What is the ruling on making du'a' at the grave?
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The questioner : ... yesterday, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said that ... making du'a' ... facing the grave ... may be shirk (associating partners with Allah).
The Shaykh : Yes, he says that it is misguidance and shirk (associating partners with Allah).
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : As for it being misguidance, there is no doubt about it, because what is prescribed in du'a' is to face the qiblah (the direction of prayer).
And as for it being shirk (associating partners with Allah), it is because he has innovated in the religion of Allah what is not part of it, and innovations are a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah), because the innovator has made himself a legislator, and legislation is a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah). For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:31] .
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) does not mean the shirk (associating partners with Allah) that is prostrating to an idol.
Or it can be said: It may be a means to making du'a' to the dead, and the means to major shirk (associating partners with Allah) become minor shirk (associating partners with Allah). Indeed, this is the criterion for minor shirk (associating partners with Allah) according to many scholars: that whatever is a means to major shirk (associating partners with Allah) is minor shirk (associating partners with Allah). Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, he says that it is misguidance and shirk (associating partners with Allah).
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : As for it being misguidance, there is no doubt about it, because what is prescribed in du'a' is to face the qiblah (the direction of prayer).
And as for it being shirk (associating partners with Allah), it is because he has innovated in the religion of Allah what is not part of it, and innovations are a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah), because the innovator has made himself a legislator, and legislation is a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah). For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:
They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him.
اتخذوا أحبارهم ورهبانهم أرباباً من دون الله والمسيح ابن مريم وما أمروا إلا ليعبدوه إلهاً واحداً لا إله إلا هو سبحانه عما يشركون'Adi ibn Hatim said: O Messenger of Allah, we do not worship them. He said: Do they not make lawful what Allah has forbidden, and you make it lawful? And do they not make forbidden what Allah has made lawful, and you make it forbidden? He said: Yes. He said: That is their worship.
قال عدي ابن حاتم يا رسول الله لسنا نعبدهم، قال: أليس يحلون ما حرم الله فتحلونه، ويحرمون ما أحل الله فتحلونه؟ قال نعم. قال فتلك عبادتهمShaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) does not mean the shirk (associating partners with Allah) that is prostrating to an idol.
Or it can be said: It may be a means to making du'a' to the dead, and the means to major shirk (associating partners with Allah) become minor shirk (associating partners with Allah). Indeed, this is the criterion for minor shirk (associating partners with Allah) according to many scholars: that whatever is a means to major shirk (associating partners with Allah) is minor shirk (associating partners with Allah). Yes.