Request for guidance advising students of knowledge to counsel visitors and explain to them the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and warn them against major shirk (associating partners with Allah).
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The honorable Shaykh, I was discussing with one of the brothers, who is a visitor from one of the Arab countries, and I was speaking to him about tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the creed of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The gist of the matter is that he said: My brother! In my country, neither through the radio nor through what has reached us, it is said that my fathers and grandfathers are still upon major shirk (associating partners with Allah) at the shrines and in superstitions, which is known to you in some countries. So I hope you would direct, for example, a word to the students of knowledge.
The Shaykh : It is not known to me; explain it to me now so that the brothers can hear. What is present in these mentioned countries?
The questioner : For example: visiting the domes, circumambulating around them, making vows, offering sacrifices to those places, calling for aid, seeking help, and so on, and placing reliance upon the shaykhs who are called the Sufis, and the details known in their respective chapters.
The Shaykh : That is, the gist of it is supplicating to other than Allah.
The questioner : Yes, and advancing with some acts of worship that are known from them, such as seeking help and placing reliance. So I was discussing this with him, and he said: My brother, we did not hear of this until we arrived here and we are studying, and he is truthful in this. So what is the way? To the extent that he asked me a question, and I direct the same question: He says: Now, my father and my grandfather are upon that creed. I said: You start with them after you have saved yourself and your family from this shirk (associating partners with Allah) and provided them with protection. So I hope you would direct a word, for example, to the students of knowledge and teachers to interact with those teachers and strive with them in this matter.
The Shaykh : I say: Among the blessings of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) upon this land is that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) preserved in it the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in lordship, worship, and the names and attributes, and they did not know those innovations that entail disbelief, and those less than what entails disbelief, except where they mixed with the people by going to them, or the people mixed with them by coming to them.
Therefore, it is obligatory upon us here to explain to the people the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and to urge them to it, and to say to them: Whoever dies as a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), then Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has forbidden Paradise for him:[Al-Ma'idah 5:72], and we explain that whoever supplicates to other than Allah or calls for aid to other than Allah from among the dead, then he is a disbeliever with major disbelief, a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) with major shirk (associating partners with Allah). If he dies upon this creed, he is eternal in the Fire, even if he prays and fasts.
It is obligatory upon the students of knowledge, whom Allah has blessed with knowledge of the truth in these matters, to explain the truth to their brothers in other countries, because Allah will question them about that. Allah the Exalted said:[Ali 'Imran 3:187]. So it is obligatory that they explain to the people and save them from shirk (associating partners with Allah). It does not harm them if they are mocked at the beginning of the call, or cursed, or if it is said: You are such and such. Behold, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was mocked, and it was said to him: You are a sorcerer, and a madman, and a liar. He was driven out of his land, and he was afflicted in the path of Allah, and the placenta was thrown upon him, the placenta of a camel, while he was prostrating under the Ka'bah, and his heels were wounded. And with that, he was patient and counting on reward, fulfilling what Allah obligated upon him of the trust and conveying the message. So we say to our brothers: Convey to your brothers, convey to these people so that they do not die upon disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah). Even if you are afflicted, even if you are driven out of your homes, even if you are mocked, even if cursing is written for you on the walls, and on the posters, and elsewhere, count on the reward, for you are mujahideen (striving in the path of Allah).
The honorable Shaykh, I was discussing with one of the brothers, who is a visitor from one of the Arab countries, and I was speaking to him about tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the creed of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The gist of the matter is that he said: My brother! In my country, neither through the radio nor through what has reached us, it is said that my fathers and grandfathers are still upon major shirk (associating partners with Allah) at the shrines and in superstitions, which is known to you in some countries. So I hope you would direct, for example, a word to the students of knowledge.
The Shaykh : It is not known to me; explain it to me now so that the brothers can hear. What is present in these mentioned countries?
The questioner : For example: visiting the domes, circumambulating around them, making vows, offering sacrifices to those places, calling for aid, seeking help, and so on, and placing reliance upon the shaykhs who are called the Sufis, and the details known in their respective chapters.
The Shaykh : That is, the gist of it is supplicating to other than Allah.
The questioner : Yes, and advancing with some acts of worship that are known from them, such as seeking help and placing reliance. So I was discussing this with him, and he said: My brother, we did not hear of this until we arrived here and we are studying, and he is truthful in this. So what is the way? To the extent that he asked me a question, and I direct the same question: He says: Now, my father and my grandfather are upon that creed. I said: You start with them after you have saved yourself and your family from this shirk (associating partners with Allah) and provided them with protection. So I hope you would direct a word, for example, to the students of knowledge and teachers to interact with those teachers and strive with them in this matter.
The Shaykh : I say: Among the blessings of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) upon this land is that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) preserved in it the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in lordship, worship, and the names and attributes, and they did not know those innovations that entail disbelief, and those less than what entails disbelief, except where they mixed with the people by going to them, or the people mixed with them by coming to them.
Therefore, it is obligatory upon us here to explain to the people the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and to urge them to it, and to say to them: Whoever dies as a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), then Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has forbidden Paradise for him:
Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.
إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍIt is obligatory upon the students of knowledge, whom Allah has blessed with knowledge of the truth in these matters, to explain the truth to their brothers in other countries, because Allah will question them about that. Allah the Exalted said: