Who are the polytheists who are not from the People of the Book?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, you said in your talk that there are polytheists who are from the People of the Book and there are polytheists who are not from the People of the Book. So, Shaykh, could you clarify for us who these polytheists are who are not from the People of the Book?
The Shaykh : These are the Buddhists and the Zoroastrians whom I mentioned to you just now.
The questioner : Shaykh, do the Buddhists worship Allah and associate partners with Allah?
The Shaykh : And... But this is a second question. Have we finished with your first question? Yes, my sir. And did you feel that this was a second question?
The questioner : Shaykh, what I understood was that the Buddhists...
The Shaykh : You did not answer me.
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : What was your first question?
The questioner : It was regarding those who do not have a book; are they considered polytheists? I mean, those who are polytheists and not from the People of the Book.
The Shaykh : Yes, what was your question?
The questioner : I mean, Shaykh, I did not understand how they are polytheists and not from the People of the Book. I mean, what is their status?
The Shaykh : Yes, my brother.
The questioner : Those who are polytheists and not from the People of the Book.
The Shaykh : Who are they? Who are they?
The questioner : Shaykh, the Buddhists.
The Shaykh : Leave my saying aside; I am asking you. What did you say?
The questioner : Shaykh, I said... I mean, it is not easy.
The Shaykh : From the beginning now, Q.A. What is your question?
The questioner : My question, Shaykh, is that you said in your talk that there are polytheists who are from the People of the Book and polytheists who are not from the People of the Book.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I know the polytheists who have this book, but regarding the polytheists who do not have this book, I am asking you now who they are, or clarify for us who they are?
The Shaykh : Yes, I told you, for example, the Buddhists, the Zoroastrians, the followers of Confucius, and so on. These people do not have a book, so these are polytheists.
The questioner : And no lessons.
The Shaykh : I got the answer.
The questioner : You got the answer, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, what is your second question?
The questioner : Shaykh, our second question is that I expected that the Buddhists and others, who are from Japan and China, meaning what is known to me now, is that they worship idols and something called Buddha, but they do not worship Allah along with this Buddha. I mean, they worship only Buddha, for example.
The Shaykh : What do we need this talk for? This has no relation to your question.
The questioner : Oh Shaykh, what I am saying is that what we know about them...
The Shaykh : I do not bear witness to being... My brother, he got the answer regarding whether he associated partners or not, but now he asked who are the polytheists other than the People of the Book, is that not your question?
The questioner : I got this, Shaykh, the answer is clear.
The Shaykh : Okay, and now? His intention is that they do not acknowledge the existence of Allah, Shaykh. Be patient.
The questioner : The Buddhists, Shaykh, what I mean is that they do not acknowledge, as the Shaykh said, the existence of Allah. They worship Buddha, so since they worship only Buddha, there is no shirk (associating partners with Allah) in their disbelief that they do not acknowledge Allah. But like the Jews and the Christians, for example, Allah and Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary, but these people do not have an existence for Allah. So how did we call them, Shaykh, polytheists?
The Shaykh : Did we not mention the verse[Al-Furqan 25:43]?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : We did not mention it.
The questioner : Yes, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Okay, is there anything else?
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah keep you safe. If you have anything, please go ahead.
The Shaykh : These are the Buddhists and the Zoroastrians whom I mentioned to you just now.
The questioner : Shaykh, do the Buddhists worship Allah and associate partners with Allah?
The Shaykh : And... But this is a second question. Have we finished with your first question? Yes, my sir. And did you feel that this was a second question?
The questioner : Shaykh, what I understood was that the Buddhists...
The Shaykh : You did not answer me.
The questioner : Yes, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : What was your first question?
The questioner : It was regarding those who do not have a book; are they considered polytheists? I mean, those who are polytheists and not from the People of the Book.
The Shaykh : Yes, what was your question?
The questioner : I mean, Shaykh, I did not understand how they are polytheists and not from the People of the Book. I mean, what is their status?
The Shaykh : Yes, my brother.
The questioner : Those who are polytheists and not from the People of the Book.
The Shaykh : Who are they? Who are they?
The questioner : Shaykh, the Buddhists.
The Shaykh : Leave my saying aside; I am asking you. What did you say?
The questioner : Shaykh, I said... I mean, it is not easy.
The Shaykh : From the beginning now, Q.A. What is your question?
The questioner : My question, Shaykh, is that you said in your talk that there are polytheists who are from the People of the Book and polytheists who are not from the People of the Book.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I know the polytheists who have this book, but regarding the polytheists who do not have this book, I am asking you now who they are, or clarify for us who they are?
The Shaykh : Yes, I told you, for example, the Buddhists, the Zoroastrians, the followers of Confucius, and so on. These people do not have a book, so these are polytheists.
The questioner : And no lessons.
The Shaykh : I got the answer.
The questioner : You got the answer, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, what is your second question?
The questioner : Shaykh, our second question is that I expected that the Buddhists and others, who are from Japan and China, meaning what is known to me now, is that they worship idols and something called Buddha, but they do not worship Allah along with this Buddha. I mean, they worship only Buddha, for example.
The Shaykh : What do we need this talk for? This has no relation to your question.
The questioner : Oh Shaykh, what I am saying is that what we know about them...
The Shaykh : I do not bear witness to being... My brother, he got the answer regarding whether he associated partners or not, but now he asked who are the polytheists other than the People of the Book, is that not your question?
The questioner : I got this, Shaykh, the answer is clear.
The Shaykh : Okay, and now? His intention is that they do not acknowledge the existence of Allah, Shaykh. Be patient.
The questioner : The Buddhists, Shaykh, what I mean is that they do not acknowledge, as the Shaykh said, the existence of Allah. They worship Buddha, so since they worship only Buddha, there is no shirk (associating partners with Allah) in their disbelief that they do not acknowledge Allah. But like the Jews and the Christians, for example, Allah and Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary, but these people do not have an existence for Allah. So how did we call them, Shaykh, polytheists?
The Shaykh : Did we not mention the verse
Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire?
أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُ هَوَاهُThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : We did not mention it.
The questioner : Yes, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Okay, is there anything else?
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah keep you safe. If you have anything, please go ahead.
Source
سلسلة الهدى والنور، المجلس 341 — d3watuna.com (54:19)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.