Chapter 3
Polytheism (Shirk) and its different forms
11402: Du'aa' is to be made to Allaah alone
Question:
What is the ruling on making du'aa' to anyone other
than Allaah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is close to His slaves; he sees where they are
and He knows their situation. He hears what they say
and responds to their du'aa' (supplication). Nothing
about them is hidden from Him, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Truly, nothing is hidden from Allaah, in the earth or
in the heaven"
[Aal `Imraan 3:5]
Allaah Alone is the One Who has created us and
Who provides for us; in His hand is the dominion and He
is Able to do all things:
"To Allaah belongs the dominion of the heavens and
the earth and all that is therein, and He is Able to do
all things"
[al-Maa'idah 5:17 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
In Allaah's hand alone is all goodness. When He
calls mankind to something good in His Book or on the lips
of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), they should obey that command and respond to it:
"O you who believe! Answer Allaah (by obeying
Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which
will give you life, and know that Allaah comes in between
a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person
to decide anything). And verily, to Him you shall (all)
be gathered" [al-Anfaal 8:24 _ interpretation of
the meaning]
Allaah is Able to do all things, and He hears
the supplication of His slaves. He responds to them at
all times and in all places, no matter what their various
needs and languages. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad)
concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by
My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the
supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator
or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me,
so that they may be led aright
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him in
secret, with humility and submission, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He
likes not the aggressors" [al-A'raaf
7:55]
To Allaah belongs Dominion and to Him be praise,
and He is Able to do all things. The heavens and the earth
and everything in them glorifies Him, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The seven heavens and the earth and all that is
therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies
His Praise. But you understand not their glorification.
Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, OftForgiving"
[al-Israa' 17:44]
Allaah has promised Hell to those who are too
arrogant to worship Him and call upon Him. He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not
invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness,
(Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!"
[Ghaafir 40:60]
Du'aa' should be made to Allaah in the manner that
Allaah and His Messenger have prescribed. For example,
Allaah should be called upon by His Most Beautiful Names:
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to
Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of
those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against)
His Names. They will be requited for what they used to
do" [al-A'raaf 7:180 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
So we may say O Most Merciful, have mercy on us,
O Ever-Forgiving, forgive us, O Provider grant us
provision, and so on.
When a person makes du'aa', either Allaah gives
him what he asked for or He diverts it from him a harm that
is greater than the thing he asked for, or He stores up
what he has asked for, for the Hereafter. This is because
Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him and He has
promised to respond to our call:
"And your Lord said: `Invoke Me [i.e. believe in
My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for
anything] I will respond to your (invocation)' [Ghaafir 40:60
_ interpretation of the meaning]
Allaah has commanded us to worship Him alone, and
He has warned us against worshipping the Shaytaan. He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Did I not command you, O Children of Adam, that
you should not worship Shaytaan (Satan). Verily, he is a
plain enemy to you.
And that you should worship Me [Alone Islamic Monotheism, and set up not rivals, associategods
with Me]. That is the Straight Path" [Yaa-Seen
36:60-61]
Calling upon anyone other than Allaah to meet
one's needs, relieve distress or heal disease is insanity
caused by lack of understanding:
"Say (O Muhammad): `Shall we invoke others
besides Allaah (false deities), that can do us neither good
nor harm, and shall we turn back on our heels after
Allaah has guided us (to true Monotheism)?'"
[al-An'aam 6:71 _ interpretation of the meaning]
If a person calls upon one who cannot bring benefit
or cause harm, who cannot command or prohibit, who
cannot hear or respond, whether that is a Prophet, a
Messenger, a jinn or an angel, or a star or planet or rock or tree,
or one of the dead _ all of that is serious wrong-doing, and
a going astray from the Straight Path. It is
shirk, the association of others with Allaah the Almighty.
"And invoke not besides Allaah any such that will
neither profit you nor harm you, but if (in case) you did so,
you shall certainly be one of the Zaalimoon
(wrongdoers)" [Yoonus 10:106 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And who is more astray than one who calls on
(invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the
Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their
calls (invocations) to them
[al-Ahqaaf 46:5]
Calling upon anyone or anything other than Allaah is
shirk, and shirk is a great sin, indeed it is the greatest sin.
