such as Thamud, 'aad, and Fir'aun, and then says:

“When a single blast is sounded on the Horn *And the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed to powder at a single stroke.” [Surah Al-Haaqqah: 13-14]

Then, in verses 15-37 Allah describes the people of heaven and hell, and their condition on the day of Qiyamah and after.

In Surah Al-Qalam, Allah mentions the story of the owners of the garden (i.e. farm) who conspired to withhold the rights of the poor from them and were punished by the destruction of their crop. Then Allah says:

“Such is the punishment, and the punishment of the hereafter is of greater magnitude, if they only knew.” [Surah Al-Qalam: 33]

Again, in Surah At-Taghabun, Allah says:

“Didn't the news reach you of those who rejected faith before? They tasted the results of their actions, and for them is a painful punishment *That was because Messengers used to come to them with clear signs, but they said: Should mere human beings guide us? So they rejected faith, and turned away. And Allah is in no need. Allah is free of all needs, worthy of all praise *The disbelievers imagine that they will not be raised up (for judgement) Say: Yes, by my Lord, you will be raised up, then you will be informed of all that you did, and that is very easy for Allah.” [Surah At-Taghabun: 5-7]

Allah has mentioned the condition of those who oppose and disobey the prophets, as well as the threatened punishments which await them in the hereafter in many chapters of the Qur’an. Among them: Qaf, Al-Qamar, Al-Mu'minun, As-Sajdah, Az-Zukhruf, Ad-Dukhan, and many others.

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None will enter it except the most wretched one - 92:15

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The word yasla means to throw oneself in and Allah (swt) is saying that none will throw themselves into this specific fire except for the most wretched. There are other types of fire for other types of disbelievers but this fire has been specifically prepared for this specific type of disbeliever because Allah (swt) says that no one will go into it except for Al Ashqa. Allah (swt) in the third person is warning that the most wretched enters this fire but he is not calling the audience the worst kind of people leaving open the implication that there may still be hope for the audience or worse still that maybe the audience are being told because they are indeed the worst kind of person and need to rectify themselves. This type of person was mentioned in the previous surah too where we learnt that Thamood lied against the messenger Salih (as) and violated and disrespected the miracle that Allah (swt) had sent to them by slaughtering the she-camel. Now the Quraysh have committed a crime against the miracle that Allah (swt) sent Muhammad (saw) by turning away from the Quran. In one the instruction was to stay away from the miracle whilst here the instruction was to come towards the miracle. Yet, in both cases the people rebelled against the gift that Allah (swt) sent them and now in this surah we learn what their punishment in the hereafter will be when they throw themselves into the fire.
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