His other question asks whether visiting the graves of the righteous harms the oneness of worship if the visitor does not make the deceased lords other than Allah, and whether there is a difference between oneness of worship and oneness of lordship.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : His other question asks whether visiting the graves of the righteous, or whether visiting the graves of the righteous, harms the oneness of worship if the visitor does not make the deceased lords other than Allah, and whether there is a difference between oneness of worship and oneness of lordship?
The Shaykh : Visiting the graves of the righteous and other graves of Muslims is divided into two categories: a legislated visit and an innovated visit. The legislated visit is when a person visits them to take a lesson, to remember the Hereafter, and to make du'a' for them, meaning he asks Allah to forgive them and have mercy on them. This is permissible and legislated, and it is also required of the servant due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 14:141 and his guidance (peace and blessings be upon him) to those who visit graves to say Sunan Ibn Majah 1547Sahih (Darussalam) to the end, and making du'a' is well-known and famous.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the second category, it is the innovated or shirking visit, which is when a person visits the graves of the righteous and Muslims in order to call upon them and seek their aid in fulfilling needs and obtaining benefits. This is forbidden and not permissible; rather, it is shirk, either major shirk or minor shirk, according to what the scriptural evidence requires. Or he visits them in order to make du'a' at their graves, making du'a' to Allah at their graves under the belief that making du'a' at graves is better than making du'a' to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) in another place. This is also from religious innovations.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For there is no special status for graves in the response of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) to du'a'.
And based on this, if one visits the graves of the righteous in the manner mentioned in the first category, then there is nothing wrong with it and no blame. As for his question.
The questioner : Yes, he says: What is the difference between the oneness of worship and the oneness of lordship?
The Shaykh : Between the oneness of worship and the oneness of lordship.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The difference between them is that the oneness of worship is worship, so the oneness of worship means making Allah the Exalted one in your worship, meaning that you worship Allah sincerely for Him, as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:[Az-Zumar 39:11]. As for the oneness of lordship, it is singling out Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) for lordship, which is creation and cosmic and legislative management, as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: [Al-A'raf 7:54]. This is clarified by an example: the man who believes in Allah as Lord, Manager, Creator, and Disposer as He wills, but he prostrates to an idol. This person acknowledges lordship but is a disbeliever regarding worship.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the person who does not worship other than Allah but believes that there is a Creator with Allah or a helper for Him, then this person is a shirker regarding lordship and a disbeliever in it, even if he acknowledges it in worship. But this acknowledgment does not benefit him, just as one who associates partners with Allah in worship does not benefit from his acknowledgment of lordship, for both types of tawhid are necessary: the oneness of lordship and the oneness of worship.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And we only mentioned that merely to clarify the difference.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Otherwise, the ruling is one: whoever associates partners with Allah in His worship is a shirker even if he acknowledges lordship, and whoever associates partners with Allah in His lordship is a shirker even if he acknowledges worship and is sincere. Yes.
The questioner : His third question asks: Is it permissible.
The Shaykh : The third or the second?
The questioner: No, the second. We said, does visiting the graves of the righteous... to the end, and then the difference between the oneness of worship and the oneness of lordship?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, very well.
The Shaykh : Visiting the graves of the righteous and other graves of Muslims is divided into two categories: a legislated visit and an innovated visit. The legislated visit is when a person visits them to take a lesson, to remember the Hereafter, and to make du'a' for them, meaning he asks Allah to forgive them and have mercy on them. This is permissible and legislated, and it is also required of the servant due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
I used to forbid you from visiting the graves, but now visit them, for they remind you of the Hereafter.
كنت نهيتكم عن زيارة القبور ألا فزوروها فإنها تذكركم الأخرةAs-salamu ‘alaykum ahlad-diyar minal-mu’minina wal- muslimin
السلام عليكم أهل الديار من المؤمنين والمسلمينThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the second category, it is the innovated or shirking visit, which is when a person visits the graves of the righteous and Muslims in order to call upon them and seek their aid in fulfilling needs and obtaining benefits. This is forbidden and not permissible; rather, it is shirk, either major shirk or minor shirk, according to what the scriptural evidence requires. Or he visits them in order to make du'a' at their graves, making du'a' to Allah at their graves under the belief that making du'a' at graves is better than making du'a' to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) in another place. This is also from religious innovations.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For there is no special status for graves in the response of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) to du'a'.
And based on this, if one visits the graves of the righteous in the manner mentioned in the first category, then there is nothing wrong with it and no blame. As for his question.
The questioner : Yes, he says: What is the difference between the oneness of worship and the oneness of lordship?
The Shaykh : Between the oneness of worship and the oneness of lordship.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The difference between them is that the oneness of worship is worship, so the oneness of worship means making Allah the Exalted one in your worship, meaning that you worship Allah sincerely for Him, as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:
Say, [O Muhammad], "Indeed, I have been commanded to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion.
قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصاً لَهُ الدِّينَUnquestionably, His is the creation and the command
أَلا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the person who does not worship other than Allah but believes that there is a Creator with Allah or a helper for Him, then this person is a shirker regarding lordship and a disbeliever in it, even if he acknowledges it in worship. But this acknowledgment does not benefit him, just as one who associates partners with Allah in worship does not benefit from his acknowledgment of lordship, for both types of tawhid are necessary: the oneness of lordship and the oneness of worship.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And we only mentioned that merely to clarify the difference.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Otherwise, the ruling is one: whoever associates partners with Allah in His worship is a shirker even if he acknowledges lordship, and whoever associates partners with Allah in His lordship is a shirker even if he acknowledges worship and is sincere. Yes.
The questioner : His third question asks: Is it permissible.
The Shaykh : The third or the second?
The questioner: No, the second. We said, does visiting the graves of the righteous... to the end, and then the difference between the oneness of worship and the oneness of lordship?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, very well.