Is there anyone other than Allah who can relieve distress and sorrow and avert calamities?
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Fatwa number ( 7366 ):
Q: Is there anyone other than Allah who can relieve distress and sorrow and avert calamities? Under this question are ten sub-questions. We find in most schools of jurisprudence a question, which is: Is there anyone other than Allah who relieves hardship or not? They speak with great force on this question, yet we have not found anyone who answers in the affirmative. This brings to mind a feeling that seeks out different ways of asking,
namely how anyone can relieve hardship without Allah. This question has different forms. For example, Zayd wants to relieve his distress and sorrow, so he asks someone other than Allah to solve his problem. 1 - If there is someone other than Allah who relieves his hardship, who is the one who hears and answers at a distance whose limit only Allah knows, between him and the questioner, in his life and after his death in his grave? 2 - And if we assume that he hears at this great distance, there is another question: Does he understand the languages of all the people of the world when they call upon him in different languages? Such as German, English, and other languages. 3 - And if you answer in the affirmative that he understands the languages of all the people of the world, another question arises from that: If millions of people in need approach him at the same time with their needs in their different languages, is he able to hear their complaints and answer their requests at the same time, or does he need to set times to solve each person's problem in turn, i.e., one after another? 4 - Does this person to whom they ask for their needs sleep or not? Does slumber or sleep overtake him? If he is characterized by sleep, then there should be a schedule showing his times of rest between sleep and wakefulness, or he hears while he is sleeping.
5 - And there is a person with needs who cannot speak and express his intent with his tongue, so he asks for his need with his heart. Does he answer his heart's question or not? 6 - A human being, from the cradle to the grave, is exposed to small and large problems. If it is Allah who undertakes to solve all his problems, then there is no need to turn to anyone other than Allah. And if someone other than Allah saves from these many hardships, what is the benefit of turning to Allah? 7 - If someone other than Allah is not capable of solving all problems, it is said: Some matters are solved by the Lord of the Worlds, and some are with someone other than Allah. It is necessary for people in need to distinguish between what belongs to Allah and what belongs to someone other than Allah, so that they do not present to Allah what belongs to another, and to someone other than Allah what belongs to Allah. 8 - Is the one who lifts and removes hardship from people able to bring hardship to people, or does he only remove hardship without bringing it? If he only undertakes to remove hardship, who then inflicts the harm? 9 - So the result is: If we assume that it is Allah who brings the harm and another who removes the hardship, if Allah wants to bring harm and the other wants to avert it, and each is determined on what he wants, who is the victor? 10 - If he wants to pray for a doer of good or a doer of evil, from whom is forgiveness sought?
A: Allah the Exalted alone is the One whom no slumber or sleep overtakes, and He alone is the One who hears the supplication of those who supplicate wherever they are and in whatever language they speak. Indeed, He answers their supplication by the language of their state, whether they are of sound mind or not. He alone is the One who truly harms and benefits. As for what happens from others, it is from the ordinary causes that Allah enabled His servants to utilize and empowered them to do, so they did so with the success of Allah the Exalted, and He arranged their consequences. For example, the doctor diagnoses diseases and prescribes medicine with the success of Allah, and to Allah alone belongs healing. The farmer plows the land, sows the seed, and waters it with the guidance and success of Allah, and to Allah alone belongs arranging the results and bringing about the causes by causing the planted things and trees to grow, and producing the grains and fruits, and the like of these events. 1 - Accordingly, there is no one other than Allah who truly relieves hardship, but there may be someone whom Allah made a cause for that, such as the doctor and the farmer mentioned above. Thus, the relief of hardship is from Allah by the cause of the created being, with the success of Allah. There is no one other than Allah who hears the supplicant from a far distance and answers him, nor does a dead person hear the supplication of one who supplicates to him and implores him. Even if he heard it, he would not respond to him. Allah the Exalted said:[Fatir 35:13-14]
2 - There is no one who knows all the languages of the created beings except Allah, so no created being is able to hear every questioner and understand what he says until he answers his request. 3 - And on the assumption that someone other than Allah knows the languages of the world - which is impossible - he is not able to hear the call of the multitude of them if they ask him at the same time and fulfill their demands at the same time, given the diversity of their needs and the distance of their locations. 4 - A human being and the like of him are not able to listen to the questioners and answer them at all times, for it is his nature to forget, be heedless, be weak, and sleep. The needs, questions, and supplications are continuous, so he is not able to fulfill that except the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, whom no slumber or sleep overtakes. 5 - There is no one who knows what is in the conscience of others of desires and needs except Allah. How can it be easy for anyone other than Him, the Exalted, to fulfill their needs if they do not ask with the tongue of speech? 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - And from what has preceded, it also becomes clear that no one truly removes hardship except Allah, and no one truly gives good except He,
as He the Exalted said:[Yunus 10:106-107] . And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: Is there anyone other than Allah who can relieve distress and sorrow and avert calamities? Under this question are ten sub-questions. We find in most schools of jurisprudence a question, which is: Is there anyone other than Allah who relieves hardship or not? They speak with great force on this question, yet we have not found anyone who answers in the affirmative. This brings to mind a feeling that seeks out different ways of asking,
namely how anyone can relieve hardship without Allah. This question has different forms. For example, Zayd wants to relieve his distress and sorrow, so he asks someone other than Allah to solve his problem. 1 - If there is someone other than Allah who relieves his hardship, who is the one who hears and answers at a distance whose limit only Allah knows, between him and the questioner, in his life and after his death in his grave? 2 - And if we assume that he hears at this great distance, there is another question: Does he understand the languages of all the people of the world when they call upon him in different languages? Such as German, English, and other languages. 3 - And if you answer in the affirmative that he understands the languages of all the people of the world, another question arises from that: If millions of people in need approach him at the same time with their needs in their different languages, is he able to hear their complaints and answer their requests at the same time, or does he need to set times to solve each person's problem in turn, i.e., one after another? 4 - Does this person to whom they ask for their needs sleep or not? Does slumber or sleep overtake him? If he is characterized by sleep, then there should be a schedule showing his times of rest between sleep and wakefulness, or he hears while he is sleeping.
