The Ruling on the Worship of Graves and Whether They Are Excused by Ignorance
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Your Eminence! We begin this session with a question from the brother questioner, whose name is Al-Amin. In truth, he has a question regarding creed that requires detail from us—may Allah reward you with good. He says in this question: Your Eminence! In our lands, many have gone astray because of the Sufi paths, where they worship graves and call upon other than Allah. Among them are those who memorize the Book of Allah and imams of mosques. My question consists of several parts, Your Eminence: Are these people disbelievers because of their committing shirk (associating partners with Allah) and their lack of knowledge of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), if they are ignorant of the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah"? And are they excused by ignorance, or are they disbelievers? Please guide us in light of this question. I have remaining parts, so please proceed, Your Eminence.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The Noble Book and the Pure Sunnah have indicated the clarification of the tawhid (the oneness of Allah) of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) and the types of major shirk (associating partners with Allah). So, if a person from among the people is afflicted with shirk, and he is among the Muslims, and the Qur'an and Sunnah have reached him, then he is judged to be a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Al-An'am: 19]. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Al-Ma'idah: 67]. And He said (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Ar-Ra'd: 40].
So, if the great Qur'an and the pure Sunnah have reached a person, and then he engages in shirk (associating partners with Allah), he is judged to be a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) because of his negligence and his lack of concern for what Allah has made obligatory upon him, which is to understand the religion and have insight. If he calls upon the dead, seeks aid from the dead, or from the stars, or from trees and stones, or from idols, or from the jinn, calling upon them, seeking aid from them, and making vows to them, this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). He is to be asked to repent from it; the one in authority asks him to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, it is obligatory to kill him for his shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 2535Sahih (Darussalam).
Allah sent His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with the call to Allah and the jihad (struggle in the path of Allah) against the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah). So, if a man is among the Muslims, in the lands of the Muslims, or among a people to whom the Qur'an and Sunnah have reached, and then he is negligent and persists in what he is doing, he is judged to be a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah).
So, if he calls upon the dead, or seeks aid from the dead, makes vows to them, or to the jinn, or to the angels, or to the prophets, saying: "O my master so-and-so," or "O Prophet of Allah so-and-so, forgive me," or "save me from the Fire," or "aid me," or "heal my sick one," or "return my missing one," or "I am under your protection," "I am under your care," saying this to the dead, or to the jinn, or to the angels, or to others; this is from major shirk (associating partners with Allah). Because Allah, the Most High, says: [Al-Jinn: 18]. And He says, the Most High: [Al-Mu'minun: 117]. And He says (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Fatir: 13-14].
And He says about the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah), and they are ignorant: [Yunus: 18]. And He says (Exalted and Majestic is He) about them: [Az-Zumar: 3], meaning: they say. [Az-Zumar: 3]. He, the Most High, said: [Az-Zumar: 3]. So He called them liars because of their claim that their idols bring them closer to Allah, and He called them disbelievers because of their worship of them and their shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Him. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence. The second part of this questioner's message says: Your Eminence! Are these people—meaning: the worshippers of graves—excused by ignorance, despite the presence of callers to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) among them?
The Shaykh: It has been stated that they are not excused; they are not excused. Rather, it is obligatory upon them to seek knowledge, to be discerning, to understand the religion, and to ask about what is difficult for them. This is what is obligatory upon them. If they remain silent and persist in worshipping the dead, or the trees, or the stones, or the prophets, or the angels, or the jinn; they become disbelievers by that, in their calling upon them, and their seeking from them intercession, or the healing of the sick, or the return of the missing, or the like of that. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Your Eminence! We begin this session with a question from the brother questioner, whose name is Al-Amin. In truth, he has a question regarding creed that requires detail from us—may Allah reward you with good. He says in this question: Your Eminence! In our lands, many have gone astray because of the Sufi paths, where they worship graves and call upon other than Allah. Among them are those who memorize the Book of Allah and imams of mosques. My question consists of several parts, Your Eminence: Are these people disbelievers because of their committing shirk (associating partners with Allah) and their lack of knowledge of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), if they are ignorant of the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah"? And are they excused by ignorance, or are they disbelievers? Please guide us in light of this question. I have remaining parts, so please proceed, Your Eminence.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
The Noble Book and the Pure Sunnah have indicated the clarification of the tawhid (the oneness of Allah) of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) and the types of major shirk (associating partners with Allah). So, if a person from among the people is afflicted with shirk, and he is among the Muslims, and the Qur'an and Sunnah have reached him, then he is judged to be a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
And this Qur'an was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches.
وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَO Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord
يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَupon you is only the [duty of] notification, and upon Us is the account.
فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلاغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُSo, if the great Qur'an and the pure Sunnah have reached a person, and then he engages in shirk (associating partners with Allah), he is judged to be a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) because of his negligence and his lack of concern for what Allah has made obligatory upon him, which is to understand the religion and have insight. If he calls upon the dead, seeks aid from the dead, or from the stars, or from trees and stones, or from idols, or from the jinn, calling upon them, seeking aid from them, and making vows to them, this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). He is to be asked to repent from it; the one in authority asks him to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, it is obligatory to kill him for his shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever changes his religion, execute him.
من بدل دينه فاقتلوهAllah sent His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with the call to Allah and the jihad (struggle in the path of Allah) against the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah). So, if a man is among the Muslims, in the lands of the Muslims, or among a people to whom the Qur'an and Sunnah have reached, and then he is negligent and persists in what he is doing, he is judged to be a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah).
So, if he calls upon the dead, or seeks aid from the dead, makes vows to them, or to the jinn, or to the angels, or to the prophets, saying: "O my master so-and-so," or "O Prophet of Allah so-and-so, forgive me," or "save me from the Fire," or "aid me," or "heal my sick one," or "return my missing one," or "I am under your protection," "I am under your care," saying this to the dead, or to the jinn, or to the angels, or to others; this is from major shirk (associating partners with Allah). Because Allah, the Most High, says:
so do not invoke with Allah anyone.
فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًاAnd whoever invokes besides Allah another deity for which he has no proof - then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
وَمَنْ يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ لا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ إِنَّهُ لا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَThat is Allah, your Lord; to Him belongs sovereignty. And those whom you invoke other than Him do not possess [as much as] the membrane of a date seed. (14) If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association. And none can inform you like [one] Acquainted [with all matters].
ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْ قِطْمِيرٍ إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍAnd He says about the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah), and they are ignorant:
And they worship other than Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, "These are our intercessors with Allah " Say, "Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?" Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَؤُلاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُونَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لا يَعْلَمُ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَلا فِي الأَرْضِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَAnd those who take protectors besides Him [say], "We only worship them
وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْWe only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position
مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىIndeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allah does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌThe presenter: May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence. The second part of this questioner's message says: Your Eminence! Are these people—meaning: the worshippers of graves—excused by ignorance, despite the presence of callers to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) among them?
The Shaykh: It has been stated that they are not excused; they are not excused. Rather, it is obligatory upon them to seek knowledge, to be discerning, to understand the religion, and to ask about what is difficult for them. This is what is obligatory upon them. If they remain silent and persist in worshipping the dead, or the trees, or the stones, or the prophets, or the angels, or the jinn; they become disbelievers by that, in their calling upon them, and their seeking from them intercession, or the healing of the sick, or the return of the missing, or the like of that. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.