Seeking the Help of the Prophets and the Awliya
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The first question of Fatwa No. ( 2251 ):
Q1: There are two groups: one group says that seeking the help of the prophets and the awliya is disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah), citing the Qur'an and the Sunnah as evidence, and another group says that seeking their help is the truth; because they are the beloved of Allah the Exalted and His chosen, righteous servants. So which of the two groups is upon the truth?
A1: Seeking the help of other than Allah in healing a sick person, bringing down rain, prolonging a lifespan, and the like of what is the exclusive domain of Allah the Exalted is a type of major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes its doer out of the religion of Islam. Likewise, seeking the help of the dead or those absent from the sight of the one seeking help, whether angels, jinn, or humans, in bringing benefit or repelling harm is a type of major shirk that Allah does not forgive except for one who repents from it; because this type of seeking help is an act of nearness and worship, and it is not permissible except for Allah alone, pure for His noble Face. Among the evidence for this is what Allah taught His servants to say in a verse:[Al-Fatihah 1:5] meaning: We do not worship except You, and we do not seek help except from You. And His saying the Exalted: [Al-Isra 17:23] And His saying: [Al-Bayyinah 98:5] the verse. And His saying the Exalted:
[Al-Jinn 72:18] And what is established from his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) to 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2516Hasan (Darussalam) , and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Mu'adh : Sahih al-Bukhari 2856 , and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): , as for seeking help from other than Allah in matters that fall within the scope of the ordinary causes that Allah has placed with creation and enabled them to perform; such as seeking help from a doctor in treating a patient, or from others, feeding a hungry person, giving drink to a thirsty person, giving a rich person's money to a poor person, and the like of that, this is not shirk (associating partners with Allah), but rather it is from the cooperation of creation in livelihood and obtaining the means of life. And likewise, if one seeks help from the living who are absent through sensory means; such as writing, sending a telegram, a telephone call, and the like. As for the life of the prophets, the martyrs, and the rest of the awliya (close friends of Allah), it is a barzakh (the interval between death and resurrection) life
whose reality is known only to Allah, and it is not like the life they had in this world. And with this it becomes clear that the truth is with the first group that said: seeking the help of other than Allah in what was mentioned is shirk. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Q1: There are two groups: one group says that seeking the help of the prophets and the awliya is disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah), citing the Qur'an and the Sunnah as evidence, and another group says that seeking their help is the truth; because they are the beloved of Allah the Exalted and His chosen, righteous servants. So which of the two groups is upon the truth?
A1: Seeking the help of other than Allah in healing a sick person, bringing down rain, prolonging a lifespan, and the like of what is the exclusive domain of Allah the Exalted is a type of major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes its doer out of the religion of Islam. Likewise, seeking the help of the dead or those absent from the sight of the one seeking help, whether angels, jinn, or humans, in bringing benefit or repelling harm is a type of major shirk that Allah does not forgive except for one who repents from it; because this type of seeking help is an act of nearness and worship, and it is not permissible except for Allah alone, pure for His noble Face. Among the evidence for this is what Allah taught His servants to say in a verse:
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُAnd your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلا تَعْبُدُوا إِلا إِيَّاهُAnd they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَAnd [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًاWhen you ask, ask Allah, and when you seek aid, seek Allah's aid.
إذا سألت فاسأل الله وإذا استعنت فاستعن باللهAllah's right on His slaves is that they should worship Him (Alone) and should not worship any besides Him
وحق الله على العباد أن يعبدوه ولا يشركوا به شيئًاWhoever dies while calling upon a rival for Allah will enter the Fire
من مات وهو يدعو لله ندًّا دخل النارwhose reality is known only to Allah, and it is not like the life they had in this world. And with this it becomes clear that the truth is with the first group that said: seeking the help of other than Allah in what was mentioned is shirk. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.