Tafsir of Az-Zumar 39:17

{And those who have avoided Taghut...} Ibn Zayd said: It was revealed concerning three men who used to say, "There is no god but Allah" during the Pre-Islamic period (Jahiliyyah): Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl, Salman, and Abu Dharr. Ibn Ishaq said: It refers to ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, Sa‘id ibn Zayd, and al-Zubayr. This is because when Abu Bakr accepted Islam, they heard of it and came to him, saying, "Have you accepted Islam?" He said, "Yes," and reminded them of Allah the Exalted, so they all believed. Thus, it was revealed concerning them, and it is a decisive [injunction] for mankind until the Day of Resurrection.

Taghut is in the pattern of fa‘alut derived from al-tughyan (transgression/tyranny), as they say, not fa‘ul as some have claimed by placing the lam before the ‘ayn (like sa‘iqah and saqiqah). The derivation indicates this, as the roots taw-gh and tay-gh are neglected (non-existent). Its root is taghyut or taghwut, derived from the ya or the waw, because both tagha-yatgha and tagha-yatghu are established in Arabic, as recorded by al-Jawhari. He also recorded that al-tughyan and al-tughwan mean the same thing, as stated by al-Raghib. Its plural is al-tawaghit, which indicates that the plural is built upon the waw. Their saying that it is from al-tughyan does not imply exclusively the ya, but rather they intended the meaning. According to al-Sihah, it is the soothsayer, the devil, and every leader in misguidance. Al-Raghib said: It is an expression for every transgressor and everything worshipped other than Allah the Exalted. It is applied to the sorcerer, the soothsayer, the rebellious among the jinn, and whoever diverts [people] from goodness. It is used for both singular and plural.

Al-Zamakhshari said in this Surah: It is not applied to anyone other than Satan. He mentioned that it contains intensifications: regarding its structure, for the pattern fa‘alut is for intensity—hence they say rahmut for immense mercy; regarding its naming from the verbal noun; and regarding the metathesis, for it is for exclusivity, as in al-jah. He applied it in [Surah] al-Nisa to Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf, saying: He was called Taghut due to his excess in transgression and enmity toward the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), or by comparison to Satan. Perhaps he meant it is not applied to anyone other than Satan in reality, and it is as if he regarded Ka‘b—based on the two aspects mentioned—as one of the devils of mankind. In al-Kashf, it is mentioned that since he saw it as an original verbal noun transferred to an entity and frequently used for Satan, he judged it to be a literal term for him after its transference, and a metaphorical term for the rest due to the manifest relationship—either borrowed or based on the suitability of meaning.

What weighs most heavily on my mind is that Taghut is originally a verbal noun transferred to one who reaches the limit in transgression and exceeds the boundaries. Its usage for an individual of this general concept—whether it is a devil or otherwise—is literal, and it is metaphorical according to the rules they established regarding the usage of the general for an individual of its members, like the usage of "man" for Zayd. Its prevalence regarding Satan is only because he is the leader of the transgressors. Mujahid interpreted it here as Satan. It is permissible to interpret it as devils in the plural, as you heard from al-Raghib, and this is supported by the reading of al-Hasan: "avoid the tawaghit (idols/devils)."

{That they might worship it}—this is a substitution of inclusion (badal ishtimal) for Taghut. Worshipping other than Allah the Exalted is worship of Satan, since he is the one who commands it and makes it seem fair. If Taghut is interpreted as idols, the matter is clear.

{And have turned to Allah}—and have come unto Him, Glorified be He, turning away from everything else with a total inclination.

{For them are glad tidings}—of reward from Allah the Exalted, through the tongues of the Messengers (peace be upon them) or the angels at the time of death and when they are gathered, and after that. {So give glad tidings to My servants.}