5 - And there is a person with needs who cannot speak and express his intent with his tongue, so he asks for his need with his heart. Does he answer his heart's question or not? 6 - A human being, from the cradle to the grave, is exposed to small and large problems. If it is Allah who undertakes to solve all his problems, then there is no need to turn to anyone other than Allah. And if someone other than Allah saves from these many hardships, what is the benefit of turning to Allah? 7 - If someone other than Allah is not capable of solving all problems, it is said: Some matters are solved by the Lord of the Worlds, and some are with someone other than Allah. It is necessary for people in need to distinguish between what belongs to Allah and what belongs to someone other than Allah, so that they do not present to Allah what belongs to another, and to someone other than Allah what belongs to Allah. 8 - Is the one who lifts and removes hardship from people able to bring hardship to people, or does he only remove hardship without bringing it? If he only undertakes to remove hardship, who then inflicts the harm? 9 - So the result is: If we assume that it is Allah who brings the harm and another who removes the hardship, if Allah wants to bring harm and the other wants to avert it, and each is determined on what he wants, who is the victor? 10 - If he wants to pray for a doer of good or a doer of evil, from whom is forgiveness sought?
A: Allah the Exalted alone is the One whom no slumber or sleep overtakes, and He alone is the One who hears the supplication of those who supplicate wherever they are and in whatever language they speak. Indeed, He answers their supplication by the language of their state, whether they are of sound mind or not. He alone is the One who truly harms and benefits. As for what happens from others, it is from the ordinary causes that Allah enabled His servants to utilize and empowered them to do, so they did so with the success of Allah the Exalted, and He arranged their consequences. For example, the doctor diagnoses diseases and prescribes medicine with the success of Allah, and to Allah alone belongs healing. The farmer plows the land, sows the seed, and waters it with the guidance and success of Allah, and to Allah alone belongs arranging the results and bringing about the causes by causing the planted things and trees to grow, and producing the grains and fruits, and the like of these events. 1 - Accordingly, there is no one other than Allah who truly relieves hardship, but there may be someone whom Allah made a cause for that, such as the doctor and the farmer mentioned above. Thus, the relief of hardship is from Allah by the cause of the created being, with the success of Allah. There is no one other than Allah who hears the supplicant from a far distance and answers him, nor does a dead person hear the supplication of one who supplicates to him and implores him. Even if he heard it, he would not respond to him. Allah the Exalted said:
That is Allah, your Lord; to Him belongs sovereignty. And those whom you invoke other than Him do not possess [as much as] the membrane of a date seed. (14) If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association. And none can inform you like [one] Acquainted [with all matters].
ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْ قِطْمِيرٍ (13) إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لاَ يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلاَ يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ2 - There is no one who knows all the languages of the created beings except Allah, so no created being is able to hear every questioner and understand what he says until he answers his request. 3 - And on the assumption that someone other than Allah knows the languages of the world - which is impossible - he is not able to hear the call of the multitude of them if they ask him at the same time and fulfill their demands at the same time, given the diversity of their needs and the distance of their locations. 4 - A human being and the like of him are not able to listen to the questioners and answer them at all times, for it is his nature to forget, be heedless, be weak, and sleep. The needs, questions, and supplications are continuous, so he is not able to fulfill that except the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, whom no slumber or sleep overtakes. 5 - There is no one who knows what is in the conscience of others of desires and needs except Allah. How can it be easy for anyone other than Him, the Exalted, to fulfill their needs if they do not ask with the tongue of speech? 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - And from what has preceded, it also becomes clear that no one truly removes hardship except Allah, and no one truly gives good except He,
as He the Exalted said:
(106) And do not invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers.'" (107) And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful
وَلاَ تَدْعُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ يَنْفَعُكَ وَلاَ يَضُرُّكَ فَإِنْ فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذًا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ (106) وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلا هُوَ وَإِنْ يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.