Chapter 4
Polytheism (Shirk) and its different forms
7961: Her mother told her that a fortune-teller said
that her marriage will be miserable!
Question:
my mother recently went to a fortune teller (which she
is definetly not supposed to because it's haraam) and
she was telling me that the fortune teller said that i will
have a bad life if i marry my soon-to-be husband and that
we will not stay together for more than 2 years.... i know
that only Allah knows the future but i've been really
worried by what she said....and what can i do to
potentially "reverse"this from happening.... really i'm so confused
i don't know what to think.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: may Allaah reward you for your belief that
Allaah alone knows the unseen _ this is what we hope for
you and for every sincere Muslim woman _ and this is one
of the essentials of faith in Allaah Alone.
But we wonder how, after saying this, you can be
afraid of one who knows nothing of the unseen?
You have to be assured and put your trust completely
in Allaah, for nothing will happen to you except that
which has been decreed by Allaah.
Secondly:
The ruling on fortune-telling, i.e., soothsaying,
and claiming to know the unseen, is that these are
actions which condemn a person to Hell and put him beyond
the pale of Islam.
Thirdly:
Fortune-tellers cooperate with the jinn; they are liars
who cooperate with the shayaateen (devils), who do not
help them except after they have changed their religion,
and whoever changes his religion [leaves Islam] is to
be executed. The ruling concerning those who go to
them and believe them is that they are guilty of kufr; if they
do not believe them, their prayers will still not be
accepted from them for forty days.
The evidence (daleel) for the former is the hadeeth
of Abu Hurayrah, according to which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and believes what he says,
has disbelieved in what was revealed to
Muhammad." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 135; Abu Dawood, 3904;
Ibn Maajah, 639; Ahmad, 9252. The hadeeth was classed
as saheeh by al-Haakim (1/49), and al-Dhahabi agreed
with him. Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said, it has two
corroborating reports narrated by al-Bazzaar with good isnaads. See
al-Fath, 10/217)
The evidence (daleel) for the latter is the report from
one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), who said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about anything,
his prayers will not be accepted for forty days." (Narrated
by Muslim, 2230).
Fourthly:
How the fortune-teller gets his "information"
was explained in the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah,
in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "When Allaah decrees a matter in heaven,
the angels beat their wings in submission to His
words, making a sound like a chain striking a rock. When
the fear is banished from their hearts, they say, What is it
that your Lord has said? They say: The truth, and He is
the Most High, the Most Great. Then the one who is
listening out hears that, and those who are listening out are
standing one above the other" _ Sufyaan [one of the
narrators] demonstrated with his hand, holding it vertically with
the fingers outspread. _ "So he hears what is said and
passes it on to the one below him, and that one passes it to
the one who is below him, and so on until it reaches the
lips of the soothsayer or fortune-teller. Maybe the meteor
will hit him before he can pass anything on, or maybe he
will pass it on before he is hit. He tells a hundred lies
alongside it, but it will be said, Did he not tell us that on such
and such a day, such and such would happen? So they
believe him because of the one thing which was heard
from heaven." (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4424).
Fifthly:
When the Shaytaan listens out to hear what the
angels say to one another about the decree of Allaah, this is
part of the knowledge of the seen, it does not not mean
that the shayaateen have knowledge of the unseen. Then
they add a hundred lies to that word, such as when a
fortune-teller says that So and so will give birth to a boy, and
the people see that he was right about that so they believe
in him, but he adds lies about the child, saying that he
will get married in such and such a year and will die in
such and such a year and other such details. So he gains a
high stature in people's hearts and they seek to get close
to him by bringing him gifts and money, and he makes
a profession out of these lies when the people believe
in him, and so he makes a living by haraam means.
Sixthly:
Not every fortune-teller is a kaahin (soothsayer). He
may be a geomancer or reader of coffee-cups, because
the kaahin, unlike the others, is one who receives
information from the jinn. The others are just liars, but the same
ruling applies to them, because they claim to have
knowledge of the unseen, although the
kaahin who cooperates with the shayaateen is more of a kaafir because the
kufr of fortune-telling is compounded by the
kufr of his interacting with the shayaateen, who do not give him
what he wants until after he directed some acts of
worship towards them in a manner which takes him out of Islam.