Allaah will forgive any sin for whomever He wills, except
for shirk, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be
set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except
that (anything else) to whom He wills [al-Nisaa'
4:48]
On the Day of Resurrection, Allaah will gather
the mushrikeen and everyone who was worshipped
instead of Him, then those who were worshipped instead of
Allaah will disavow those who worshipped them, and they
will deny their association with Allaah, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead
of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane
over the date stone).
If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your
call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant
it (your request) to you. And on the Day of
Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none
can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the AllKnower (of everything).
O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allaah.
But Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise"
[Faatir 35: 13-15]
From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh Muhammad
ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri (www.islam-qa.com)
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10095: A person's believing his haraam action to
be permitted is not always a condition for denouncing him
as a kaafir
Question:
Can a person who insults the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) be denounced as
a kaafir merely for speaking that insult, or must he also
be shown to believe that his action is permitted?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Sahaabah, Taabi'een and the Ahl al-Sunnah who
came after them were unanimously agreed that whoever
says or does something which is blatantly kufr is a
kaafir, without any need to show that he believes it to
be permissible.
The scholars agreed that kufr may take the form
of denying, disbelieving or turning away.
This may be a verbal action, such as insulting Allaah
or His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), or mocking the religion and its rulings; or it may
be a physical action, such as prostrating to
idols, circumambulating graves, or offering sacrifices to the
jinn and idols.
Or it may be an act of omission, such as not doing a
certain kind of action at all. Ishaaq ibn Taahawayh and
others narrated that the Sahaabah were agreed that the one
who does not pray deliberately is a kaafir. It was narrated
in Saheeh Muslim via Ibn Jurayj from Abu'l-Zubayr
al-Makki from Jaabir that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Between a man and
shirk or al-kufr there stands his neglecting the prayer."
The use of the definite article al- here indicates that
major kufr (al-kufr al-akbar) is being referred to. But there
are some differences among the imaams of the
madhhabs concerning the kufr of one who does not pray. Some
said that he does not become a kaafir in a complete sense
so long as he does not deny that prayer is obligatory.
Others said that he is guilty of major kufr, because
there was consensus among the Sahaabah on that
point, although there were differences as to the point at
which he becomes guilty of kufr by not praying. Some said
that he is a kaafir is he neglects to pray one prayer until
the time for it is over; others said that he is not a kaafir
unless he neglects prayer completely.
To sum up, Ahl al-Sunnah do not regard a person as
a kaafir for general sins or for every sin, as the
Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah said when they denounced people
as kaafirs for major sins. They regarded as sins some
things that are not sins, and applied the rulings of kufr in
such cases. Sometimes they would condemn people for
the apparent meaning of their words (i.e., they were too
quick to judge). This is what many of the later Khawaarij
and Mu'tazilah do, because when judging people they do
not differentiate between the action and the person, or
between one issue and another. They may denounce as a
kaafir anyone who does not agree with them in these
deviations. They were described by the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "They kill
the people of Islam and leave alone the people who
worship idols." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim from
the hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed).
The Ahl al-Sunnah tread a middle path between
the Khawaarij and the Murji'ah. They do not denounce
those who commit major sins as kaafirs, so long as they do
not believe their actions to be permissible. Neither do
they agree with the view of the Murji'ah, that sin does
not undermine a person's faith at all, and that no one can
be denounced as a kaafir unless he is known to believe
that his action is permitted. This is false according to
the Qur'aan, Sunnah and scholarly consensus
(ijmaa'). So anyone who insults Allaah or His Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a kaafir, with no
need to show that he believes his action to be
permissible. Scholarly consensus on this point was narrated by
more than one scholar. Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh said that
the scholars were unanimously agreed that whoever
insults Allaah, may He be glorified, or slanders His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or
rejects anything that Allaah has revealed, or kills one of
the Prophets of Allaah _ even if he believes in that
which Allaah has revealed _ is a kaafir.
And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh Sulaymaan al-`Alwaan. (www.islam-qa.com)
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8928: Is it permissible to call upon a dead wali ("saint")
or Hazrat `Ali
Question:
forgive me, I have more than 1 question.
1. Is the Prophet Sallalahu Alaihe Wasallam or any
other being apart from Allah Omnipresent?
2. Can we call on anyone in times of need ie. a dead
saint or Hazrat Ali Radialahahu anhu etc?
