الرُّسُلُ،the Messengers,فَهَذَاthisكُفرٌ،is disbelief,وَقَدْand hasجَعَلَهُmade itاللَّهُAllahوَرَسُولُهُand His Messengerشِرْكًا،associating partners,وَإِنْand ifلَمْnotيَكُونُواthey wereيُصَلُّونَprayingلَهُمْto themوَيَسْجُدُونَand prostratingلَهُمْto themفَكَانَthen whoeverمِنْfromاتَّبَعَfollowsغَيْرَهُothersفِيinخِلاَفٍoppositionالدِّينِto the religionمَعَwhileعِلْمِهِhe knowsأَنَّهُthat it isخِلاَفٌoppositionالدِّينِ،to the religion,وَاعْتَقَدَand believesمَاwhatقَالَهُhe saidذَٰلِكَthatدُونَwithoutمَاwhatقَالَهُhe saidاللَّهَAllahوَرَسُولَهُand His Messengerمُشْرِكًاis an associate (polytheist)مِثْلَlikeهَـُٔلَـٰئِكَ.these.
The messengers, for this is disbelief, and Allah and His Messenger have made it associating partners, and if they did not pray to them and prostrate to them, then whoever follows others in opposition to the religion while knowing that it is opposition to the religion, and believes what that one said without what Allah and His Messenger said is an associate (polytheist) like these.
لَكِنَّهُمْBut theyوَالثَّانِي:and the second:أَنْthatيَكُونَit isاعْتِقَادُهُمْtheir beliefوَإِيمَانُهُمْand faithبِتَحْرِيمِin prohibitingالْحَلَالِthe lawfulوَتَحْلِيلِand permittingالْحَرَامِ،the unlawful,ثَابِتًا،is established,أَطَاعُوهُمْthey obeyed themفِيinمَعْصِيَةِdisobedienceاللَّهِAllahكَمَاasيَفْعَلُdoesالْمُسْلِمُthe Muslimمَاwhatيَفْعَلُهُhe doesمِنَofالْمَعَاصِيِthe sinsالَّتِيthatيَعْتَقِدُhe believesأَنَّهَاthat they areمَعَاصٍ،sins,فَهَـٰئِكَso theseلَهُمْfor themحُكْمٌthe rulingأَمْثَالُهُمْlike themمِنْfromأَهْلِthe people ofالذُّنُوبِ،the sins,كَمَاasثَبَتَit has been establishedفِيinالصَّحِيحِthe authenticعَنْfromالنَّبِيِthe Prophetأَنَّهُthatقَالَhe saidإِنَّمَاIndeedالطَّاعَةُthe obedienceفِيinالْمَعْرُوفِ»the known.
But they, and the second is: that their belief and faith in prohibiting the lawful and permitting the unlawful is established, they obeyed them in disobedience to Allah as the Muslim does what he does of the sins which he believes to be sins, so these have the ruling of like them from the people of sins, as it has been established in the authentic hadith from the Prophet that he said: 'Indeed, obedience is in the known.'
وَقَالَ:And he said:«عَلَى'Uponالْمُسْلِمِthe Muslimالسَّمْعِto hearوَطَاعَةٍand obeyفِيْمَاin whatأُحِبُّhe lovesأَوْorكَرِهَ،he hates,مَاas long asلَمْnotيُؤْمَرْcommandedبِمَعْصِيَةٍ.»with disobedience.'وَقَالَ:And he said:«لَا'There is noطَاعَةٌobedienceلِمَخْلُوقٍto a creationفِيinمَعْصِيَةِdisobedienceالْخَالِقِ.to the Creator.
And he said: 'Upon the Muslim is to hear and obey in what he loves or hates, as long as he is not commanded with disobedience.' And he said: 'There is no obedience to a creation in disobedience to the Creator.'
وَقَالَ:And he said:مَنْWhoeverأَمَرَكُمْcommands youبِمَعْصِيَةِwith disobedienceاللَّهِAllahفَلَاthen do notتُطِيعُوهُ»obey him.'ثُمَّThenذَٰلِكَthatالْمُحَرَّمُthe prohibitedلِلْحَلَالِto the lawfulوَالْمُحَلَّلُand the permissibleلِلْحَرَامِto the unlawfulإِنْifكَانَhe wasمُجْتَهِدًاan exerting effort,قَصْدُهُhis intentionاتِّبَاعَto followالرَّسُولَ،the Messenger,لَكِنْbutخَفِيَthe truth has become hiddenعَلَيْهِto himالْحَقُّthe truthفِيinنَفْسِitselfالأَمْرِ،the matter,وَقَدْand he hasاتَّقَىfearedاللَّهَAllahمَاas much asاَسْتَطَاعَ،he could,فَهَذَاthisلَاdoes notيُؤَاخِذُهُhold him accountableاللَّهُAllahبِخَطَئِهِ،for his mistake,بَلْbutيُثِيبُهُwill reward himعَلَىforاجْتِهَادِهِhis strivingالَّذِيwhichأَطَاعَhe obeyedبِهِwith itرَبَّهُ.his Lord.
And he said: 'Whoever commands you with disobedience to Allah then do not obey him.' Then that which prohibits the lawful and permits the unlawful, if he was an exerting effort, his intention is to follow the Messenger, but the truth has become hidden to him in the matter, and he has feared Allah as much as he could, then Allah does not hold him accountable for his mistake, but will reward him for his striving with which he obeyed his Lord.