Seventhly:
You have to advise your mother not to go anywhere
near these liars, lest she falls into sin or her good deeds
are wiped out. Do not give up the idea of marriage,
because marriage brings many benefits. It is an important
matter which is part of the fitrah (natural inclinations of
man) and of the religion. Your life will not be miserable, in
sha Allaah; be optimistic and hope for a good and happy
life. We ask Allaah to join you with a husband who
is knowledgeable and righteous.
If something bad happens, and you marry someone
with whom you are miserable, this is because of the decree
of Allaah (qadaa' and qadar), not because of what
the accursed fortune-teller said or because he knows
the unseen. This may happen as a test or trial. In any
case, going ahead with the marriage _ in addition to its
own great benefits _ will be a way of snubbing these liars
and fortune-tellers, and those who believe in them. May
Allaah help us and you to do all that is good. May Allaah
bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
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1079: He got angry and cursed the pen and paper
Question:
A man was writing on a piece of paper, and whilst he
was writing he made a mistake with some of the words.
He got very upset, and because he was so angry he
cursed the pen and paper [the Arabic wording states that
he "cursed the religion and the heaven of the pen and
paper" _ Translator]]. Is cursing [the religion and the heaven
of] the pen or paper or rock or tree or chair or
whatever considered to be Kufr ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Undoubtedly this kind of cursing
is haraam. Even if we say that the pen and paper have
no religion in the sense of doing acts of worship,
nevertheless the religion is one, and it is Allaah Who has
subjugated these pens and other tools and made it easy for us to
use them, so there is the fear that this cursing may be
referred back to Allaah. So this person has to repent and
seek forgiveness, and not do anything like this again.
Al-Lu'lu' al-Makeen fi Fataawaa Ibn Jibreen, p. 34
(www.islam-qa.com)
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6484: Why is it not permissible to stand to salute the flag?
Question:
why dont muslims stand for the flag salute?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Veneration is something that is
due only to the Lord, may He be glorified and exalted,
and the created being should not humble himself
before anyone except the Creator, may He be glorified
and exalted. And Allaah knows best.
Written by al-Khudayri (www.islam-qa.com)
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1074: Ruling on swearing by the Prophet peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
Question:
I hear many people, when they want to affirm
something, saying "by the Prophet". Is this permissible?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. This swearing by the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is haraam, and is
a kind of Shirk, because swearing by something
implies veneration of it, and a created being cannot
venerate another created being. Hence the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
swears by anything other than Allaah is guilty of kufr or
shirk." (Saheeh, narrated by Ahmad, 2/125; Abu Dawood,
3251; al-Tirmidhi, 1535). This applies to swearing by
the Prophets, angels, righteous people and all other
created beings. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever swears an oath, let
him swear by Allaah or else remain silent." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari,4860 _ al-Fath 8/611 and 6107 _ al-Fath
10/516; Muslim, 1647; Ahmad, 2/309; Abu Dawood,
3247; al-Nasaa'i, 3775; al-Tirmidhi, 1545; Ibn Maajah, 2096).
With regard to the verses in the Qur'aan which
contain oaths sworn by "those sent forth"
(al-mursalaat), the winds that scatter
(al-dhaariyaat), those who pull out
(al-naazi'aat), the break of day
(al-fajr), the Time (al-`asr), the forenoon
(al-duhaa) and the mansions of the stars
(mawaaqi' al-nujoom _ see al-Waaqi'ah 56:75), etc.,
these are oaths sworn by Allaah, and Allaah has the right
to swear oaths by whatever He wills, but the created
being can swear only be his Lord, may he be exalted.
From al-Lu'lu' al-Makeen min Fataawaa ibn Jibreen,
p. 32 (www.islam-qa.com)
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1439: Asking Allaah by the virtue of So and so
Question:
What is the ruling on saying in one's du'aa': `O Allaah,
I ask You by the virtue of So and so'? Is there any
difference between this and saying to the occupant of a grave, `O
So and so, help me!'?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to ask Allaah by the virtue of
anyone, not even by the virtue of the Prophets or Messengers
or awliyaa' or righteous people. No one can compel
Allaah to do anything. It is not permissible to ask Him in
any way except by His Names and Attributes, as 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].
