The listener Muhammad from Ethiopia says: Among us, there are many beliefs regarding the people of the graves and asking them for their important needs, lining up around their domes, such as asking for children.
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The questioner : Among us, there are many beliefs regarding the people of the graves and asking them for their important needs, lining up around their domes, such as asking for children and wealth. What is your advice for such people? May Allah reward you?
The Shaykh : This issue is very serious; in my view, there is nothing more dangerous than it, because it is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes one out of the religion. Indeed, whoever goes to the graves and calls upon them and seeks their aid to relieve distress and obtain what is desired is calling upon other than Allah the Exalted and Majestic. Thus, he is an associate of partners with Allah in his religion and a misguided person in his intellect. As for his being an associate of partners with Allah in his religion, it is because he worships others alongside Allah, for he called upon them, and calling upon other than Allah is worship of Him. Allah the Exalted and Majestic said:[Ghafir 40:60] So Allah commanded supplication and made it an act of worship. He said: [Ghafir 40:60] So if a person calls upon someone, or rather, if anyone calls upon other than Allah, he has worshipped him, and thereby he becomes an associate of partners with Allah and a disbeliever. And He the Exalted and Majestic said: [Al-Mu'minun 23:117] So He informed that this person is a disbeliever, meaning the one who calls upon a god other than Allah alongside Allah, and that he will not be successful in his supplication; he will not obtain what he desires. And even if it is decreed that he obtains what he desires, that desire was not obtained through the supplication, but it occurred at the time of the supplication as a trial from Allah the Exalted and Majestic, a temptation, and a gradual leading astray.
As for the one who calls upon other than Allah the Exalted being misguided in his intellect, it is because Allah the Exalted and Majestic says:[Al-Ahqaf 46:5-6] And in this verse, there is also evidence that supplication is an act of worship, due to His saying: [Al-Ahqaf 46:6].
And my advice to these people is that they return to their reason and think seriously about this issue. The buried were, until yesterday, like them, alive on the earth, and then they died, so they are more incapable of obtaining the desired thing than they were. When they were alive, they were more capable than they are after death, because the dead have no movement, no work, and no striving. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Riyad as-Salihin 949 And his work is cut off because he has no earnings, and he is unable to earn, or to bring good to others, or to ward off harm from them...
So let them return to their reason. I mean, let these people who gather around the graves and ask them for their needs and the removal of distress look at their affair and reflect with their minds, and know that this does not benefit anything. And why do these people not return to the alternative, which is better than that, and through which benefit is obtained and harm is averted, which is turning to Allah the Exalted and Majestic? They should call upon Allah. They should call upon Allah the Exalted and Majestic in their prayers and in their seclusion, for He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the One who said in His Book:[Al-Baqarah 2:186] And He, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [Ghafir 40:60] So why do they not call upon Allah the Exalted and Majestic? Let them turn away from this action, meaning gathering around the graves and calling upon their owners. Let them gather around the mosques and pray with the congregation, and call upon Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, while prostrating, and call upon Allah the Exalted after finishing the tashahhud and before they say the taslim, and call upon Allah the Exalted between the adhan and the iqamah. Let them seek the times of response and the conditions in which they are closest to response, and turn to Allah the Exalted with supplication until they find good, success, and happiness. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, your eminence.
The Shaykh : This issue is very serious; in my view, there is nothing more dangerous than it, because it is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes one out of the religion. Indeed, whoever goes to the graves and calls upon them and seeks their aid to relieve distress and obtain what is desired is calling upon other than Allah the Exalted and Majestic. Thus, he is an associate of partners with Allah in his religion and a misguided person in his intellect. As for his being an associate of partners with Allah in his religion, it is because he worships others alongside Allah, for he called upon them, and calling upon other than Allah is worship of Him. Allah the Exalted and Majestic said:
And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَIndeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَAnd whoever invokes besides Allah another deity for which he has no proof - then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
وَمَنْ يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا ءاخَرَ لا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ إِنَّهُ لا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَAs for the one who calls upon other than Allah the Exalted being misguided in his intellect, it is because Allah the Exalted and Majestic says:
(5) And who is more astray than he who invokes besides Allah those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they, of their invocation, are unaware. (6) And when the people are gathered [that Day], they [who were invoked] will be enemies to them, and they will be deniers of their worship.
وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَنْ دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ * وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوا لَهُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَكَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَافِرِينَand they will be deniers of their worship.
وَكَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَافِرِينَAnd my advice to these people is that they return to their reason and think seriously about this issue. The buried were, until yesterday, like them, alive on the earth, and then they died, so they are more incapable of obtaining the desired thing than they were. When they were alive, they were more capable than they are after death, because the dead have no movement, no work, and no striving. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When a man dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: A continuous charity, knowledge by which people derive benefit, pious son who prays for him.
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث: صدقةٍ جارية، أو علمٍ ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو لهSo let them return to their reason. I mean, let these people who gather around the graves and ask them for their needs and the removal of distress look at their affair and reflect with their minds, and know that this does not benefit anything. And why do these people not return to the alternative, which is better than that, and through which benefit is obtained and harm is averted, which is turning to Allah the Exalted and Majestic? They should call upon Allah. They should call upon Allah the Exalted and Majestic in their prayers and in their seclusion, for He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the One who said in His Book:
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِAnd your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you."
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْThe questioner : May Allah reward you, your eminence.