Reading from the author's words with commentary and collation of manuscripts: "Also, the reason for the worship of al-Lat was the exaltation of the grave of a righteous man who was there
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The reader: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may prayers and peace be upon the noblest of the prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
As for what follows: Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim*:
"Also, the reason for the worship of al-Lat was the exaltation of the grave of a righteous man who was there, and it has been mentioned that Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr were the names of righteous people who were between Adam and Noah (peace be upon them). Muhammad ibn Jarir narrated through his chain to al-Thawri, from Musa, from Muhammad ibn Qays: He said: They were a righteous people between Adam and Noah (peace be upon them), and they had followers who emulated them. When they died, their companions who used to emulate them said: If we made images of them, it would make us more eager for worship when we remember them, so they made images of them. When they died and others came, Satan crept up to them and said: They only worshipped them, and through them rain was sent down, so they worshipped them. Qatadah and others said: These were the idols worshipped by the people of Noah, and the Arabs adopted them afterwards.
This is the cause for which the Lawgiver prohibited it, and it led many nations into either major shirk (associating partners with Allah) or lesser shirk, for souls have associated partners with Allah through the images of righteous people, and through images they claim are talismans for the stars, and the like. Associating partners with Allah "
The Shaykh : Associating partners with Allah.
The reader: "Associating partners with Allah through the grave of a man whose prophethood or righteousness one believes in is greater than associating partners with Allah through a piece of wood or stone in its likeness. For this reason, we find many people supplicating at these graves, bowing in humility, and worshipping with their hearts in a way they do not do in the mosque, nor even in sorcery. Some of them prostrate to them, and most of them hope for the blessing of prayer and supplication at these graves more than they hope for in the mosques to which journeys are made. This harm—which is the harm of shirk, whether major or minor—is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cut off at the root, to the extent that he prohibited prayer in the cemetery absolutely, even if the one praying does not intend the blessing of the place with his prayer as he intends the blessing of the three mosques with his prayer, and the like. He also prohibited prayer at the times of the rising of the sun, its zenith, and its setting, because these are the times when polytheists intend the blessing of prayer to the sun, so the Muslim is prohibited from praying at those times—even if he does not intend that—to block the means to harm.
As for if a man intends to pray at some of the graves of the prophets and the righteous, seeking blessing in praying in that place, this is the very enmity toward Allah and His Messenger, and contradiction of His religion, and the innovation of a religion that Allah has not authorized. For the Muslims have agreed upon what they know necessarily from the religion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), namely that prayer at a grave—whatever grave it is—has no virtue for that reason, and prayer in that place has no merit of good at all, but rather a merit of evil.
Know that even if angels and mercy have descended at that place, and it has honor and virtue, the religion of Allah the Exalted is between the one who exaggerates in it and the one who neglects it. The Christians exalted the prophets until they worshipped them and worshipped their images, and the Jews belittled them until they killed them, and the middle nation knew their proper status; so they did not exaggerate in them as the Christians did, nor did they neglect them as the Jews did. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in what is authentic from him:Sahih Ibn Hibban 62:103.
If it were the case that prayer there caused more mercy than prayer in other places, the harm arising from prayer there would outweigh this benefit until it engulfs it or exceeds it, such that prayer there would destroy that mercy and establish what brings punishment ".
The Shaykh : Destroying.
The reader: Yes, correction, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The writing is the same.
The reader: I have "establishing" (muthabbata)
The Shaykh : No, no, the one before it.
The reciter: so that the prayer there becomes, yes "so that the prayer there becomes a cause for removing that mercy and establishing what necessitates the punishment. And whoever does not have insight by which he perceives the corruption arising from praying there, it is sufficient for him to follow the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), for if the prayer there were not something in which the harm predominates over the benefit, he would not have prohibited it, just as he prohibited prayer in the three times, and fasting on the two days of 'Id. Rather, just as he forbade intoxicants, for if the corruption in them did not predominate over the benefit in them, he would not have forbidden them, and likewise the prohibition of a single drop of it, and if the corruption did not predominate"
The Shaykh : If not, if not, there is no waw in it.