With regard to saying to the occupant of a grave, "O
So and so, help me," this is obviously
shirk, because it is a supplication to someone other than Allaah. Asking by
the virtue of someone is a means to shirk, and calling upon
a created being is shirk in worship.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
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5952: Complaining to created beings (i.e., other people)
Question:
What is the Islamic ruling on a person who complains
to someone other than Allaah after he has complained
to Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted? When a
person is undergoing some trial it is difficult for him, so is
it permissible for one who finds some consolation in
other people by "getting things off his chest" to do so and
to ask for advice and guidance, or does this imply that
he does not have faith that Allaah will respond to him?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Telling another person about the situation, whether to
ask for help and advice, or to find a way to relieve the
problem, does not mean that you do not have patience, such as
a sick person telling a doctor about his complaint, or
a person who is being oppressed or mistreated
telling someone who could help him, or a person who is
suffering some trial telling someone who he hopes could
relieve him of it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to visit the sick, he would ask,
"How are you feeling?" (Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, Ibn
Maajah and others. Al-Nawawi said: its isnaad is jayyid).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
was asking for information about how they were. (See
`Uddat al-Saabireen by Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim, 323). And
Allaah knows best.
Reference: Masaa'il wa Rasaa'il, Muhammad al-Mahmood al-Najdi.
(www.islam-qa.com)
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4044: Referring for judgement to a kaafir judge or
an imaam who, although wise, is not a scholar
Question:
In the city where we live in the West, there is no
Islamic court or Islamic centre to which we can refer
for judgement or for help to resolve conflicts. We have
an Islamic Da'wah centre but there is no director or
anyone we can refer to resolve conflicts. Can a wife's
agreement before a kaafir judge to give up custody of her
children be regarded as binding? Can a kaafir judge's verdict
that a father has to spend on his children if they are with
the mother be regarded as binding?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who
answered as follows:
Firstly _ may Allaah bless you _ if the people at
the Da'wah centre agree that matters may be referred to
them, then this is OK. This is a duty upon them, because
we should refer things to Muslims for judgements.
But with regard to the issue of giving up custody _ if
the mother gives up custody _ this does not need the
ruling of a judge. If she states that, this is sufficient for it
to become binding.
As for spending on the children, so long as they are
going to go back to their father when the mother gives up
her right to custody, he is going to spend on them anyway.
Question:
If the kaafir judge rules that the father has to spend
on them whilst they are with their mother, is this
considered to be binding?
Answer:
Even if the judge does not state that the father has to
spend on them, it is still his obligation according to sharee'ah.
Question:
But the amount?
Answer:
The amount is to be determined by `Urf (local custom).
Question:
So if the amount stipulated by the kaafir judge is
in accordance with `Urf, is it binding on him?
Answer:
It is binding on him not because it is the ruling of
the judge but because it is `Urf.
Question:
If the husband and wife agree to refer to a Muslim
for judgement, is his ruling binding on them? In the
West, the imaam may be a person who is not religious, so
can they refer to him for judgement?
Answer:
If there is no one else available, then it is OK, but
the fuqaha' have stated the condition that he should be fit
to judge, meaning that he should have knowledge of sharee'ah, but if there is no one else, let them fear
Allaah as much as they can.
Question:
There may be no one there at all who knows about
passing judgement, but if there is a wise Muslim man?
Answer:
If they ask him to judge between them on the basis
that he is going to bring about a reconciliation, this is OK.
Question:
But if we say that it is only for reconciliation, his
words will not be binding?
Answer:
No, but if he passes a judgement and they agree to it,
then it will become binding. Every reconciliation that the
two parties agree to is binding because of the
hadeeth: "Reconciliation is permissible among Muslims".