Please could you quote the relevent Hadith and
Qur'an Ayahs
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
First of all, we must comment on your saying in
your question, "or any other being apart from Allah…"
We must point out that this wording is wrong, because it
may be taken as meaning that you think that Allaah is a
created being; but we are sure that you do not believe that.
Firstly:
Allaah said to His Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him):
"Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they
(too) will die" [al-Zumar 39:30]
And Allaah said (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and
indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If
he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels
(as disbelievers)?" [Aal `Imraan 3:144]
"And We granted not to any human being
immortality before you (O Muhammad); then if you die, would
they live forever? [al-Anbiyaa' 21:34]
Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, in
his speech after the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) had died, "Whoever used to
worship Muhammad, Muhammad has died, but whoever used
to worship Allaah, Allaah is Alive and will never die."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari).
This and similar evidence indicates that
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was a
human being like all other human beings, who died as they
die, and will never be immortal just as no one before him
was immortal.
Whoever wants to put the Prophet beyond the
human realm and claim that the Prophet is present in all
places, is the one who should be asked to produce
evidence (daleel). How does he know that the Prophet
is omnipresent at all times? Moreover, those who make
the same claim with regard to Allaah (should know that)
this is kufr, deviation and misguidance. This belief
implies that Allaah is present even in dirty places like
bathrooms etc. _ Glorified be Allaah far above what they say.
Secondly:
- You have to read the book Fath al-Majeed Sharh
Kitaab al-Tawheed, by Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan.
- Know that du'aa' and asking for help are forms
of worship, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Lord said: `Invoke Me [i.e. believe in
My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for
anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who
scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe
in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely
enter Hell in humiliation!'" [Ghaafir
40:40]
And according to a report narrated by al-Tirmidhi,
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Du'aa' is worship."
So it is not permissible to offer du'aa' to or call
upon anyone except Allaah. But the evidence indicates that
it is permissible to ask another person for some things,
but that is subject to two conditions :
1- That it should be something possible and the
person should be able to do it, such as asking a person to
give you money when you are in need of it. But if it
is something that he is not able to do, then it is
not permissible for you to ask him, such as asking a man
to let you be one of the people of Paradise, because he is
not able to do that even if he is a righteous and pious man.
2- The person who is asked should be capable, such
as one who is alive. It is not permissible to call upon
the dead, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead
of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane
over the date stone).
If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your
call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant
it (your request) to you [Faatir 35:13-14] Shaykh Sa'd
al-Humayd . (www.islam-qa.com)
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13019: It is not permissible to swear by salaah (prayer)
or by honesty
Question:
Is it permissible to affirm what you are saying to
your brother by saying "by your prayer" or "by your
honesty", or by saying, "you will be in a critical state if you
do that?" Such things are widespread among women
and children. We hope that you can advise us, may
Allaah reward you with good.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to swear by prayer, honesty,
critical situations or any other created thing. One should
swear only by Allaah. One should not say "By my honesty I
will do such and such", or "by the honesty of So and so",
or "by the life of So and so" or "by my prayer". Nor
should one ask anyone else to do this and tell them, "Say `by
my honesty/by my prayer/ by my zakaah.'" There is no
basis for any of this, because prayer is the action of a
person and zakaah is the action of a person, and people's
actions are not something to swear by. One should swear only
by Allaah or by His attributes, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever swears, let him swear by Allaah or keep silent."
(Saheeh, agreed upon). And he (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Whoever swears by anything other
than Allaah has committed shirk." (Narrated by Imaam
Ahmad with a saheeh isnaad from `Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him)). It was also narrated by al-Tirmidhi and
Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn `Umar
(may Allaah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), with the
wording, "Whoever swears by anything other than Allaah
has committed kufr or shirk." And the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
swears by honesty is not one of us." So every believing man
and woman has to beware of that and not swear by
anything except Allaah alone, so he should say
"Wallaahi (by Allaah) I did not do such and such", etc., if that
is necessary. What is recommended in sharee'ah is to
be cautious about swearing oaths, and not to swear
except when essential. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And protect your oaths (i.e. do not swear
much)"[al-Maa'idah 5:89]
But if it is necessary, then one may swear by saying,
"By Allaah, I did not do such and such", provided that he
is telling the truth, or, "By Allaah, I did not go to So and
so" etc. If he is telling the truth, then there is nothing
wrong with that, because this is swearing by Allaah when
there is a need to do so. But swearing by honesty or by
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
by the Ka'bah, or by the life of So and so, or by the
honour of So and so, or by my prayer, or by my honesty _ this
is not permissible, as stated above, because of the
ahaadeeth quoted.
