The ruling on declaring a disbeliever (takfir) of one who seeks intercession (shafa'ah) from other than Allah
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Does he sin if he is ignorant of them? Does he sin if he is ignorant of the callers to misguidance?
The Shaykh:
They are all ignorant, the caller and the one being called.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you. He says: It is true that seeking intercession is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), but it is one of the subtle issues, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh:
Allah says:[Al-A'raf 7:179] Leave them [Al-A'raf 7:179], and they are more astray. What is there in them here? There is no remedy but the white ones, [Al-A'raf 7:179] of the livestock. They are just like the livestock, more astray than the cow, more astray than the sheep, and more astray than the camel. And He, the Exalted and Majestic, said: [Al-Furqan 25:44] Nay, they are more astray. Therefore, if the caller were to say to them, "O servant of Allah, fear Allah, this is not right, this is not permissible, this is disbelief," praise be to Allah, and even if he does not understand the Arabic language, it should be translated for him into the language he understands.
The questioner:
Some people agree with you that it is major shirk, O Shaykh, but they do not agree with declaring them disbelievers, saying: This is one of the subtle issues, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh:
It is not subtle. The most apparent thing in existence is major shirk. The most apparent thing in existence. One who prays to other than Allah, and fasts for other than Allah, or says: O Sayyid al-Badawi, forgive me.
Does he sin if he is ignorant of them? Does he sin if he is ignorant of the callers to misguidance?
The Shaykh:
They are all ignorant, the caller and the one being called.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you. He says: It is true that seeking intercession is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), but it is one of the subtle issues, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh:
Allah says:
And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.
وَلَقَدْfor Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock
لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِThose are like livestock; rather, they are more astray.
أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّOr do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are not except like livestock.
أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِThe questioner:
Some people agree with you that it is major shirk, O Shaykh, but they do not agree with declaring them disbelievers, saying: This is one of the subtle issues, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh:
It is not subtle. The most apparent thing in existence is major shirk. The most apparent thing in existence. One who prays to other than Allah, and fasts for other than Allah, or says: O Sayyid al-Badawi, forgive me.
Source
شرح القواعد الأربع [ ابن باز ] — islamhouse.com (22:59)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.