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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2538: Ruling on horoscopes
Question:
I know that it is haram to read horoscopes as only
ALLAH (swt) knows what the future holds for us and since I
have found this out, I have, Alhamdu Lilah, stopped
reading my horoscope. Is dream interpretation also haram or is
it allowd. I dreamt that I was kidnapped and then I
also dreamt that an aunt of mine who was eating curried
crab gave me a hug. The internet has a website on
interpretation of dreams and me being kidnapped means that I will
be put in an embarrassing situation and the hug from
my aunt means that I will lose my lover. Is this true? Can
you please comment.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Astrology, horoscopes, superstition and fortune-telling
are all actions of jaahiliyyah (ignorance) which Islam
came to show as false and to explain that they are shirk,
because they involve depending on something other than
Allaah and believing that benefit and harm come from
something other than Him, and believing the words of
fortune-tellers and soothsayers who falsely claim to have knowledge
of the unseen in order to cheat people of their money
and change their beliefs. The evidence (daleel) for that is
the hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood in his Sunan with
a saheeh isnaad from Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
learns anything of astrology has learned a branch of
witchcraft (al-sihr)…" And al-Bazzaar narrated with a jayyid
isnaad from `Imraan ibn Husayn that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He
is not one of us who practises augury or has it done for
him, who tells fortunes or has his fortune told, or who
practises witchcraft or has that done for him." Whoever claims
to know some matter of the unseen either is a
fortune-teller or is acting like a fortune-teller in some sense,
because Allaah is the only One Who has knowledge of the
unseen. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);
"Say: `None in the heavens and the earth knows
the Ghayb (Unseen) except Allaah…'"
[al-Naml 27:65]
My advice to everyone who has anything to do with
these matters is to repent to Allaah and ask for His
forgiveness, and to depend only on Allaah and to put their trust
in Him in all their affairs, whilst following the
practical means that are prescribed or permitted in sharee'ah.
They should give up these matters of jaahiliyyah, keep
away from them and avoid asking the people who practise
them or believe what they say, out of obedience to Allaah
and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), and in order to protect his commitment to
Islam and his `aqeedah (religious belief).
Adapted from Majmoo' Fataawa Shaykh Ibn Baaz
(may Allaah have mercy on him), 2/123
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2742: Seeking the help of other people at times of need
Question:
If we ask someone to pray for us or if we stumble
on something and say "O mother!" or if we remember
our parents as a relief in time of weakness and illness,
will these consedered to be doing Shirk?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Muslim should turn to Allaah at times of ease and
at times of hardship, and seek the help of Allaah in all
his affairs, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to
the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes
the evil…"
[al-Naml 27:62]
If a person calls on his mother or anyone else to help
him in a matter in which that person is able to help, then
this is permissible. So long as a person is alive, present
and able, there is nothing wrong with seeking his help, but
it is better and preferable to ask Allaah for help in
all circumstances. And Allaah is Able to do all things.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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6667: Will good deeds avail a person anything if he dies
as a kaafir?
Question:
When a non-muslim, leads the life in this world
not committing any major sins, doing all good deeds as
he can, and lives as a very good human-being and dies as
a non-muslim, will he be going to heaven because of
good deeds or will be led into hell since he was not a
muslim and (knowingly or unknowingly)not accepted the
oneness of Allah? Please clarify.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If a person dies following a religion other than
Islam, then Paradise will be forbidden for him, because
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship)
with Allâh, then Allâh has forbidden Paradise to him, and
the Fire will be his abode"
[al-Maa'idah 5:72]
Good deeds done by a person whilst he is a kaafir
will not benefit him in the Hereafter at all, because
Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it
will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will
be one of the losers" [Aal `Imraan 3:85]
"And We shall turn to whatever deeds they
(disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) did, and We shall make such
deeds as scattered floating particles of dust" [al-Furqaan 25:23]
"Those who deny Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences,
verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and the Meeting in
the Hereafter (Day of Resurrection,), vain are their
deeds. Are they requited with anything except what they used
to do?"
[al-A'raaf 7:147]
`Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) asked
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
a question similar to that asked here. She (may Allaah
be pleased with her) said: "O Messenger of Allaah,
during the Jaahiliyyah Ibn Jud'aan used to uphold the ties
of kinship and feed the poor. Will that be of any avail
to him?" He said, "No, that will not be of any avail to
him, because he never said `O Lord, forgive me my sins on
the Day of Judgement.'" (Narrated by Imaam Muslim _
may Allaah have mercy on him) in his Saheeh, 214).
But if the kaafir never heard about Islam and
Da'wah never reached him, then Allaah will test him on the
Day of Resurrection (please see Question #1244). And
Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
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3431: When does obedience to a created being
become shirk akbar?
