Calling upon other than Allah is shirk, even if the one being called upon is the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
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The Shaykh : who is dead, (peace and blessings be upon him), and listen to the command of Allah to him where He says: [Al-Jinn 72:21] [Al-Jinn 72:21] This is regarding others. [Al-Jinn 72:22] This is regarding himself. And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-A'raf 7:188] This is regarding himself; how could it be for others? And Allah said to him: [Al-An'am 6:50] meaning: I am a servant who follows what is revealed to me, but that I possess these things, no. [Al-An'am 6:50] And look at how Satan plays with the human being. What difference is there on the tongue between saying, "O Lord, forgive me," or saying, "O Messenger of Allah, forgive me"?
The student: O Lord, forgive me.
The Shaykh : I say, what difference is there on the tongue? Does it tire him from the first one and not from the second? Never. But Satan whispers to him to call upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and not to call upon the Lord of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), even though the Messenger does not possess anything for him, ever. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), if he knew that this man was calling upon him, would be angry and would not be pleased with it. If he rebuked the one who said, "What Allah willed and what you willed," what do you say about the one who calls upon him besides Allah?
So, my brothers, it is obligatory for you, O students of knowledge, and you are in this land, in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and at the grave of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), if you see someone calling upon the Messenger, that you clarify it to him. You say, "Your need will not be fulfilled except from Allah (Mighty and Majestic)." And you say, "The Messenger does not want this; he is angry with you, he is angry with this action and does not approve of this action." Instead of saying, "O Messenger of Allah," say, "O Allah."
And how good is what I heard about a person from the scholars who arrived in Makkah in a previous time. He arrived in Makkah, and there was a shaykh there who was reciting or teaching, and he liked his speech. This man liked the shaykh's speech. So when he wanted to get up from the chair after the adhan was called, he said, "O Ka'bah of Allah!" He said, "O Ka'bah of Allah!"
The student: There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
The Shaykh : What did he call upon?
The student: O Ka'bah of Allah.
The Shaykh : What did he call upon? He called upon the Ka'bah.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : So this man was saddened and said, "This scholar, whose speech and knowledge is this, how can he be ignorant of this issue?" So he said, "Perhaps it slipped from his tongue without intention. It slipped from his tongue without intention." When the man who was teaching the people sat down, this man sat next to him. He sat next to him, greeted him, and honored him, and said to him, "May Allah reward you with good. I want to recite to you something from the Qur'an that I have memorized, and I would like you to hear it. I fear that I may have made a mistake in it." He said, "Okay, can you do this before the iqamah is called?" He said, "Yes, because what I have is from the short surahs." So he said, "Recite." So he recited to him[An-Nas 114:1] and [Al-Falaq 113:1] and [Al-Ikhlas 112:1] and [Al-Masad 111:1] and al-Nasr and al-Kafirun and al-Kawthar and al-Ma'un and Quraysh. When he reached So the man said to him, "This one who says it does not know the Qur'an." He said, "Did you not say, O shaykh, 'O Ka'bah of Allah'?" He said, "May Allah reward you with good and open for you." He said, "Say, instead of 'O Ka'bah of Allah,' 'O Lord of the Ka'bah.'" Look, we also take a benefit from this: the wisdom in calling to Allah. If this man, when he heard this shaykh say "O Ka'bah of Allah," had said, "I seek refuge in Allah, you have committed shirk, your deeds are void, you are from the people of the Fire!" What would he say to this? He and his students would have risen against him and killed him or beaten him to death. But he treated him with this wisdom, and the man was convinced without any persuasion.
So I say: To whom is the calling? To Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The calling is to Allah. And the amazing thing, my brothers, the amazing thing is that every Muslim says in every prayer: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad," and he says: "Peace be upon you, O Prophet." And this is calling upon him, or is it not? Answer me? Is it calling upon the Messenger or not calling upon?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : I am calling upon Allah to send peace upon him, and I am calling upon Allah to send blessings upon him. How can I make him the one being called upon when he is the one being called for? Subhan Allah! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) teaches us the tashahhud and the sending of blessings upon him so that we call upon Allah for him. Then we go and call upon him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) needs us to call upon Allah for him, but in reality, his need is for us, not our need for him. Meaning, if we send blessings upon him, Allah sends blessings upon us ten times with it. Meaning, if you say, "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad," He sends blessings upon you ten times.
