One who dies upon shirk (associating partners with Allah) while ignorant: is it permissible to pray for his mercy?
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The questioner : My first question, which you answered, concerns the deceased who died upon the belief of calling upon the awliya (close friends of Allah). If they believed that the awliya could cause harm or benefit apart from Allah, and they died upon this, they did not know the reality of tawhid (the oneness of Allah). What they knew was this, from the scholars?
The Shaykh : I answered you on this, I think. I said that as long as these people were preserving the pillars of Islam, but there was ignorance among them, and those responsible for them are these ignorant people from among the scholars who misguide them, then these who died, the original ruling for them is that they are Muslims. They are treated as Muslims, so they are buried in Muslim cemeteries. Consequently, if one passes by their graves, he says, "Peace be upon you, people of the abode, from among the believers and Muslims," and he prays for their mercy and asks for forgiveness and mercy for them. Then their affair is left to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:[An-Nisa 4:48]. Then a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) is not held accountable until the call has reached him [Al-Isra 17:15]. Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, by His grace and mercy toward His servants, accepts the excuse of the servant. So if one of these superstitious Muslims—let us call them that—if one of these superstitious Muslims went astray and there was no one to warn him, caution him, or forbid him from his misguidance, then he is excused before his Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, and he is not held accountable as one against whom the proof has been established [Al-Isra 17:15]. May Allah reward you. Pour with the left hand, pour with the left hand, hold with the right hand, and give with the right hand. May Allah reward you. There is a very strange hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim that indicates the vastness of Allah's mercy toward His servants, such that He sometimes forgives disbelief because He knows the excuse of that disbeliever. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 5245Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani). The hadith is in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim; beware of doubting its authenticity. Here is the strangeness: it comes Sunan an-Nasa'i 2079Sahih (Darussalam). This is doubt regarding the resurrection. Do you not feel with me? He says: As if he is doubting the power of Allah. Sunan an-Nasa'i 2079Sahih (Darussalam) So how does he escape from the severe punishment of Allah, which he admits is fitting for him? He said: - Look, what Satan inspired to him - ... Allahu Akbar. So when the man died and the children were righteous, and this was the will of their father, and as they admitted, he was the best of fathers, they carried out his will . Because I am deserving of this punishment, out of fear of you, I will stray from you, so I did what I did. This is disbelief and this is shirk (associating partners with Allah), and this is explicit in the Qur'an [Ya-Sin 36:78-79]. But it appears that this man, throughout his life, was a believer. But at the time of death and his recollection of his sins and disobedience, his fear of Allah overcame him, so the path became obscured to him and his soul was tempted by this unjust will, which I do not think there is anything in the world more unjust or more abhorrent than it. Nevertheless, Allah forgave it for this person. So if we imagine these poor misguided brothers of ours, Muslims, who fall into shirk and misguidance because of bad scholars, who call for aid other than Allah and call upon the dead who do not hear, and between them is a barzakh (the interval between death and resurrection) until the Day they are resurrected, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, if He knows from one of them that the truth did not become clear to him, and that this is shirk and misguidance, and indeed there was no one to say to them, at any time [Al-Anbya 21:98], then our belief is that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does not hold a person accountable except after the proof has been established. So from those who died, we do not know what Allah knows from those who died, that he heard the call of the truth fromThe Shaykh : so-and-so, that this is shirk and misguidance, and he did not care about it or take it seriously, becauseThe Shaykh : the misguided one there, his soul was tempted by his deed, so this is for Hellfire, and what an evil destination. As for the one for whom no one was appointed to warn him, he is excused before Allah. And since we are unable to distinguish between the one to whom the true call reached and the one to whom the true call did not reach, we have the appearance: he is a Muslim who prayed and fasted and was buried in Muslim cemeteries, so we pray for him, seek forgiveness for him, and greet him with peace. As for what his state is with Allah, his affair is left to Allah.
