Is it permissible to eat the meat of one who visits shrines and seeks blessing from them and seeks nearness to Allah through them? And what is the ruling on praying behind him?
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The questioner : Is it permissible to eat the meat of one who visits shrines and seeks blessing from them and seeks nearness to Allah through them, or to pray behind such a person? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Yes. Those who go to shrines fall into categories. The first category is the one who goes to the shrine to call upon it, seek aid from it, seek its help, or seek sustenance from it. This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). His slaughtered meat is not lawful, and it is not permissible to pray behind him as imam, because Allah the Mighty and Majestic says:[An-Nisa 4:116] And in the other verse: .
The second category is the one who goes to the shrines to call upon Allah the Exalted at them, believing that supplication at the shrines is better than supplication in the mosque or in the house. This is undoubtedly misguidance, error, and ignorance, but it does not reach the level of disbelief (kufr), because he only goes to call upon Allah alone. However, he thinks that his supplication at this grave is better and closer to being answered.
The third aspect is that one goes to the shrines in order to circumambulate them out of reverence for Allah the Mighty and Majestic, based on the belief that the owner of the shrine is a close friend of Allah (wali) and that revering him is revering Allah the Mighty and Majestic. This person is an innovator (mubtadi') and does not commit major shirk, because he did not circumambulate out of reverence for the owner of the grave, but rather out of reverence for Allah. However, if he circumambulates the grave out of reverence for the owner of the grave, he is likely to commit major shirk.
The fourth category is the one who goes to the shrines in a legislated manner to visit them and make supplication for their inhabitants. This is a legislated visit, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Musnad Ahmad 1236, 1237Sahih, because of corroborating evidence; this is a da'eef isnad because of the weakness of Ali bin Zaid and Rabee'ah bin an-Nabighah and his father are unknown], Sahih because of corroborating eviden (Darussalam) It is also established that he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to go out to al-Baqi' himself to make supplication for them.
The recommended supplication in this visit is to say: It should be known that it is not permissible to decorate graves or to build upon them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade building upon a grave, plastering it, or revering it in any form of reverence.
The inhabitants of the graves are in no need of their decoration, and their decoration benefits them in no way, because they are in the depths of the earth. It is not said that decorating the grave and building upon it is reverence for its owner, because the owner does not feel this reverence and does not benefit from it. Rather, it is one of the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah) with this grave, even if in the long run.
Based on these categories, the rulings regarding the man are established: whether he is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) or not, and whether the prayer behind him is valid or not valid.
It should be known that the stronger position (rajih) is that the prayer is valid behind the open sinner (fasiq) who is disobedient, as long as doing so does not encourage him in his disobedience or mislead others by him, where they think that if they pray behind him, he is not in a state of disobedience.
As for the one who is a disbeliever (kafir) and whose innovation is a cause of disbelief, it is not permissible to pray behind him, because the prayer of a disbeliever is not valid. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes. Those who go to shrines fall into categories. The first category is the one who goes to the shrine to call upon it, seek aid from it, seek its help, or seek sustenance from it. This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). His slaughtered meat is not lawful, and it is not permissible to pray behind him as imam, because Allah the Mighty and Majestic says:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالًا بَعِيدًاHe has certainly fabricated a great sin.
فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًاThe second category is the one who goes to the shrines to call upon Allah the Exalted at them, believing that supplication at the shrines is better than supplication in the mosque or in the house. This is undoubtedly misguidance, error, and ignorance, but it does not reach the level of disbelief (kufr), because he only goes to call upon Allah alone. However, he thinks that his supplication at this grave is better and closer to being answered.
The third aspect is that one goes to the shrines in order to circumambulate them out of reverence for Allah the Mighty and Majestic, based on the belief that the owner of the shrine is a close friend of Allah (wali) and that revering him is revering Allah the Mighty and Majestic. This person is an innovator (mubtadi') and does not commit major shirk, because he did not circumambulate out of reverence for the owner of the grave, but rather out of reverence for Allah. However, if he circumambulates the grave out of reverence for the owner of the grave, he is likely to commit major shirk.
The fourth category is the one who goes to the shrines in a legislated manner to visit them and make supplication for their inhabitants. This is a legislated visit, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
I used to forbid you to visit the graves, but now visit them, for they remind you of the Hereafter.
كنت نهيتكم عن زيارة القبور فزوروها فإنها تذكركم الأخرةThe recommended supplication in this visit is to say:
Peace be upon you, abode of a people of faith, and we, if Allah wills, are your successors. May Allah have mercy on those of us who have gone before and those who come after. We ask Allah for well-being for us and for you. O Allah, do not deprive us of their reward, and do not test us after them, and forgive us and them.
السلام عليكم دار قوم مؤمنين، وإنا إن شاء الله بكم لاحقون، يرحم الله المستقدمين منا ومنكم والمستأخرين، نسأل الله لنا ولكم العافية، اللهم لا تحرمنا أجرهم، ولا تفتنا بعدهم، واغفر لنا ولهمThe inhabitants of the graves are in no need of their decoration, and their decoration benefits them in no way, because they are in the depths of the earth. It is not said that decorating the grave and building upon it is reverence for its owner, because the owner does not feel this reverence and does not benefit from it. Rather, it is one of the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah) with this grave, even if in the long run.
Based on these categories, the rulings regarding the man are established: whether he is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) or not, and whether the prayer behind him is valid or not valid.
It should be known that the stronger position (rajih) is that the prayer is valid behind the open sinner (fasiq) who is disobedient, as long as doing so does not encourage him in his disobedience or mislead others by him, where they think that if they pray behind him, he is not in a state of disobedience.
As for the one who is a disbeliever (kafir) and whose innovation is a cause of disbelief, it is not permissible to pray behind him, because the prayer of a disbeliever is not valid. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.