Question:
At what point does obedience to the creation in disobedience to Allaah, become shirk? For example
if my parents tell me to shave my beard, and I listen, am
I then committing shirk? When is it considered to be shirk?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Obedience to a created being becomes shirk in
situations such as obeying that person in matters where what
is forbidden is deemed to be allowed, and vice versa,
or when that person issues rules and regulations, or
laws, that go against the laws of Allaah, and the
follower believes that these laws are more complete and better
than the laws of Allaah, or as good as His laws, or that
the laws of Allaah are better but it is permissible to
follow these man-made laws. The evidence for this is the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "They (Jews
and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be
their Lords besides Allaah (by obeying then in things
which they made lawful or unlawful according to their
own desires without being ordered by Allaah)…"
[al-Tawbah 9:31]. `Adiyy ibn Haatim said: "O Messenger of
Allaah, we do not worship them." [He was a Christian
who became a Muslim - Translator]. The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Do they not allow you that which Allaah has forbidden
and forbid what Allaah has allowed?" He said, "Yes." He
said, "This is a kind of worship." The Christians' obedience
of their priests in sin and in accepting what they say
about what is lawful or unlawful is a form of
worshipping something other than Allaah, which is a kind of shirk
akbar (major shirk), that contradicts Tawheed
(true monotheism).
With regard to your question, if the person who obeys
his parents in sin believes that it is in fact a sin, but he
does what he does because of his own desires or because he
is afraid of his parents' punishment, but it is not the
matter of being forced to do so, then he is a sinner who has
gone against the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), There is no obedience to a
created being if it involves disobedience of the Creator"
(reported by Ahmad, 1041; a saheeh hadeeth) _ but he is
not considered to be guilty of shirk akbar. But if the
son believes that what his parents say overrules what
Allaah says about halaal and haraam, then he is guilty of
shirk akbar. The Muslim has to strive against himself to
bring his desires in line with what the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught, and so that
he gives precedence to obeying Allaah and His
Messenger over obeying anyone else, and so that Allaah and
His Messenger are more beloved to him than anyone
else. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said:
"None of you truly believes until I am more beloved
to him than his son, his father, and all the people."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 63).
And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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974: The kufr of one who rules according to other
than what Allaah revealed
Question:
Is ruling with rules other than sharee`ah "kufr akbar"
or "kufr asghar"?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has commanded us to refer matters to His judgement and to establish Sharee`ah, and He
has forbidden us to rule with anything else, as is clear from
a number of aayaat in the Qur'aan, such as the aayaat
in Soorat al-Maa'idah (5) which discuss ruling
according to what Allaah has revealed, and mention the
following topics:
. The command to rule according to what Allaah
has revealed: "And so judge between them by what
Allaah has revealed . . ." [aayah 49]
. Warning against ruling by other than what Allaah
has revealed: ". . . and follow not their vain desires . . ."
[aayah 49]
· Warning against compromising on any detail
of Sharee`ah, no matter how small: ". . . but beware of
them lest they turn you far away from some of that which
Allaah has sent down to you . . ." [aayah 49]
· Forbidding seeking the ruling of
jaahiliyyah, as is expressed in the rhetorical question "Do they then
seek the judgement of (the Days of) Ignorance?" [aayah 50]
· The statement that nobody is better than Allaah to
judge: ". . . and who is better in judgement than Allaah for
a people who have firm Faith?" [aayah 50]
· The statement that whoever does not judge
according to what Allaah revealed is a
kaafir, a zaalim (oppressor or wrongdoer) and a
faasiq (sinner), as Allaah says: ". .
. And whoever does not judge by what Allaah has
revealed, such are the kaafiroon." [aayah 44]; ". . . And
whoever does not judge by that which Allaah has revealed,
such are the zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers)"
[aayah 45]; ". . . And whoever does not judge by what Allaah
has revealed (then) such (people) are the
faasiqoon (rebellious or disobedient)." [aayah 47].
· The statement that it is obligatory for the Muslims
to judge according to what Allaah has revealed, even if
those who seek their judgement are not Muslim, as Allaah
says: ". . . And if you judge, judge with justice between them.
