In our time, acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) have multiplied, as has seeking nearness to Allah through graves, slaughtering animals at them, and making vows to them. How can a Muslim correct this belief?
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The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O honorable Shaykh. In our time, acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) have multiplied, as has seeking nearness to Allah through graves, making vows to them, and slaughtering animals at them. How can a Muslim correct this belief?
The Shaykh : First, we ask this questioner to verify his claim. In my opinion, this is a time of intellectual awareness, not religious awareness; intellectual awareness. Few are those who go to graves in order to ask them for help or seek blessing from them, except for the uncultured masses, who are the original ones. So I think that people’s cognitive faculties have now been enlightened, not their religious ones. Therefore, shirk (associating partners with Allah) at graves and the like is, in my opinion, rare.
But there is another type of shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is loving the worldly life, being engrossed in it, and devoting oneself to it. This is a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called the one who is obsessed with these four things a slave to them, so they become objects of worship for him. People today are deeply devoted to the worldly life, even those who have some adherence to the religion; you find them leaning heavily toward the world. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . This is what is feared today. That is why you find that most of people’s efforts are directed toward comfort, and this brings entertainment, and this brings economic growth, and this brings such-and-such, and this brings such-and-such.
Few are those who say, “This brings growth in religion,” or “This brings an increase in religious knowledge,” or “This brings an increase in worship.” Few say this. This is what is feared today. As for the issue of graves, I think it is on its way to disappearing, whether for the sake of the world or for the sake of the true religion.
The Shaykh : First, we ask this questioner to verify his claim. In my opinion, this is a time of intellectual awareness, not religious awareness; intellectual awareness. Few are those who go to graves in order to ask them for help or seek blessing from them, except for the uncultured masses, who are the original ones. So I think that people’s cognitive faculties have now been enlightened, not their religious ones. Therefore, shirk (associating partners with Allah) at graves and the like is, in my opinion, rare.
But there is another type of shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is loving the worldly life, being engrossed in it, and devoting oneself to it. This is a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Woe to the slave of the dinar, woe to the slave of the dirham, woe to the slave of the silk garment, woe to the slave of the fine robe
تعس عبد الدينار ، تعس عبد الدرهم ، تعس عبد الخميصة ، تعس عبد الخميلةBy Allah, I do not fear poverty for you, but I fear that the worldly life will be opened up to you and you will compete for it as those before you competed for it, and it will destroy you as it destroyed them
والله ما الفقر أخشى عليكم ، وإنما أخشى أن تفتح عليكم الدنيا فتنافسوها كما تنافسها من قبلكم ، فتهلككم كما أهلكتهمFew are those who say, “This brings growth in religion,” or “This brings an increase in religious knowledge,” or “This brings an increase in worship.” Few say this. This is what is feared today. As for the issue of graves, I think it is on its way to disappearing, whether for the sake of the world or for the sake of the true religion.