The questioner : ... We see him calling for aid other than Allah ... but we do not assert that he may be excused ... The Messenger taught us that we say:Sunan Abi Dawud 3237Sahih (Al-Albani) Among them are Muslims, among them was one who worshipped Allah with insight, and among them was one who worshipped other than Allah in ignorance. And Allah knows the believer from the non-believer. So we do not pray for them, rather we pray for the one among them who was a believer. And if he was not among them, we are saved from falling into the supplication of the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) ... So in the supplication for the deceased ... he prays for them by their names and ... he says, "O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, our present and our absent ..." to the end of the hadith, even though the Messenger did not know about them ... And since he did not know, he generalized, "O Allah, forgive our living and our dead," and otherwise ... he would not have fallen into ... except if I know him to be a monotheist, and if I do not know ... O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, our present and our absent ... I do not pray for him, I pray for my father, and I do not pray for my grandfather and grandmother.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you, no, may Allah forgive you ... .
The questioner : Shaykh of the tariqah (Sufi order) ... .
The Shaykh : I am now asking you about your late grandfather, may Allah have mercy on him.
The questioner : Saying "late" (marhum), is it permissible?
The Shaykh : You are asking me about something he did, may Allah have mercy on him. I say about your late grandfather, and you say is it permissible or not. Your late grandfather, in what you know, did he testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah? You must say, may Allah reward you, we learned that the best of speech is what is little and indicative. You know that he used to say, "I testify," and I am not telling you what is in his heart. I am not asking you about what is in his heart.
The questioner : He says
The Shaykh : That you know that your grandfather used to say, "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Did you cut open his heart and find that disbelief had taken root in his heart, preventing you from seeking forgiveness for him? Say no, but that is enough, may Allah reward you. That is enough so that our brothers there learn the path of research and take their freedom. A carpet, Ahmad, oh professor, not like this ... If you know that he used to say, "I testify that there is no god but Allah," and you do not know what invalidates this testimony, and this word, your grandfather, oh Shaykh, you do not know it, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : I do not know that he did anything that invalidates this testimony.
The Shaykh : Your grandfather, do you know him? Did you live to see him?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : I thought you said you lived to see him.
The questioner : No, I did not live to see him.
The Shaykh : I was going to ask you about your grandfather's grandfather, do you know him ... So praise be to Allah, if you allow, may Allah reward you, so that we do not prolong the journey for the group, not everyone has a long patience.
The questioner : May Allah extend your carpet, Ahmad, to the Golan, I have a long patience.
The Shaykh : May Allah share the good with you, you know that your grandfather used to testify that there is no god but Allah.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is the difference, may Allah reward you?
The questioner : Testimony based on knowledge.
The questioner : May Allah forgive you, a man says: "There is no god but Allah." Another says: "I testify that there is no god but Allah." From the Islamic perspective, is there a difference?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you, if you are discussing me in terms of wording, may Allah forgive you, and yet you know that we, who do not come with you, come with him. What did he say, or did he testify? You will tell me it is the same whether I said it this way or that way, because the meaning is one. So you know that your grandfather used to say or testify that there is no god but Allah, but you did not know what is in his heart. Does it agree with what is on his tongue, or does it contradict it? If you do not, it is not permissible for you at all, except to testify for him with his testimony, except to say that he was a Muslim. I tell you, do not say that he was a believer, because faith is a matter of the heart. If I say, "I do not testify that he was a believer," I excuse you, but you say that he was a Muslim, and you have no choice but this. So if you pass by the grave of a Muslim, what is your position? You must greet him with peace, this is one. Second.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Whatever you like, the one who does not come with you, come with him.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Story, story, I am talking about your grandfather whom you do not know and have not heard anything about.
The questioner : I heard about what he was ... .
The Shaykh : And your grandfather's grandfather?
The questioner : No, I am not talking about my grandfather's grandfather, I am talking about my grandfather and my father.
The Shaykh : If I made a mistake, I am now transferring the question from your grandfather to your grandfather's grandfather, you say as you wanted to say about your grandfather, this is not permissible, it is not befitting, oh professor, to expand on suspicions.
The questioner : Now one says, "There is no god but Allah," and says, "O Riwol Allah, O Badiwi"?