. ." [aayah 42]
Judging or ruling according to other than what
Allaah has revealed is contrary to faith and Tawheed, which
are Allaah's rights. It may be counted as kufr
akbar (greater kufr) or kufr asghar (lesser kufr) according
to circumstances. Kufr akbar will make a person no
longer a Muslim in cases such as the following:
If he issues laws and regulations other than those
revealed by Allaah, because the right to issue laws belongs to
Allaah alone, Who has no partner, and whoever "competes"
with Him in a matter which is His alone is a
mushrik, because Allaah says: "Or have they partners with Allaah
(false gods), who have instituted for them a religion
which Allaah has not allowed?"
[al-Shooraa 42:21]
If the one who rules by other than that which Allaah
has revealed denies the right of Allaah and His Prophet
to rule, as is mentioned in Ibn `Abbaas's comment on
the aayah:". . . And whoever does not judge by what
Allaah has revealed, such are the kaafiroon." [al-Maa'idah
5:44]. Ibn `Abbaas said: "Whoever rejects what Allaah
has revealed is a kaafir."
If he prefers the rule of falsehood to the rule of
Allaah, whether this is in absolute terms or just in a few
matters. Allaah says: "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 5:50]
If he regards the rule of Allaah and the rule of
falsehood as equal. Allaah says: ". . . Then do not set up rivals
unto Allaah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone
has the right to be worshipped)." [al-Baqarah 2:22]
If he thinks that it is permissible to rule by
something that contradicts the rule of Allaah and His Messenger,
or he believes that it is not obligatory to rule according
to what Allaah has revealed, or that the matter is
optional. This is kufr which is contradictory to faith.
Allaah revealed: "O Messenger! Let not those who hurry to
fall into disbelief grieve you, of such who say: `We
believe' with their mouths but their hearts have no faith. And
of the Jews are men who listen much and eagerly to lies
- listen to others who have not come to you; they say,
`If you are given this, take it, but if you are not given
this, then beware!' . . ." [al-Maa'idah 5:41]. He says: "Go
to Muhammad (peace be upon him), and if he tells you
that the ruling is lashes, accept it, but if he commands
stoning, ignore what he says. Then Allaah revealed ". . .
And whoever does not judge by what Allaah has revealed,
such are the kaafiroon (disbelievers)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:44].
If he does not rule according to what Allah has
revealed out of stubbornness and arrogance, he is a kaafir and
has left Islaam, even if he does not deny the rule of
Allaah. Stubbornness and arrogance may mean negligence
and turning away, as Allaah says: "Have you seen
those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in that
which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent
down before you, and they wish to go for judgement (in
their disputes) to the Taaghoot (false judges, etc.) while
they have been ordered to reject them. But Shaytaan wishes
to lead them astray. And when it is said to them: `Come
to what Allaah has sent down and to the Messenger,'
see they hypocrites turn away from you (Muhammad)
with aversion."
[al-Nisaa' 4:60-61]
Among the things that may be counted as ruling by
other than that which Allaah revealed and kufr akbar is
what Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem said about
man-made laws and ruling by them: "This is the worst, the
most obvious and comprehensive opposition to sharee`ah
and rejection of Allaah's laws. This is competing with
Allaah and His Messenger, contradicting His laws in
their preparation, support, structure, ruling and references.
The above is a summary of the things that may imply
that ruling by other than that which Allah has revealed is
a form of shirk akbar (major shirk):
(1) Ruling by other than that which Allaah has revealed.
(2) Denying the right of Allaah and His Messenger
to rule.
(3) Preferring the rule of falsehood to the rule of
Allaah, whether this is complete or only in a few matters.
(4) Regarding the rule of Allaah and the rule of
falsehood as equal.
(5) Thinking that it is permissible to rule by
something that contradicts what Allaah has revealed, or
believing that ruling by what Allaah has revealed is not
obligatory or is optional.
(6) Refusing to rule by what Allaah has revealed.
By examining this topic from different angels, it
becomes clear that what is counted as kufr akbar is the following:
Abolishing sharee`ah as the law governing a country,
as Mustafa Kemal ("Ataturk") did in Turkey, as he
abolished the book Majallah al-Ahkaam
al-`Adliyyah which was based on the Hanafi
madhhab, and replaced it with man-made laws.
