Seeking Nearness to Allah Through the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Is It Minor Shirk?
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Question:
The questioner asks: Is seeking nearness to Allah through the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) minor shirk?
Answer:
Seeking nearness to Allah through the Prophet or anyone else is a bid'ah (religious innovation). There is no evidence for seeking nearness to Allah through persons. The only seeking nearness that is established is through righteous deeds or through the names and attributes of Allah. This is what is established, and the hadiths regarding it are authentic. You seek nearness to Allah through your righteous deeds, you seek nearness to Allah through your following of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), you seek nearness to Allah through His names and attributes,[Al-A'raf 7:180], you seek nearness to Allah through tawhid (the oneness of Allah) [Al-Anbya 21:87], you seek nearness to Allah through your poverty and your need, "Indeed, distress has touched me" [Al-Mu'minun 23:109], so you seek nearness to Allah through your weakness, your poverty, and your need for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), just as Ayyub (peace be upon him) sought nearness to Allah in that manner. These are the types of permissible seeking nearness. As for seeking nearness through persons or through status, there is no basis for it, and it is a bid'ah. However, it is not shirk. Shirk is when one calls upon the means and draws near to the one through whom he seeks nearness, slaughtering for him and making vows to him; that is major shirk. But if one merely seeks nearness through him, it is a bid'ah and a means to shirk, but it is not shirk. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
The questioner asks: Is seeking nearness to Allah through the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) minor shirk?
Answer:
Seeking nearness to Allah through the Prophet or anyone else is a bid'ah (religious innovation). There is no evidence for seeking nearness to Allah through persons. The only seeking nearness that is established is through righteous deeds or through the names and attributes of Allah. This is what is established, and the hadiths regarding it are authentic. You seek nearness to Allah through your righteous deeds, you seek nearness to Allah through your following of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), you seek nearness to Allah through His names and attributes,
And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them.
وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَاThere is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."
لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَand You are the best of the merciful.'
وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَThe presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، باب الشفاعة — youtube.com (49:29)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.