Say, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction."
قل إني لا أملك لكم ضرا ولا رشداSay, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction."
قل إني لا أملك لكم ضرا ولا رشداSay, "Indeed, there will never protect me from Allah anyone [if I should disobey], nor will I find in other than Him a refuge.
قل إني لن يجيرني من الله أحد ولن أجد من دونه ملتحداSay, "I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed.
قل لا أملك لنفسي نفعا ولا ضرا إلا ما شاء اللهSay, [O Muhammad], "I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me."
قل لا أقول لكم عندي خزائن الله ولا أعلم الغيب ولا أقول لكم إني ملك إن أتّبع إلا ما يوحى إليّI do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel
قل لا أقول لكم عندي خزائن الله ولا أعلم الغيب ولا أقول لكم إني ملكThe student: O Lord, forgive me.
The Shaykh : I say, what difference is there on the tongue? Does it tire him from the first one and not from the second? Never. But Satan whispers to him to call upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and not to call upon the Lord of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), even though the Messenger does not possess anything for him, ever. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), if he knew that this man was calling upon him, would be angry and would not be pleased with it. If he rebuked the one who said, "What Allah willed and what you willed," what do you say about the one who calls upon him besides Allah?
So, my brothers, it is obligatory for you, O students of knowledge, and you are in this land, in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and at the grave of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), if you see someone calling upon the Messenger, that you clarify it to him. You say, "Your need will not be fulfilled except from Allah (Mighty and Majestic)." And you say, "The Messenger does not want this; he is angry with you, he is angry with this action and does not approve of this action." Instead of saying, "O Messenger of Allah," say, "O Allah."
And how good is what I heard about a person from the scholars who arrived in Makkah in a previous time. He arrived in Makkah, and there was a shaykh there who was reciting or teaching, and he liked his speech. This man liked the shaykh's speech. So when he wanted to get up from the chair after the adhan was called, he said, "O Ka'bah of Allah!" He said, "O Ka'bah of Allah!"
The student: There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
The Shaykh : What did he call upon?
The student: O Ka'bah of Allah.
The Shaykh : What did he call upon? He called upon the Ka'bah.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : So this man was saddened and said, "This scholar, whose speech and knowledge is this, how can he be ignorant of this issue?" So he said, "Perhaps it slipped from his tongue without intention. It slipped from his tongue without intention." When the man who was teaching the people sat down, this man sat next to him. He sat next to him, greeted him, and honored him, and said to him, "May Allah reward you with good. I want to recite to you something from the Qur'an that I have memorized, and I would like you to hear it. I fear that I may have made a mistake in it." He said, "Okay, can you do this before the iqamah is called?" He said, "Yes, because what I have is from the short surahs." So he said, "Recite." So he recited to him
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
قل أعوذ برب الناسSay, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak
قل أعوذ برب الفلقSay, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
قل هو الله أحدMay the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined
تبّت يدا أبي لهبSo let them worship the Lord of this House
فليعبدوا رب هذا البيتSo let them worship the Lord of this House
فليعبدوا رب هذا البيتSo I say: To whom is the calling? To Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The calling is to Allah. And the amazing thing, my brothers, the amazing thing is that every Muslim says in every prayer: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad," and he says: "Peace be upon you, O Prophet." And this is calling upon him, or is it not? Answer me? Is it calling upon the Messenger or not calling upon?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : I am calling upon Allah to send peace upon him, and I am calling upon Allah to send blessings upon him. How can I make him the one being called upon when he is the one being called for? Subhan Allah! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) teaches us the tashahhud and the sending of blessings upon him so that we call upon Allah for him. Then we go and call upon him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) needs us to call upon Allah for him, but in reality, his need is for us, not our need for him. Meaning, if we send blessings upon him, Allah sends blessings upon us ten times with it. Meaning, if you say, "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad," He sends blessings upon you ten times.