The Ruling on Seeking Blessing from Trees, Stones, and Graves
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The questioner:
My brother, please proceed to the matter you have raised. What is the ruling on seeking blessings (tabarruk) and clinging to the righteous, or to graves, or to objects and families? Not by worshipping them or looking to them other than Allah, nor by worshipping them other than Allah, but rather they say alongside this that these are blessed from Allah the Exalted, and we seek the blessing by clinging to them. Do you know and recognize whether this is major or minor?
The Shaykh:
Allah, Exalted and Majestic, mentioned that seeking blessings from created things, such as trees and stones, is shirk (associating partners with Allah). He mentioned this in the description of the Children of Israel:[Al-A'raf 7:138] [Al-A'raf 7:139-140], and it indicates that seeking blessings from trees and stones and taking them as gods—saying the blessing comes from the stone and the tree—is the meaning of taking gods. Likewise, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned this in the hadith of Abu Waqid al-Laythi. When they went out with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and they were in a state of ignorance and had pledged allegiance to Islam after the conquest of Makkah, they went out with him to the expedition of Hunayn. They passed by a group of polytheists who had a date palm tree to which they tied their weapons, meaning they hung their weapons on it for the sake of seeking blessing. They said to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): "Make for us a Dhat Anwa (a sacred tree) as they have a Dhat Anwa." He said (peace and blessings be upon him): "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Indeed, these are the ways of the past. You said, by Myself which is in My hand, as the Children of Israel said: Sahih Ibn Hibban 62:586 What god do they have? He said: "You are a people who do not know." He said: "Do I seek for you a god other than Allah, while He has preferred you over the worlds?" Then he said (peace and blessings be upon him): "You will follow the ways of those who came before you, hand over hand, or the ways of those who came before you. If they were to enter the hole of a scorpion, you would enter it too." Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 1:104.
The verse and the hadith indicate that seeking blessings (tabarruk) is shirk (associating partners with Allah). As for whether it is major or minor, this does not need to be asked, as it came in the Qur'an. However, some scholars say that if one believes that the blessing is obtained from these trees, stones, and graves, then it is major shirk. But if one believes that the blessing is obtained from Allah, and he only thinks that these graves and these trees are a means, then it is minor shirk, and it is a means to major shirk. However, leaving this distinction and saying that it is shirk is the safest and the most correct. Yes, meaning, as you have detailed, people are negligent in this matter. So say: This is shirk, as mentioned in the verse and mentioned in the hadith, and we leave this distinction. Yes.
My brother, please proceed to the matter you have raised. What is the ruling on seeking blessings (tabarruk) and clinging to the righteous, or to graves, or to objects and families? Not by worshipping them or looking to them other than Allah, nor by worshipping them other than Allah, but rather they say alongside this that these are blessed from Allah the Exalted, and we seek the blessing by clinging to them. Do you know and recognize whether this is major or minor?
The Shaykh:
Allah, Exalted and Majestic, mentioned that seeking blessings from created things, such as trees and stones, is shirk (associating partners with Allah). He mentioned this in the description of the Children of Israel:
And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said, "Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.
وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ(139) Indeed, those [worshippers] - destroyed is that in which they are [engaged], and worthless is whatever they were doing." (140) He said, "Is it other than Allah I should desire for you as a god while He has preferred you over the worlds?"
إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ قَالَ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْغِيكُمْ إِلَٰهًا وَهُوَ فَضَّلَكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ"Make for us a god"
لموسى اجعل لنا إلها"Even if they were to enter the hole of a scorpion, you would enter it too"
حتى لو دخلوا جحر ضب لدخلتموهThe verse and the hadith indicate that seeking blessings (tabarruk) is shirk (associating partners with Allah). As for whether it is major or minor, this does not need to be asked, as it came in the Qur'an. However, some scholars say that if one believes that the blessing is obtained from these trees, stones, and graves, then it is major shirk. But if one believes that the blessing is obtained from Allah, and he only thinks that these graves and these trees are a means, then it is minor shirk, and it is a means to major shirk. However, leaving this distinction and saying that it is shirk is the safest and the most correct. Yes, meaning, as you have detailed, people are negligent in this matter. So say: This is shirk, as mentioned in the verse and mentioned in the hadith, and we leave this distinction. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 34 من 36 /شرح العقيدة الواسطية (شرح قديم)/اتباع آثار رسول الله/صالح الفوزان/العقيدة/كبار العلماء — youtube.com (54:40)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.