Abolishing sharee`ah courts.
Imposing man-made laws, such as Italian, French,
German law, etc., to judge between the people, or mixing
these laws and Sharee`ah, as Genghis Khan did in his book
al-Yaasiq, which combined laws from different sources;
the `ulamaa' (scholars) ruled that he was a kaafir.
Confining the role of sharee`ah courts to so-called
"civil" matters, such as marriage, divorce and inheritance.
Setting up non-sharee`ah courts.
Discussing sharee`ah in parliament and voting on it;
this indicates that implementing sharee`ah is conditional
upon a majority vote.
Making sharee`ah a secondary or main source, along
with other sources of law. Even when they say that
sharee`ah is the primary source of legislation, this is still
kufr akbar, because it means that they are allowing the adoption
of laws from other sources too.
Stating in the clauses of legislation that reference may
be made to international law, or stating in treaties that in
the case of dispute, the matter may be referred to
such-and-such non-Islamic court.
Criticizing sharee`ah in public or in private, such as
saying that it is rigid, incomplete or backward, or suggesting
that it is incompatible with our times, or expressing
admiration for non-Islamic laws.
As regards the question of when ruling by other than
what Allaah revealed is kufr asghar, which does not exclude
a person from the ummah of Islam:
the answer is that this may be the case when a ruler
or judge passes judgement according to other than
what Allaah revealed out of disobedience or on a whim, or as
a favour to someone, or because he was bribed, and so
on, although he believes that it is obligatory to judge
according to what Allaah has revealed, and that what he has done
is a sinful and haraam deed.
As regards the one who is governed by a non-Islamic
law, if he refers to it out of choice, then he is a kaafir
whose kufr akbar means that he has left Islaam. But if he has
no choice but to refer to this law, and does so
reluctantly, then he is not a kaafir, because if he had been able
to resort to sharee`ah, he would have done so, and he
believes that this non-Islamic law is false.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (220 pages)
3297: Tawassul: Islamic vs. bid'ah
Question:
aslamu aleyka
Ya sheikh, I have question regarding the tawasul, I
was telling someone that seeking tawasul at graves and
asking the person who died to make dua to Allah it's wrong,
he told me what is wrong with if I asked pious person
during his life to make Dua and when he died I asked him
to make dua what wrong with it. So I want you to clarify
to me how to answer the brother, what kind Tawasul
is allowed and which one not allowed since a lot
people have been misguided in this Area?
Answer:
Tawassul in Arabic means seeking to draw close.
Allaah says in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the
meaning): "…[they] desire means of access to their Lord…"
[al-Isra' 17:57], i.e., means of drawing close to Him.
There are two types of Tawassul, correct Islamic tawassul
and forbidden tawassul.
Correct Islamic tawassul:
This means seeking to draw close to Allaah through
acts of worship which He loves and which please Him;
these may be waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb
(encouraged), and may take the form of words, actions or beliefs.
Some types are as follows:
Seeking to draw close to Allaah by means of His
names and attributes. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): "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]. So when a person makes du'aa'
to Allaah, he begins by calling on Allaah with the name
that is most apt, such as "al-Rahmaan" (the Most
Merciful) when seeking mercy and al-Ghafoor (the
All-Forgiving) when asking for forgiveness, and so on.
Seeking to draw close to Allaah by means of faith
and Tawheed. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): "Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down,
and we follow the Messenger, so write us down among
those who bear witness (to the truth)." [Aal `Imraan 3:53]
Seeking to draw close to Allaah through righteous
deeds, whereby a person asks Allaah by virtue of the best
deeds that he has done, such as salaah, fasting, reading
Qur'aan, avoiding haraam things, and so on. An example of this
is the saheeh hadeeth narrated in the
Saheehayn about the three people who entered a cave, and a rock fell
and blocked their way out. They asked Allaah by virtue
of their best deeds (to save them). A person may also
ask Allaah by virtue of his total dependency upon Him,
as Allaah mentions in the Qur'aan (interpretation of
the meaning): "[Ayyoob said:] `Verily, distress has seized
me, and You are the Most Merciful of those who show
mercy.' [al-Anbiya' 21:83]; or by admitting his own
wrongdoing and his need for Allaah, as Yoonus is described as
saying (interpretation of the meaning): " `None has the right
to be worshipped except You (O Allaah). Glorified
(and exalted) are You. Truly I have been of the wrong-doers.'"