The Shaykh : Careful, careful, careful. We are talking about someone we know testifies that there is no god but Allah, and we do not know that he has committed disbelief in practice or belief, despite the testimony that there is no god but Allah.
The questioner : I agree with you on ten points.
The Shaykh : No, you are not with me.
The questioner : If you know that he used to pronounce it at every moment.
The Shaykh : Professor, the issue is only about someone whose state you do not know. Do you know the state of your grandfather?
The questioner : ... Most people are upon this shirk (associating partners with Allah), even if they claim to be Muslims.
The Shaykh : As you know, may Allah bless you,[An-Nisa 4:171] if you see a person saying "There is no god but Allah," and then worshipping other than Allah, that is one thing, and if you know...
The Shaykh : I answered you on this, I think. I said that as long as these people were preserving the pillars of Islam, but there was ignorance among them, and those responsible for them are these ignorant people from among the scholars who misguide them, then these who died, the original ruling for them is that they are Muslims. They are treated as Muslims, so they are buried in Muslim cemeteries. Consequently, if one passes by their graves, he says, "Peace be upon you, people of the abode, from among the believers and Muslims," and he prays for their mercy and asks for forgiveness and mercy for them. Then their affair is left to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ،ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاءAnd never would We punish until We sent a messenger.
وما كنا معذبين حتى نبعث رسولاAnd never would We punish until We sent a messenger.
وما كنا معذبين حتى نبعث رسولاA man never did a good deed
كان فيمن قبلكم رجل لم يعمل خيرا قط ...There was among those before you a man who never did any good. When the time of his death approached, he gathered his sons and said to them, "What kind of father was I to you?" They said, "The best of fathers..."
كان فيمن كان قبلكم رجل لم يعمل الخير قط فلما حضرته الوفاة جميع بنيه وقال لهم أي أب كنت لكم ، قالوا خير أب ...if Allah gets hold of me, he will punish me in a way that He will not punish anyone else
ولئن قدر الله عليّ ليعذبني عذابا شديداAnd if Allah should have power over me
ولئن قدر الله عليّif Allah gets hold of me, he will punish me in a way that He will not punish anyone else
ولئن قدر الله عليّ ليعذبني عذابا شديداSo when I die, take me and burn me in the fire, so that he may be deceived regarding his Lord, in his claim. Then take me and scatter me, half in the wind and half in the sea.
فإذا أنا مت فخذوني وحرقوني بالنار ، ليضل على ربه بزعمه ، ثم خذوني وذروني ، نصفي في الريح ونصفي في البحرSo they burned him in the fire until he became ashes. They took half of this ash and threw it in the raging wind, and it was scattered. And the other half in the surging sea, and it went with these waves. Then Allah said to these particles, "Be so-and-so," and he became a sound human being. He said, "O my Lord, what drove you to do what you did?" He said, "My Lord, I feared You. I was afraid of You."
فحرقوه بالنار حتى صار رميما ، صار رمادا ، فأخذوا نصف هذا الرماد فرموه في الريح الهائج ، راحت بددا ، والنصف الثاني في البحر المائج ، وراحت مع هذه الأمواج ، فقال الله لهذه الذرات ، كوني فلانا فكان بشرا سويا أي عبدي ما حملك على ما فعلت قال ربي خشيتك أنا خفت منكHe said, "Go, for I have forgiven you."
قال اذهب فقد غفرت تلك(78) And he presents for Us an example and forgets his [own] creation. He says, "Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?" (79) Say, "He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing."
وضرب لنا مثلا ونسي خلقه قال من يحي العظام وهي رميم ، قل يحيها الذي أنشأها أول مرة وهو بكل خلق عليمIndeed, you [disbelievers] and what you worship other than Allah are the firewood of Hell. You will be coming to [enter] it.
إنكم وما تعبدون من دون الله حصب جهنم أنتم لها واردونThe questioner : ... We see him calling for aid other than Allah ... but we do not assert that he may be excused ... The Messenger taught us that we say:
Peace be upon you, inhabitants of the dwellings who are of the community of the believers
السلام عليكم دار قوم مؤمنينThe Shaykh : May Allah forgive you, no, may Allah forgive you ... .