وَلَكِنَّHowever,مَنْwhoeverعَلِمَknowsأَنَّthatهَذَاthisالْخَطَأَmistakeفِيمَاin whatجَاءَcameبِهِwith itالرَّسُولُ،the Messenger,ثُمَّthenاتَّبَعَهُfollows himعَلَىuponخَطَأِهِ،his mistake,وَعَدَلَand turns awayعَنْfromقَوْلِwhat the sayingالرَّسُولِ،of the Messenger,فَهَذَاthisلَهُfor himنَصِيبٌa shareمِنْofهَذَاthisالشِّرْكِassociating partnersالَّذِيwhichذَمَّهُcondemnedاللَّهُ،Allah,لَا سِيَّمَاespeciallyإِنْifاتَّبَعَhe followsفِيinذَٰلِكَ،that,هَوَاهُhis desireوَنَصَرَهُand supports itبِاللِّسَانِby the tongueوَالْيَدِand the handمَعَwhileعِلْمِهِhe knowsبِأَنَّهُthat it isمُخَالِفٌin oppositionلِلرَّسُولِ،to the Messenger,فَهَذَاthisشِرْكٌis associating partnersيَسْتَحِقُّthat deservesصَاحِبَهُits ownerالْعُقُوبَةَthe punishmentعَلَيْهِ.upon him.
However, whoever knows that this mistake in what the Messenger has brought, then follows him upon his mistake and turns away from the saying of the Messenger, then this has a share of this associating partners which Allah condemned, especially if he follows in that his desire and supports it by tongue and hand while he knows that it is in opposition to the Messenger, then this is associating partners that deserves its owner the punishment.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonاتَّفَقَthe scholars agreedالعُلَمَاءُthat ifعَلَىthe scholars agreeأَنَّهُthat it isإِذَاwhenعَرَفَhe knowsالْحَقَّthe truthلَاit is notيَجُوزُpermissibleلَهُfor himتَقْلِيدٌto imitateأَحَدٍanyoneفِيinخِلَافِه،opposition to it,وَإِنَّمَاand ratherتَنَازَعُواthey disagreedفِيinجَوَازِthe permissibilityالتَّقْلِيدِof imitationلِلْقَادِرِfor the one ableعَلَىtoالِاسْتَدْلَالِ،deduce,وَإِنْand ifكَانَhe wasعَاجِزًاunableعَنْtoإِظْهَارِshowingالْحَقِّthe truthالَّذِيwhichيَعْلَمُهُ،he knows,فَهَذَاthisيَكُونُwould beكَـمَنْlike one whoعَرَفَknowsأَنَّthatدِينَthe religion ofالإِسْلَامِIslamحَقٌّis trueوَهُوَand he isبَيْنَamongالنَّصَارَى،the Christians,فَإِذَاthen ifفَعَلَhe doesمَاthat whichيَقْدِرُhe canعَلَيْهِupon himمِنَofالْحَقِّ،the truth,لَاhe does notيُؤَاخَذُhold accountable for whatبَعْجَزَhe is unable to do,وَهَـٰؤُلَـٰئِكَand theseكَالنَّجَاشِيِّlike al-Najashiوَغَيْرِهِand othersوَقَدْand He hasأَنزَلَrevealedاللَّهُAllahفِيinهَـٰؤُلَـٰئِكَtheseآيَاتٍversesمِنْofكِتَابِهِHis Bookكَقَوْلِهِlike His sayingتَعَالَى:Most High:﴿وَإِنَّ'And indeedمِنْfromأَهْلِthe people ofالْكِتَابِ،the Bookلَمَنْthere are those whoيُؤْمِنُونَbelieveبِاللَّهِin Allahوَمَاand whatأُنزِلَwas revealedإِلَيْكُمْto youوَمَاand whatأُنزِلَwas revealedإِلَيْهِمْ﴾to them.'[آل عمران:[Al-‘Imran:١٩٩].199].وَقَوْلُهُ:And His saying:﴿وَمِن'And amongقَوْمِthe people ofمُوسَى،Musa,أُمَّةٌis a groupيَهْدُونَthey guideبِالْحَقِّwith the truthوَبِهِمْ،and by it,يَعْدِلُونَ﴾they are just.'[الأعراف].[Al-A'raf].وَقَوْلُهُ:And His saying:﴿وَإِذَا'And whenسَمِعُواthey hearمَاwhatأُنزِلَwas revealedإِلَىtoالرَّسُولِ،the Messengerتَرَىyou seeأَعْيُنَهُمْtheir eyesتَفِيضُoverflowمِنَwithالدَّمْعِtearsمِمَّاfrom whatعَرَفُواthey recognizedمِنَofالْحَقِّ)the truth.)[المائدة:[Al-Ma'idah:٨٦].86].
And for this reason, the scholars agreed that if he knows the truth it is not permissible for him to imitate anyone in opposition to it, and they only disagreed about the permissibility of imitation for the one able to deduce, and if he is unable to show the truth which he knows, this would be like one who knows that the religion of Islam is true while he is among the Christians, so if he does what he can of the truth, he is not held accountable for what he is unable to do. These are like Al-Najashi and others, and Allah has revealed in these verses from His Book like His saying: 'And indeed, from the people of the Book are those who believe in Allah and what was revealed to you and what was revealed to them.' [Al-‘Imran: 199]. And His saying: 'And among the people of Musa, a group guiding with the truth and by it, they are just.' [Al-A'raf]. And His saying: 'And when they hear what was revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflow with tears from what they recognized of the truth.' [Al-Ma'idah: 86].