[al-Anbiya' 21:87]
The rulings on Islamically correct tawassul vary
according to its type. Some types are waajib, such as seeking
to draw close to Allaah through His names and
attributes and through Tawheed (believing in His absolute
Oneness), and some are mustahabb, such as seeking to draw
close to Him by virtue of all kinds of righteous deeds.
Tawassul that is bid'ah and therefore forbidden:
This is the attempt to draw close to Allaah by means
of things that He does not like and that do not please
Him, whether they be words, deeds or beliefs. One example
of this is trying to draw close to Allaah by calling on
the dead or people who are absent, asking them for help,
and so on. This is a form of major shirk (shirk
akbar), which goes against Tawheed and means that a person is no
longer considered to be a Muslim. Calling upon Allaah,
whether it is for a purpose such as asking Him to grant some
benefit or to ward off some harm, or as an act of worship
to express humility and submission before Him, can
only be addressed directly to Allaah. If du'aa's or prayers
are addressed to anything or anyone else, this is shirk.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And your Lord
said: `Invoke Me (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], they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!"
[Ghaafir 40:60]. In this aayah, Allaah explains the punishment
of those who arrogantly refuse to call on Allaah,
whether they call on someone other than Allaah or they do
not call on Him at all, out of pride and self-admiration,
even if they do not call on anyone else.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret…" [al-A'raaf
7:55]. Allaah commands His slaves to call on Him and
not anyone else.
Allaah says of the people of Hell (interpretation of
the meaning): "[They say:] `By Allaah, we were truly in
a manifest error when we held you (false gods) as
equals (in worship) with the Lord of the Worlds."
[al-Shu'ara' 26:96-97]
Anything that results in equating something other
than Allaah with Allaah in worship or acts of obedience is
shirk, the crime of associating partners with Him. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): "And who is more
astray than one who calls (invokes) besides Allaah, such as
will not answer him until the Day of Resurrection, and
who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to
them? And when mankind are gathered (one the Day
of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become
enemies for them and will deny their worshipping."
[al-Ahqaaf 46:5-6]
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
" And whoever invokes (or worships) besides Allaah, any
other god, of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is
only with his Lord. Surely, al-kaafiroon (the disbelievers
in Allaah and in the Oneness of Allaah) will not
be successful." [al-Mu'minoon 23:117].
Allaah states that anyone who calls on anything other
than him is taking that thing as a god, as He 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 a 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 All-Knower
(of everything)." [Faatir 35:13-14].
In this aayah, Allaah explains that He is the only
One Who deserves to be called upon, because He, and no
one else, is the Sovereign who is directing everything.
Those things that are worshipped cannot hear du'aa's, let
alone respond to the one who invokes them, and even if
they were able to hear, they cannot respond, because they
do not have the power to either benefit or harm.
The mushrik Arabs whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent to call
were disbelievers because of this shirk. They would call
upon Allaah sincerely at times of difficulty, but they
became disbelievers at times of ease and plenty, when they
would call on others besides Him. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meanings):
"And when they embark on a ship, they invoke
Allaah, making their Faith pure for Him only, but when He
brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of
their worship to others." [al-`Ankaboot 29:65]
"And when harm touches you upon the sea, those
that you call upon besides Him vanish from you excpet
Him (Allaah Alone). But when He brings you safely to
land, you turn away (from Him)…" [al-Isra' 17:67].
"… till when you are in the ships and they sail with
them with a favourable wind, and they are glad therein,
then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them
from all sides, and they think that they are encircled
therein, they invoke Allaah, making their Faith pure for
Him Alone…" [Yoonus 10:33]
The shirk of some people nowadays goes even
further than the shirk of people in the past, because they
direct some acts of worship to something other than
Allaah, calling upon them and asking them for help even at
times of distress; laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa
Billaah (there is no strength and no help except in Allaah). We ask
Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
To sum up our response to what your friend
mentioned: asking the dead for anything is shirk, and asking the
living for anything that no one except Allaah is able to do,
is also shirk. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (220 pages)
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