But if a person says "Trust me (lit. in my trust)", this
is not an oath; this means that this is something which
has been entrusted to me and for which I am responsible.
But if a person says "by my trust/ by my prayer/ by my
father's life", this is not permissible, because he is swearing
by something other than Allaah. We ask Allaah to guide
us all.
Kitaab Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat
Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez
ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him), vol. 9, p. (www.islam-qa.com)
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10083: Seeking blessing from scholars and
righteous people, and their relics
Question:
There are people who think that it is permissible to
seek blessing from the scholars and righteous people, and
their relics, based on the reports of the Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with them) seeking blessing from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). What is
the ruling on that? Does that not involve likening
someone who is not the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him)? Is it possible to seek blessing from
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
after his death? What is the ruling on seeking means of
drawing closer to Allaah (tawassul) by seeking blessing from
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to seek blessing from anyone
other than the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), not from his wudoo' or his hair or his sweat
or anything else from his body. All of that applies only
to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), because of the goodness and blessing that Allaah has
put in his body and whatever he touches.
Hence the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with
them) did not seek blessing from any one of their number
during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) or after his death, not with the Khulafaa'
al-Raashideen or anyone else. This indicates that they
knew that this applied only to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and not to anyone else.
And because this is a means that could lead to shirk
and worshipping someone other than Allaah. Similarly it
is not permissible to seek means of drawing closer to
Allaah (tawassul) by virtue of the position and status of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
or his person, or his attributes, or his blessing, because
there is no evidence (daleel) for that, and because these
are among the means that may lead to shirk and they are
ways of exaggerating about him (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him).
Also, these things were not done by the Sahaabah, and
if they were good then they would have done them
before us. And this goes against the evidence of sharee'ah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to
Allaah, so call on Him by them"
[al-A'raaf 7:180]
Allaah did not command us to call upon Him by virtue
of the position or status or blessing of anyone.
Part of that is seeking means of drawing closer to Him
by virtue of His attributes, such as His Glory, His
Mercy, His Words, etc. An example of that is to be found in
the saheeh ahaadeeth which speak of seeking refuge in
the perfect words of Allaah, and seeking refuge in the
Glory and Power of Allaah.
Also connected to that is the idea of seeking means
of drawing closer to Allaah by loving Allaah and loving
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), by believing in Allaah and His Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and seeking to
draw nearer to Allaah by virtue of one's righteous deeds,
as described in the story of the people in the cave,
whose need for shelter in the rain led them to enter a cave,
then a rock fell down from the mountain and blocked
the entrance of the cave. They were not able to push it
away, so they discussed amongst themselves ways of
getting out.
They came to an agreement that the only way they
would be saved from their predicament would be if they
called upon Allaah by virtue of their righteous deeds. So one
of them called upon Allaah by virtue of his honouring
his parents, and the rock moved a little, but they could
not get out… The second one called upon Allaah by virtue
of his keeping away from zinaa on an occasion when
he was able to indulge in it, and the rock moved a little
but they still could not get out… Then the third one
called upon Allaah by virtue of his fulfilling a trust, and the
rock moved and they were able to escape.
This hadeeth is reported in al-Saheehayn from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); it is one
of the stories of the people who came before us, in
which there is a lesson and a reminder for us.
The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them)
stated the points mentioned in this answer, such as Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, his student Ibn al-Qayyim,
Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan in Fath al-Majeed
Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, and others. With regard to the
hadeeth about the blind man who sought to call upon Allaah
(to cure him of his blindness) by virtue of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during his life
time, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) interceded for him and prayed for him, and
Allaah restored his sight _ this was a case of seeking the help
of Allaah by means of the du'aa' and intercession of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
not by means of his status and virtue. This is clear from
the hadeeth… And similarly, the people will seek
his intercession on the Day of Resurrection for Judgement
to be passed, and the people of Paradise will seek
his intercession on the Day of Resurrection for them to
be admitted to Paradise.
In all these cases, the help of Allaah is sought
through him when he is alive, whether that is in this world or
in the Hereafter, and it is seeking the help of Allaah
through his du'aa' and intercession, not by virtue of his person
or status, as was clearly stated by the scholars,
including those whom we have mentioned above.
Kitaab Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat
Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn
`Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him),
vol. 7, p. 65
(www.islam-qa.com)
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12811: The misguidance of those who believe that kufr
only means disbelief
Question:
Is the idea that kufr is only disbelief an idea that
came from the Murji'ah sect?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Kufr takes different forms. The Murji'ah and
other followers of bid'ah (reprehensible innovation) say
that kufr is only based on disbelief. But this view is
contrary to the evidence and contrary to the truth. It is known
that the Messengers were sent with miracles and proof
to which hearts submitted. It is rare indeed that
people believed that what the Prophets brought was false;
most instances of kufr stemmed from arrogance, rejection
and stubbornness. Allaah mentioned that Quraysh did
not disbelieve the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), "but it is the Verses (the Qur'aan) of
Allaah that the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers)
deny" [al-An'aam 6:33 _ interpretation of the
meaning]. This happens very often. Hence the scholars divided kufr
into various types: the kufr of negligence and not caring;
the kufr of arrogance and pride; the kufr of disbelief; the
kufr of hypocrisy; the kufr of doubt. There is a great deal
of evidence to that effect in the Book of Allaah and
the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). The story of Abu Taalib and the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is clear;
he believed in him and he used to say, "Our son does not
tell lies," but he was still a kaafir, because he never made
a statement of faith or followed it up with actions.
Shaykh `Abd-Allaah al-Ghunaymaan (www.islam-qa.com)
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11309: The kufr of those who rule by man-made laws
Question:
Is the one who fails to rule by that which Allaah
has revealed and bases the entire legal system on
man-made laws a kaafir? Should we differentiate between him
and one who judges according to sharee'ah, but may rule in
a manner contrary to sharee'ah on some issues, because
of his own whims and desires or because of a bribe, etc.?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, we must make this distinction. The one who
rejects the law of Allaah and casts it aside, and replaces it
with man-made laws and the opinions of individuals
has committed an act of kufr which puts him beyond the
pale of Islam. Whereas the one who adheres to the religion
of Islam, but is a sinner and wrongdoer by virtue of
his following his whims and desires in some cases,
or pursuing some worldly interest, but admits that he is
a wrongdoer by doing so, is not guilty of kufr which
would put him beyond the pale of Islam.
Whoever thinks that ruling by man-made laws is equal
to ruling by sharee'ah, and thinks that it is OK to do that,
is also guilty of kufr that puts him beyond the pale of
Islam, even if it is only in one instance.
Shaykh `Abd-Allaah al-Ghunaymaan (www.islam-qa.com)
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10045: Ruling on seeking barakah (blessing) from the
relics of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
Question:
What is the ruling on seeking barakah from the relics
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), such as touching the walls and doors in the
Prophet's Mosque etc.?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Seeking barakah from the relics of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was done at
the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), from things like the water he used for
wudoo', his garment, his food and drink, his hair and
everything from him. The `Abbaasi (Abassid) khaleefahs and
the `Uthmaanis (Ottomans) after them preserved the
cloak of the Prophet, seeking barakah from it, especially at
times of war.
Seeking blessing from things that touched his body,
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as his
wudoo', sweat, hair and so on, was something which was
known to and was permissible according to the
Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), and those who
followed them in truth, because of the goodness and
barakah that are to be found in that. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of this.
But touching the doors, walls, windows, etc, of
al-Masjid al-Haraam or al-Masjid al-Nabawi is bid'ah
(reprehensible innovation) for which there is no basis. This must not
be done, because acts of worship are
tawqeefi (not subject to personal opinion) and it is not permissible to do
any acts of worship except those which are approved
by sharee'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Whoever innovates something is
this matter of ours [Islam] which is not part of it, will have
it rejected" (saheeh, agreed upon). According to a
report narrated by Muslim, which al-Bukhaari also
narrated mu'allaq majzoom, "Whoever does an action that is
not in accordance with this matter of ours [Islam], will
have it rejected."
In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that Jaabir (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say in his
khutbah on Fridays: `The best of speech is the Book of Allaah
and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Most evil
of matters are those which are newly-invented, and
every innovation is a going-astray.'" And there are many
similar ahaadeeth. So the Muslim is obliged to follow that
which Allaah has prescribed, such as acknowledging the
Black Stone and kissing it, and acknowledging
al-Rukn al-Yamaani.
