Surah At-Tawbah (9): Verse 31

And know that the Almighty described the Jews and Christians with another type of Shirk (polytheism) by saying: {They have taken their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah, son of Mary, as lords besides Allah}.

In this verse, there are several issues:

• Abū ‘Ubaydah said: Al-Ahbār means jurists/scholars (al-fuqahā’). They differed on its singular form: some say Hibr (with a fatḥah) and some say Ḥibr (with a kasrah).
• Al-Aṣma‘ī said: I do not know if the singular is al-Ḥibr or al-Hibr.
• Abū al-Haytham used to say the singular of al-Aḥbār is Ḥibr (with a fatḥah) only, and he rejected the kasrah.
• Al-Layth and Ibn al-Sikkit said both Ḥibr and Ḥibr refer to a learned person, whether a Dhimmi (non-Muslim subject) or a Muslim, provided they are People of the Book.
• The Scholars of Meanings (Ahl al-Ma‘ānī) said: Al-Ḥibr is the scholar who beautifies meanings (yuḥabbir al-ma‘ānī) and excels in expressing them. Al-Rāhib (monk) is one in whose heart fear (rahbah) and awe have settled, and the signs of awe appear on his face and clothing.
• In common usage, Al-Aḥbār became specific to the Jewish scholars descended from Aaron, and Al-Ruhbān became specific to the Christian scholars who dwell in hermitages.

The majority of commentators said that Lords (Arbāban) does not mean they believed these figures were the actual Gods of the universe. Rather, it means they obeyed them in their commands and prohibitions.

• It is narrated that ‘Adiyy ibn Ḥātim, who was a Christian, came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was reciting Surah Barā’ah. When he reached this verse, he said: "We did not worship them." The Prophet (PBUH) asked: "Did they not forbid what Allah permitted, and you forbade it? And did they permit what Allah forbade, and you permitted it?" He replied: "Yes." The Prophet (PBUH) said: "That was their worship of them."
• Al-Rabī‘ narrated that he asked Abū al-‘Āliyah: "How did this lordship exist among the Children of Israel?" He replied: "When they found in the Book of Allah what contradicted the sayings of the rabbis and monks, they followed their sayings and did not accept the judgment of Allah’s Book."

Our Master and Teacher, the Seal of the Verifiers and Jurists (may Allah be pleased with him), said: I have witnessed a group of followers of jurists (muqallidat al-fuqahā’). I recited many verses of the Book of Allah to them concerning certain issues, but their established schools of thought contradicted those verses. They did not accept or pay attention to those verses, but kept looking at me in astonishment, implying: How can one act upon the apparent meaning of these verses when the reports from our predecessors contradict them? If you reflect with true reflection, you will find this malady spread throughout the veins of most people of this world.

• If it is argued: Since Allah deemed them disbelievers for obeying the rabbis and monks, then a sinner (fāsiq) obeys Satan, so the ruling of disbelief must apply to the sinner, as the Khawārij believe.
• The Reply: Although the sinner accepts the call of Satan, he does not glorify him; rather, he curses him and despises him. As for those followers, they accepted the sayings of the rabbis and monks and glorified them. Thus, the difference is clear.

A Second Opinion regarding the interpretation of this lordship is that when the ignorant and the common folk excessively glorify their shaykh or leader, their nature may incline toward believing in Ḥulūl (incarnation) and Ittiḥād (union). If that shaykh is seeking worldly gain and far from religion, he might tell them that the matter is as they say and believe. I have witnessed some imposters, far removed from religion, who commanded their followers to prostrate to them and told them, "You are my slaves." He would convey to them things about Ḥulūl and Ittiḥād. If this happens when he is alone with some fools among his followers, he might even claim divinity. If this is witnessed in this Ummah, how can it be impossible for it to have occurred among previous nations?

The summary of the discussion is: This lordship could mean they obeyed them in matters contrary to God's ruling, or it could mean they accepted various forms of disbelief, making it equivalent to taking them as lords besides Allah, or it could mean they affirmed Ḥulūl and Ittiḥād concerning them. All four of these interpretations are witnessed and occur within this Ummah.

Then the Almighty said: {And they were not commanded except to worship one God}. Its meaning is clear: the Torah, the Gospel, and the divine books testify to this.

Then He said: {There is no god but He. Exalted is He above what they associate with Him}. Meaning, He is exalted above having a partner in command and legislation, having a partner in being worshipped and adored, and having a partner in deserving the utmost veneration and majesty.

Surah At-Tawbah (9): Verse 32