This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.
Question: Is unconditional obedience to scholars permissible?
Answer: Unconditional obedience to scholars is forbidden, as stated in Surah At-Tawbah: [اِتَّخَذُوۡۤا اَحۡبَارَہُمۡ وَ رُہۡبَانَہُمۡ اَرۡبَابًا مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ وَ الۡمَسِیۡحَ ابۡنَ مَرۡیَمَ ۚ وَ مَاۤ اُمِرُوۡۤا اِلَّا لِیَعۡبُدُوۡۤا اِلٰـہًا وَّاحِدًا ۚ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ سُبۡحٰنَہٗ عَمَّا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ]
They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and likewise the Messiah, son of Mary, while they were commanded to worship none but the One True God. He is the One True God besides whom there is no deity worthy of worship, He is pure from those polytheistic things that they say.
Reference: (At-Tawbah:31)
It has been understood that unconditional obedience to the scholars is their worship. Especially when, because of them, polytheism is accepted as monotheism. That is why Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, says: I am amazed at those people who heard the Hadith of the Messenger ﷺ, then verified the authenticity of its chain, and then abandoned it to prefer the statement of Sufyan, may Allah have mercy on him, or someone else. Allah Almighty says: [فَلۡیَحۡذَرِ الَّذِیۡنَ یُخَالِفُوۡنَ عَنۡ اَمۡرِہٖۤ اَنۡ تُصِیۡبَہُمۡ فِتۡنَۃٌ اَوۡ یُصِیۡبَہُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِیۡمٌ] Those who disobey the command of the Messenger ﷺ should fear that they may be caught in a trial or that a painful punishment may befall them.
Reference: (An-Nur:63)
Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: You know what fitnah (trial) is; fitnah is shirk (polytheism).
Reference: (Kitab al-Tawheed)
Giving someone the right to declare what is halal and haram is to make them a god. Therefore, the internal sects are polytheists who give their imams absolute authority to declare halal and haram. Similarly, the shirk of those people is also necessary who, instead of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger, take various rulings of life from their spiritual guides, dervishes, and scholars, and are affiliated with various Sufi orders (Naqshbandi, Suhrawardi, Qadiri, and Chishti, etc.). Likewise, those who give the National Assembly the right that it is not bound by the Book and Sunnah in making political, economic, civil, and international laws, and the majority who consider obedience to whatever law it makes as obligatory, they worship it because following Allah’s law is worship of Allah, and following the law of others besides Allah is worship of others besides Allah.Question: What is the meaning of disbelieving in the Taghut?
Answer: The form of disbelief in Taghut is to believe in the falsehood of Taghut. To harbor hatred and enmity towards it and to remain separate from it, and to consider those who obey these Taghuts as allies of Taghut. To declare enmity with words and actions against Taghut and the allies of Taghut. It is stated: [قَدۡ کَانَتۡ لَکُمۡ اُسۡوَۃٌ حَسَنَۃٌ فِیۡۤ اِبۡرٰہِیۡمَ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ مَعَہٗ ۚ اِذۡ قَالُوۡا لِقَوۡمِہِمۡ اِنَّا بُرَءٰٓؤُا مِنۡکُمۡ وَ مِمَّا تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰہِ ۫ کَفَرۡنَا بِکُمۡ وَ بَدَا بَیۡنَنَا وَ بَیۡنَکُمُ الۡعَدَاوَۃُ وَ الۡبَغۡضَآءُ اَبَدًا حَتّٰی تُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَحۡدَہٗۤ]
Indeed, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and those with him are a good example for you when they said to their people, "We are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship besides Allah. We deny you, and until you believe in Allah alone, there will always be enmity and hatred between us and you."
Reference: (Al-Mumtahina:4)
Opposition to polytheists is also obligatory in Islamic law, but disavowal and disbelief in the tyrant (Taghut) is the foremost duty of Islam. It is not possible for a monotheist to befriend the tyrant, because the Islamic movement inevitably clashes with the tyrant. When Allah sent Musa (Moses) عليه السلام to Egypt, He commanded him to go to Pharaoh because he was a tyrant and needed to be taught the greatness of Allah. It is said: [اِذۡہَبۡ اِلٰی فِرۡعَوۡنَ اِنَّہٗ طَغٰی]،[فَقُلۡ ہَلۡ لَّکَ اِلٰۤی اَنۡ تَزَکّٰی]
[Go to Pharaoh, indeed he has transgressed all bounds], [So say, "Do you want to purify yourself?"]
Reference: (An-Nazi'at:17, 18)