Hence there is a saheeh report which says that `Umar
ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said,
when he kissed the Black Stone, "I know that you are a
stone and you cannot bring benefit or cause harm. If I had
not seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you."
From this we know that acknowledging the other
corners of the Ka'bah, and the walls or pillars, is not
prescribed, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) did not do that, and he did not teach others
to do it, because that is one of the means of
shirk. The same applies even more so to the walls, pillars and windows
of the Prophet's grave, because the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not prescribe that
or teach people to do it, and his companions (may Allaah
be pleased with them) did not do it either.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez
ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him), vol. 9, p. 106 (www.islam-qa.com)
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10029: Is it permissible to give the reward of an action
to someone who offered sacrifices to someone other
than Allaah out of ignorance?
Question:
According to what he has been told, his father
offered sacrifices to someone other than Allaah. Now he
wants to offer charity on his father's behalf and perform Hajj
on his behalf, and he blames his father's falling into that
(sin) on the fact that there were no scholars or teachers to
advise him. What is the ruling on all of that?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If his father is known to have been a good and
righteous Muslim, he should not believe anything that he is told
to the contrary by those who are not of sound character. It
is Sunnah for him to make du'aa' for him and to give
charity on his behalf, unless he knows for sure that his
father died in shirk. That knowledge would come about if
he has the testimony of two or more sound witnesses
who can testify that they saw him offering a sacrifice
to someone other than Allaah, such as the occupant of
a grave, etc., or heard him calling upon anyone other
than Allaah. If that happens, then he should refrain
from making du'aa' for him, and his case rests with
Allaah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) asked his Lord for permission to pray
for forgiveness for his mother, and Allaah did not give
him permission, although she had died during the
Jaahiliyyah as a follower of the religion of the kuffaar. Then he
asked his Lord for permission to visit her grave, and He
gave him permission. That indicates that whoever dies in
shirk, even if he is ignorant, we cannot make du'aa' for him,
or pray for forgiveness for him, or give charity on his
behalf, or perform Hajj on his behalf. As for those who die
in places which the call of Allaah has not reached, their
case rests with Allaah.
The correct scholarly view is that they will be tested
on the Day of Resurrection; if they obey, they will go
to Paradise and if they disobey they will go to Hell,
because of the saheeh ahaadeeth which have been
narrated describing that.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat li Samaahat
al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn
Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 341
(www.islam-qa.com)
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10011: Ruling on travelling to visit the grave of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
Question:
What is the ruling on travelling to visit the grave of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
and others graves of awliya' and righteous people and others?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to travel with the intention of
visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) or the grave of any other person,
according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said:
"No one should travel for the purpose of visiting
(any mosque) except three: al-Masjid al-Haraam (in
Makkah), this mosque of mine (in Madeenah) and al-Masjid
al-Aqsaa (in al-Quds/Jerusalem)." Agreed upon).
It is prescribed for the one who wants to visit the grave
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and who lives far from Madeenah to have the
intention of travelling to visit al-Masjid al-Nabawi; that will
include by implication visiting the grave of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the graves of
Abu Bakr and `Umar, and the graves of the martyrs and
people of al-Baqee'.
If he has the intention of visiting both (the mosque
and the grave), this is permissible, because things may
be permissible as part of something else which are
not permissible on their own. But having the intention
only to visit the grave and travelling for that purpose is
not permissible. Intending to visit the grave only is
not permissible if it involves travelling. But if a person
lives close by and does not need to travel, and his going to
the grave is not regarded as "travel" or a "journey", then it
is OK, because visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the graves of
his two companions without having to travel is Sunnah
and is an act of worship. The same applies to visiting
the graves of the martyrs and of the people of
al-Baqee'. Similarly, visiting the graves of Muslims in all places
is Sunnah and is an act of worship, but without
travelling for that purpose, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Visit graves, for they
will remind you of the Hereafter." (Narrated by Muslim in
his Saheeh).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to teach his Sahaabah, when they visited graves,
to say, "Al-salaamu `alaykum ahl al-diyaar min
al-mu'mineen wa'l-Muslimeen, wa innaa in shaa'
Allaah bikum laahiqoon, nas'al Allaaha lana wa lakum
al-`aafiyah (Peace be upon you, O believing and
Muslim dwellers of this place. We will join you soon, if
Allaah wills. We ask Allaah to keep us and you safe)."
(Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh).
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez
ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him), vol. 8, p. 336 (www.islam-qa.com)
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7431: Seeking healing from mineral waters and slaughtering lambs at that spot
Question:
In the south of Jordan there are mineral waters at a
place called the Well of Sulaymaan ibn Dawood. People go
there to bathe and for healing, and they bring with them
animals to slaughter when they get there. What is the ruling
on slaughtering animals like this?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. If the waters have been tried
and tested, and they are beneficial in the case of some
diseases, then there is nothing wrong with that, because Allaah
has created some benefits for some sicknesses in some
waters. If it is known from experience that these waters
ate beneficial for those who are suffering from
certain diseases, such as rheumatism, etc., there is nothing
wrong with that.
With regard to slaughtering animals, this comes
under various Islam & Muslims:
If the animals are slaughtered to meet the people's
need for food, etc., or to feed any guests that come to
them, there is nothing wrong with that. If they are
slaughtered for any other purpose, such as to draw closer to the
water or the jinn or the Prophets, or on the basis of some
false belief, then that is not permissible, because Allaah
says, addressing His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): `Verily, my Salaah (prayer),
my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the
Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
He has no partner. And of this I have been
commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims'" [al-An'aam
6:162-163]
"Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad)
al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise);
Therefor turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice
(to Him only)"
[al-Kawthar :1-2]
So animals should be slaughtered only for Allaah
and sacrifices should be offered only to Allaah. The
same applies to all other acts of worship _ they should
be dedicated only to Allaah alone. It is not permissible to
do any of these things for anything other than Allaah,
because Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
"And they were commanded not, but that they
should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him
Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)…"
[al-Bayyinah :5]
"So worship Allaah (Alone) by doing religious
deeds sincerely for Allaah's sake only.
Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the
obedience) is for Allaah only"
[al-Zumar 39:2-3]
and because of the aayaat quoted above and other
similar verses. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has cursed those who
offer sacrifices to anyone other than Allaah" (narrated
by Muslim in his Saheeh, from the hadeeth of `Ali,
may Allaah be pleased with him).
So no one is allowed to offer sacrifices to the jinn or to
a certain star or planet, or to certain waters, or to a
certain Prophet, or to any person, or to idols. Worship is only
for Allaah, and we should seek to draw closer to Him
alone through sacrifices and prayers, and all other kinds
of worship, because Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask
for help (for each and everything)"
[al-Faatihah 1:5]
and because of the verses quoted above (interpretation
of the meanings);
"And they were commanded not, but that they
should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him
Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)…"
al-Bayyinah :5]
"So worship Allaah (Alone) by doing religious
deeds sincerely for Allaah's sake only.
Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the
obedience) is for Allaah only"
[al-Zumar 39:2-3]
and other aayaat.
Sacrifice is one of the most important and one of the
best acts of worship, so it must be done sincerely for
Allaah Alone, because of the aayaat that we have
mentioned, and because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, as we quoted above, "Allaah has
cursed those who offer sacrifices to anyone other than Allaah."
Majmoo' Fataawaa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez
ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him), vol. 8, p. 324.
(www.islam-qa.com)
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8034: The meaning of "The bonds of Islam will be
undone one by one"
Question:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, "The bonds of Islam will be
undone one by one. Each time one bond is undone, the
people will move to the next one (and adhere to that). The
first bond to be undone will be ruling (al-hukm) and the
last one will be prayer (al-salaah)." What does this
hadeeth mean? And what is meant by the undoing of ruling
(al-hukm)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The hadeeth mentioned was narrated by Imaam
Ahmad in his Musnad, al-Tabaraani in al-Mu'jam
al-Kabeer, and Ibn Hibbaan in his
Saheeh, with a jayyid isnaad from Abu Umaamah al-Baahili (may Allaah be pleased with
him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), who said:
"The bonds of Islam will be undone one by one.
Each time one bond is undone, the people will move to
the next one (and adhere to that). The first bond to be
undone will be ruling (al-hukm) and the last one will be
prayer (al-salaah)."
The meaning of this hadeeth is apparent, which is
that the more Islam becomes "strange", the more people
will go against its teachings and will undo its bonds, which
is a reference to its obligations and commandments. As
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Islam began as a stranger and will go back to being
a stranger as it started, so give glad tidings to the
strangers." (Narrated by Muslim in his
Saheeh).
