Seeking Nearness to Allah Through the Dead and the Absent
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Question: There are those who fall into seeking nearness to Allah through other than Allah, asking for aid from the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous, even though they affirm the oneness of Allah in speech, pray, and fast. When we forbid them from doing so, they become arrogant and argue, and they try to distort the meanings of the Qur'an.And he says: I do not ask these people directly for benefit or the removal of harm, but I ask Allah through their blessing, righteousness, and piety. Is there a difference between one who asks them directly and one who asks Allah through them? And is this speaker correct or not?
Answer: Seeking nearness to Allah through the dead and the absent is forbidden and not permissible; because the dead and the absent are unable to do any of what is asked of them. Then, this differs
in its ruling depending on the type of seeking nearness. If the one seeking nearness through the absent and the dead approaches them with some type of worship, such as slaughtering for them, making vows for them, supplicating to them, asking for aid from them, or fulfilling needs, then this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), which takes one out of the religion—may Allah protect us from it—because it directs a type of worship to other than Allah. Whoever worships other than Allah with any type of worship has committed shirk and apostatized from the religion of Islam. Even if he prays, fasts, performs Hajj, and does what he does, it has nullified his Islam due to the nullifiers he has committed—may Allah protect us from it. He is like one who performs wudu' (ablution) and then breaks it, because breaking wudu' nullifies the ablution; likewise, shirk nullifies Islam. His fasting and praying do not benefit him as long as he approaches the dead and the absent, whether jinn, angels, or devils, with some type of worship, by slaughtering for them, making vows for them, calling out their names, or asking for aid from them. This is major shirk.
As for seeking nearness to the absent and the dead in the sense that he supplicates to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and makes this a means,So he says: saying, "I ask You by the right of so-and-so," or "by the status of so-and-so," then this is a bid'ah (religious innovation) that does not reach the level of major shirk, but it is a forbidden bid'ah and a means to shirk, a door to shirk, leading to shirk. So the conclusion is that it is not permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the dead or the absent by any type of seeking nearness. If he asks them for needs, slaughters for them, and makes vows for them, this is major shirk. And if it is merely that he seeks nearness through them, asking by their status or their right, this is a forbidden bid'ah and one of the means to shirk.
As for the questioner's statement about this arrogant one,that he says: "I do not call upon them, but I call upon Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, through their righteousness and piety," this is exactly the statement of the first polytheists,
the first ones,as the Exalted said about them: [Yunus: 18] ,and as Allah the Exalted said about them: [Az-Zumar: 3] , The first polytheists knew that these dead and those called upon other than Allah are unable to create, provide sustenance, give life, or cause death. They acknowledge that this belongs to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. They only want from these people mere intercession, mere mediation, and the like, which their brothers among the polytheists today use as an excuse.
Answer: Seeking nearness to Allah through the dead and the absent is forbidden and not permissible; because the dead and the absent are unable to do any of what is asked of them. Then, this differs
in its ruling depending on the type of seeking nearness. If the one seeking nearness through the absent and the dead approaches them with some type of worship, such as slaughtering for them, making vows for them, supplicating to them, asking for aid from them, or fulfilling needs, then this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), which takes one out of the religion—may Allah protect us from it—because it directs a type of worship to other than Allah. Whoever worships other than Allah with any type of worship has committed shirk and apostatized from the religion of Islam. Even if he prays, fasts, performs Hajj, and does what he does, it has nullified his Islam due to the nullifiers he has committed—may Allah protect us from it. He is like one who performs wudu' (ablution) and then breaks it, because breaking wudu' nullifies the ablution; likewise, shirk nullifies Islam. His fasting and praying do not benefit him as long as he approaches the dead and the absent, whether jinn, angels, or devils, with some type of worship, by slaughtering for them, making vows for them, calling out their names, or asking for aid from them. This is major shirk.
As for seeking nearness to the absent and the dead in the sense that he supplicates to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, and makes this a means,So he says: saying, "I ask You by the right of so-and-so," or "by the status of so-and-so," then this is a bid'ah (religious innovation) that does not reach the level of major shirk, but it is a forbidden bid'ah and a means to shirk, a door to shirk, leading to shirk. So the conclusion is that it is not permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the dead or the absent by any type of seeking nearness. If he asks them for needs, slaughters for them, and makes vows for them, this is major shirk. And if it is merely that he seeks nearness through them, asking by their status or their right, this is a forbidden bid'ah and one of the means to shirk.
As for the questioner's statement about this arrogant one,that he says: "I do not call upon them, but I call upon Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, through their righteousness and piety," this is exactly the statement of the first polytheists,
the first ones,as the Exalted said about them: