The term “taghut” ( طاغوت ) goes back to the verb “tagha” ( طغى ) and means “exceeding the measure” or “transgressing”, as it is used in the Qur’an regarding the rise of water:
إنا لما طغى الماء

“When the water exceeded the limit.” [Al-Haqqah 69:11]

It is therefore not a problem in itself to translate the term “Taghut” ( طاغوت ) for a person as “transgressor.” However, the term alone does not tell in which religious sense the measure is exceeded.

Sa’id Ibn Abdillah reported that he told Imam As-Sadiq (a.): “With us are people who acquire understanding (fiqh). They say: “We are dealing with something that we do not know in the Book nor in custom (Sunnah). We express our own view on it.” He said: “They have become liars. There is nothing, except that it is found in the book and the custom.” [Al-Ikhtisas of Al-Mufid, page 281 Hadith 2]

عن سعيد بن عبد الله عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام أنه قال له: إن من عندنا ممن يتفقه يقولون: يرد علينا ما لا نعرفه في الكتاب والسنة فنقول فيه برأينا، فقال: كذبوا ليس شئ إلا وقد جاء في الكتاب وجاءت فيه السنة

Muhammad Ibn Murtada reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “Any judge who judges without the saying of us the people of the house is a transgressor (Taghut).” [Kitab-ul-Wafi of Al-Kashani, Volume 1 Page 290]

عن محمد بن مرتضى عن الإمام علي عليه السلام قال: كل حكم حكم بغير قولنا أهل البيت فهو طاغوت

Sama’ah Ibn Mihran reported that he asked Imam Al-Kazim (a.): “Is every statement that you have expressed, contained in the Book of God and His custom (Sunnah) or are you expressing your own view?” He said: “Every statement that we express is contained in the Book of God and the custom (Sunnah) of His Prophet (s.).” [Basa’ir-ud-Darajat of As-Saffar, page 321 Hadith 1]

عن سماعة بن مهران عن الإمام الكاظم عليه السلام قال: قلت له كل شئ تقول به في كتاب الله وسنته أو تقولون فيه برأيكم قال بل كل شئ نقوله في كتاب الله وسنة نبيه

Nu’man Ibn Muhammad reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “Any judge who judges without the words of us the people of the house is a transgressor (Taghut). Then he read: “They want to let the transgressor (Taghut) judge, whereas they were ordered to disbelieve (Kafir) in him.” (4:60) Then he said: “By Allah! they did so and let the transgressor (Taghut) judge, and Satan led them astray, so that no one escaped this verse except us and our followers, and the others besides them fell into destruction. He who did not recognize their right, God has cursed.” [Al-Mustadrak of An-Nuri, volume 17 page 244 hadith 7]

عن نعمان بن محمد عن الإمام علي عليه السلام قال: كل حاكم يحكم بغير قولنا أهل البيت فهو طاغوت وقرأ يريدون ان يتحاكموا إلى الطاغوت وقد أمروا أن يكفروا به الآية ثم قال قد والله فعلوا وتحاكموا إلى الطاغوت وأضلهم الشيطان ضلالا بعيدا فلم ينج من هذه الآية الا نحن وشيعتنا وقد هلك غيرهم فمن لم يعرف حقهم فعليه لعنة الله

Isma’il Ibn Makhlad reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “O you people who have God as guardian of their affairs, you are subject to the traditions of the Messenger (s.) and his custom (Sunnah) and after him to the traditions of the rightly guiding Imams of the people of the house of the Messenger (a. ) and their custom (Sunnah), because those who followed these things were guided, and those who did not and turned away from them went astray, for it is to them that God commanded obedience (4:59) and closeness (5:55) and our Father, the Messenger of God (s. ), said: “To insist on the act of going according to the traditions and customs (Sunnah), even if it was done in small measure, makes God more satisfied and ultimately provides more benefit to Him than the effort (Ijtihad) of innovating (Bid’ah) and following the lusts. Behold, those who follow the innovations and desires without guidance from God are misguided and every misguidance is a innovation and every innovation (bid’ah) is in the fire.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 8 Page 8 Hadith 1]

عن إسماعيل بن مخلد عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام قال: أيتها العصابة الحافظ الله لهم أمرهم عليكم بآثار رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسنته وآثار الائمه الهداة من أهل بيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله من بعده وسنتهم، فإنه من أخذ بذلك فقد اهتدى ومن ترك ذلك ورغب عنه ضل لانهم هم الذين امر الله بطاعتهم و ولايتهم وقد قال أبونا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: المداومة على العمل في اتباع الآثار والسنن وإن قل أرضى لله وأنفع عنده في العاقبة من الاجتهاد في البدع واتباع الاهواء ألا إن اتباع الاهواء واتباع البدع بغير هدى من الله ضلال وكل ضلالة بدعة وكل بدعة في النار

Hasan Ibn Ali reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “As far as the custom (Sunnah) is concerned, it is the tradition of the Messenger of God (s.) and as far as the innovation (Bid’ah) is concerned, it is what contradicts his custom.” [Tuhaf-ul-Uqul of Al-Harrani, page 211]

عن ﺍﻟﺤﺴﻦ ﺑﻦ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺑﻦ ﺍﻟﺤﺴﻴﻦ ﺑﻦ ﺷﻌﺒﺔ عن الإمام علي عليه السلام قال: أما السنة فسنة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله. وأما البدعة فما خالفها