The reciter: "and likewise the prohibition of a single drop of it, if the corruption in it did not predominate over the good, he would not have forbidden it".
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may prayers and peace be upon the noblest of the prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
As for what follows: Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim*:
"Also, the reason for the worship of al-Lat was the exaltation of the grave of a righteous man who was there, and it has been mentioned that Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr were the names of righteous people who were between Adam and Noah (peace be upon them). Muhammad ibn Jarir narrated through his chain to al-Thawri, from Musa, from Muhammad ibn Qays:
and Ya'uq and Nasr
ويعوق ونسراThis is the cause for which the Lawgiver prohibited it, and it led many nations into either major shirk (associating partners with Allah) or lesser shirk, for souls have associated partners with Allah through the images of righteous people, and through images they claim are talismans for the stars, and the like. Associating partners with Allah "
The Shaykh : Associating partners with Allah.
The reader: "Associating partners with Allah through the grave of a man whose prophethood or righteousness one believes in is greater than associating partners with Allah through a piece of wood or stone in its likeness. For this reason, we find many people supplicating at these graves, bowing in humility, and worshipping with their hearts in a way they do not do in the mosque, nor even in sorcery. Some of them prostrate to them, and most of them hope for the blessing of prayer and supplication at these graves more than they hope for in the mosques to which journeys are made. This harm—which is the harm of shirk, whether major or minor—is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cut off at the root, to the extent that he prohibited prayer in the cemetery absolutely, even if the one praying does not intend the blessing of the place with his prayer as he intends the blessing of the three mosques with his prayer, and the like. He also prohibited prayer at the times of the rising of the sun, its zenith, and its setting, because these are the times when polytheists intend the blessing of prayer to the sun, so the Muslim is prohibited from praying at those times—even if he does not intend that—to block the means to harm.
As for if a man intends to pray at some of the graves of the prophets and the righteous, seeking blessing in praying in that place, this is the very enmity toward Allah and His Messenger, and contradiction of His religion, and the innovation of a religion that Allah has not authorized. For the Muslims have agreed upon what they know necessarily from the religion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), namely that prayer at a grave—whatever grave it is—has no virtue for that reason, and prayer in that place has no merit of good at all, but rather a merit of evil.
Know that even if angels and mercy have descended at that place, and it has honor and virtue, the religion of Allah the Exalted is between the one who exaggerates in it and the one who neglects it. The Christians exalted the prophets until they worshipped them and worshipped their images, and the Jews belittled them until they killed them, and the middle nation knew their proper status; so they did not exaggerate in them as the Christians did, nor did they neglect them as the Jews did. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in what is authentic from him:
Do not exalt me as the Christians exalted 'Isa ibn Maryam, for I am only a servant, so say: the servant of Allah and His Messenger
لا تطروني كما أطرت النصارى عيسى ابن مريم، فإنما أنا عبد، فقولوا : عبد الله ورسولهIf it were the case that prayer there caused more mercy than prayer in other places, the harm arising from prayer there would outweigh this benefit until it engulfs it or exceeds it, such that prayer there would destroy that mercy and establish what brings punishment ".
The Shaykh : Destroying.
The reader: Yes, correction, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The writing is the same.
The reader: I have "establishing" (muthabbata)
The Shaykh : No, no, the one before it.
The reciter: so that the prayer there becomes, yes "so that the prayer there becomes a cause for removing that mercy and establishing what necessitates the punishment. And whoever does not have insight by which he perceives the corruption arising from praying there, it is sufficient for him to follow the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), for if the prayer there were not something in which the harm predominates over the benefit, he would not have prohibited it, just as he prohibited prayer in the three times, and fasting on the two days of 'Id. Rather, just as he forbade intoxicants, for if the corruption in them did not predominate over the benefit in them, he would not have forbidden them, and likewise the prohibition of a single drop of it, and if the corruption did not predominate"
The Shaykh : If not, if not, there is no waw in it.
The reciter: "and likewise the prohibition of a single drop of it, if the corruption in it did not predominate over the good, he would not have forbidden it".