The meaning of the phrase "the first bond to be
undone will be ruling (al-hukm)" is apparent; it refers to the
failure to rule according to the sharee'ah of Allaah. This is
what is happening today in most of the so-called
Muslim countries. It is known that what is obligatory upon all
is to rule according to the sharee'ah of Allaah in all
things, and to beware of ruling according to laws and
customs which go against the sharee'ah, because Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until
they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes
between them, and find in themselves no resistance against
your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission
[al-Nisaa' 4:65]
"And so judge (you O Muhammad) among them by
what Allaah has revealed and follow not their vain
desires, but beware of them lest they turn you (O Muhammad)
far away from some of that which Allaah has sent down
to you. And if they turn away, then know that Allaah's
Will is to punish them for some sins of theirs. And truly,
most of men are Faasiqoon (rebellious and disobedient
to Allaah).
Do they then seek the judgement of (the days
of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgement than
Allaah for a people who have firm Faith [al-Maa'idah 5:49-50]
"And whosoever does not judge by what Allaah
has revealed, such are the Kaafiroon (i.e. disbelievers — of
a lesser degree as they do not act on Allaah's Laws
[al-Maa'idah 5:44]
"And whosoever does not judge by that which Allaah
has revealed, such are the Zaalimoon (polytheists
and wrongdoers — of a lesser degree). [al-Maa'idah 5:45]
"And whosoever does not judge by what Allaah
has revealed (then) such (people) are the Faasiqoon
[the rebellious i.e. disobedient (of a lesser degree)] to
Allaah [al-Maa'idah 5:47]
The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them)
explained that the rulers of the Muslims are obliged to rule
according to the sharee'ah of Allaah in all the Muslims' affairs
and in all the conflicts that arise among them, in obedience
to these verses. They explained that the one who rules
by anything other than that which Allaah revealed, if
he believes that it is permissible for him to do so, is guilty
of major kufr which puts him beyond the pale of
Islam… But if he believes that this is not permissible, but he
rules by something other than that which Allaah revealed for
a bribe or for some other purpose, although he
believed that that is not permissible, and that it is obligatory
to rule according to that which Allaah revealed, then he
is guilty of lesser kufr, lesser zulm and lesser fisq.
We ask Allaah, may He be glorified, to make all
the Muslim rulers rule and judge according to the
sharee'ah and to make their people adhere to it, and to cause
them to beware of whatever goes against it, for He is the
Most Generous, Most Kind. Undoubtedly ruling according
to sharee'ah and acting in accordance with it is in our
best interests in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be
a source of pride in this world and in the Hereafter. It
will keep us safe from the plots of our enemies and help us
to be victorious over them, as Allaah says (interpretation
of the meanings):
"O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of)
Allaah, He will help you, and make your foothold
firm" [Muhammad 47:7]
"and (as for) the believers, it was incumbent upon Us
to help (them)"
[al-Room 30:47]
"Verily, Allaah will help those who help His
(Cause). Truly, Allaah is AllStrong, AllMighty.
Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in
the land, (they) enjoin IqaamatasSalaah [i.e. to perform
the five compulsory congregational Salaah (prayers)
(the males in mosques)], to pay the Zakaah and they
enjoin AlMa`roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that
Islam orders one to do), and forbid AlMunkar (i.e.
disbelief, polytheism and all that Islam has forbidden) [i.e.
they make the Qur'aan as the law of their country in all
the spheres of life]. And with Allaah rests the end of
(all) matters (of creatures)
[al-Hajj 22:40-41]
"Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our
Messengers and those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah
Islamic Monotheism) in this world's life and on the Day
when the witnesses will stand forth, (i.e. Day of Resurrection)
The Day when their excuses will be of no profit
to Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrongdoers and disbelievers
in the Oneness of Allaah). Theirs will be the curse, and
theirs will be the evil abode (i.e. painful torment in Hellfire)"
[Ghaafir 40:51-52]
And there are many similar aayaat.
With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "and the last one
will be prayer (al-salaah)", this refers to large numbers
of people who do not pray and who are negligent with
regard to salaah. This is what is happening today in many
Muslim countries. We ask Allaah to put the Muslims' affairs
right and to help them to adhere strongly to His religion and
to be steadfast.
From Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah
li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez
ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him), vol. 9, p. 205
(www.islam-qa.com)
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