The questioner : Shaykh of the tariqah (Sufi order) ... .
The Shaykh : I am now asking you about your late grandfather, may Allah have mercy on him.
The questioner : Saying "late" (marhum), is it permissible?
The Shaykh : You are asking me about something he did, may Allah have mercy on him. I say about your late grandfather, and you say is it permissible or not. Your late grandfather, in what you know, did he testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah? You must say, may Allah reward you, we learned that the best of speech is what is little and indicative. You know that he used to say, "I testify," and I am not telling you what is in his heart. I am not asking you about what is in his heart.
The questioner : He says
The Shaykh : That you know that your grandfather used to say, "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Did you cut open his heart and find that disbelief had taken root in his heart, preventing you from seeking forgiveness for him? Say no, but that is enough, may Allah reward you. That is enough so that our brothers there learn the path of research and take their freedom. A carpet, Ahmad, oh professor, not like this ... If you know that he used to say, "I testify that there is no god but Allah," and you do not know what invalidates this testimony, and this word, your grandfather, oh Shaykh, you do not know it, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : I do not know that he did anything that invalidates this testimony.
The Shaykh : Your grandfather, do you know him? Did you live to see him?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : I thought you said you lived to see him.
The questioner : No, I did not live to see him.
The Shaykh : I was going to ask you about your grandfather's grandfather, do you know him ... So praise be to Allah, if you allow, may Allah reward you, so that we do not prolong the journey for the group, not everyone has a long patience.
The questioner : May Allah extend your carpet, Ahmad, to the Golan, I have a long patience.
The Shaykh : May Allah share the good with you, you know that your grandfather used to testify that there is no god but Allah.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is the difference, may Allah reward you?
The questioner : Testimony based on knowledge.
The questioner : May Allah forgive you, a man says: "There is no god but Allah." Another says: "I testify that there is no god but Allah." From the Islamic perspective, is there a difference?
The questioner: No.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you, if you are discussing me in terms of wording, may Allah forgive you, and yet you know that we, who do not come with you, come with him. What did he say, or did he testify? You will tell me it is the same whether I said it this way or that way, because the meaning is one. So you know that your grandfather used to say or testify that there is no god but Allah, but you did not know what is in his heart. Does it agree with what is on his tongue, or does it contradict it? If you do not, it is not permissible for you at all, except to testify for him with his testimony, except to say that he was a Muslim. I tell you, do not say that he was a believer, because faith is a matter of the heart. If I say, "I do not testify that he was a believer," I excuse you, but you say that he was a Muslim, and you have no choice but this. So if you pass by the grave of a Muslim, what is your position? You must greet him with peace, this is one. Second.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Whatever you like, the one who does not come with you, come with him.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Story, story, I am talking about your grandfather whom you do not know and have not heard anything about.
The questioner : I heard about what he was ... .
The Shaykh : And your grandfather's grandfather?
The questioner : No, I am not talking about my grandfather's grandfather, I am talking about my grandfather and my father.
The Shaykh : If I made a mistake, I am now transferring the question from your grandfather to your grandfather's grandfather, you say as you wanted to say about your grandfather, this is not permissible, it is not befitting, oh professor, to expand on suspicions.
The questioner : Now one says, "There is no god but Allah," and says, "O Riwol Allah, O Badiwi"?
The Shaykh : Careful, careful, careful. We are talking about someone we know testifies that there is no god but Allah, and we do not know that he has committed disbelief in practice or belief, despite the testimony that there is no god but Allah.
The questioner : I agree with you on ten points.
The Shaykh : No, you are not with me.
The questioner : If you know that he used to pronounce it at every moment.
The Shaykh : Professor, the issue is only about someone whose state you do not know. Do you know the state of your grandfather?
The questioner : ... Most people are upon this shirk (associating partners with Allah), even if they claim to be Muslims.
The Shaykh : As you know, may Allah bless you,
O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth.
يا أهل الكتاب لا تغلوا في دينكم ولا تقولوا على الله إلا الحق
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.