What is the ruling on those who seek aid from the dead and slaughter animals for them, even though they pray and fast? Is it permissible to marry them and eat their slaughtered animals?
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The questioner:
Our brother also asks, saying: Some people believe that the lords of the graves hear their supplications, remove their distress, hear their vows, and slaughter for them. They write specific phrases in the mosques, such as "O so-and-so" and "O so-and-so." Knowing that those people pray the five daily prayers, fast in Ramadan, and recite the Qur'an, what is the ruling on marrying them? What is the ruling on eating their slaughtered animals? And if they die, do we pray over them or not? Please guide us regarding these issues. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
He says they call upon the graves? Yes, those whom the questioner mentioned who seek aid from the dead and call upon them other than Allah the Exalted, slaughter for them, make vows for them, and draw near to them as is the custom of the grave-worshippers, these are mushriks (associators) committing major shirk (associating partners with Allah) which takes one out of the religion. Even if they pray, fast, and perform Hajj, their deeds are invalid (batil); their prayer is not valid (sahih) and their Hajj is not valid because they are mushriks, and no deed is accepted from a mushrik.
Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:[Az-Zumar 39:65] He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [Al-An'am 6:88] Actions are only accepted with sound belief and belief free from major shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is what the questioner mentioned regarding these people: it is major shirk. They must repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) from it. If they do not repent and continue in it, it is not permissible to marry their women who are mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), nor is it permissible to pray over their funerals or bury them with the dead of the Muslims, because they are mushrik if they die upon this belief, may Allah protect us from it. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. So marriage to their women who are mushriks is not valid, nor is eating from their slaughtered animals, and we do not pray over them at all?
The Shaykh:
Yes, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:[Al-Baqarah 2:221] The one who calls upon graves, makes vows for the dead, and slaughters for the dead is a woman who is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). It is not permissible for a Muslim to marry her. Likewise, their slaughtered animals are not lawful because they are carrion. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) only permitted the slaughtered animals of Muslims and the People of the Book. As for the slaughtered animals of polytheists and other disbelievers, they are haram (forbidden). Yes.
Our brother also asks, saying: Some people believe that the lords of the graves hear their supplications, remove their distress, hear their vows, and slaughter for them. They write specific phrases in the mosques, such as "O so-and-so" and "O so-and-so." Knowing that those people pray the five daily prayers, fast in Ramadan, and recite the Qur'an, what is the ruling on marrying them? What is the ruling on eating their slaughtered animals? And if they die, do we pray over them or not? Please guide us regarding these issues. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
He says they call upon the graves? Yes, those whom the questioner mentioned who seek aid from the dead and call upon them other than Allah the Exalted, slaughter for them, make vows for them, and draw near to them as is the custom of the grave-worshippers, these are mushriks (associators) committing major shirk (associating partners with Allah) which takes one out of the religion. Even if they pray, fast, and perform Hajj, their deeds are invalid (batil); their prayer is not valid (sahih) and their Hajj is not valid because they are mushriks, and no deed is accepted from a mushrik.
Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:
And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allah, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers."
وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَBut if they had associated others with Allah, then worthless for them would be whatever they were doing.
وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَThe questioner:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. So marriage to their women who are mushriks is not valid, nor is eating from their slaughtered animals, and we do not pray over them at all?
The Shaykh:
Yes, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said:
And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you.
وَلَا تَنكِحُوا الْمُشْرِكَاتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤْمِنَّ وَلَأَمَةٌ مُّؤْمِنَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكَةٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم من يستغيثون بالأموات، ويذبحون لهم، مع أنهم يصلون ويصومون، وهل يجوز التزوج منهم وأكل ذبائحهم؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.