The Ruling on Boycotting Those Who Claim to Be Friends of Allah and Those Who Believe in Them

Question:
Following this, a message was received for the program from Algeria, sent by a listener from there. The sender is: (A. B. D). Our brother asks your Eminence, Shaykh Abdul Aziz, saying: We have Sufis who claim to be among the close friends of Allah, and they invoke: (You are my Lord!) This is how your Eminence wrote; but apparently they commit evil deeds and obscenities, and they overstep the bounds with the Creator by claiming to be partners with Him. So, do you think it is obligatory to boycott them as long as they remain in that state? And to boycott those who believe in them? Knowing that we have one of them whom they visit, revere, and seek nearness to Allah through him, hoping he will achieve their desires and fulfill their needs. This created being is possessed by a jinn, such that he reveals to them the secrets of the unseen, and the false wali in turn reveals them to his followers and loved ones, except that he has a clear deviation, where he commits the evil deeds I mentioned, among which are examples—things I cannot mention on the program, your Eminence. I ask you to please address this issue. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Sufism is among the religious innovations that people have introduced. It is the introduction of paths other than the lawful path in acts of worship. Many people have introduced this, and they are called the Sufis. They are those who introduced paths in worship, specific dhikr, and specific actions that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not prescribe. They are among the people of innovation. It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: .
So, worshipping through beating drums, singing, and using other instruments of amusement, all of this is what the Sufis have introduced. And among what they have introduced is their claim that they know the unseen, and that they have revelations by which they can save people from the perils and harms that may befall them. And that they are invoked other than Allah, and sought for aid whether alive or dead. All of this is among their polytheistic evils. So, whoever claims that he knows the unseen, or that he acts in the universe with Allah, or that he is a partner for Allah in worship, or that it is permissible to be invoked other than Allah while alive or dead, and to be sought for aid, all of this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah).
So, it is obligatory to be cautious of these people, to boycott them, to disapprove of them, and to warn people against them. And it is obligatory for the rulers, if they are Muslims, to take action against them and to demand their repentance. If they repent, otherwise they are to be killed for their apostasy and disbelief. There is no one who deserves worship other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) . Allah the Exalted said: [Surat al-Hajj: 62]. And He the Sublime said: [Surat al-Baqarah: 163].
So, whoever claims that it is permissible to invoke anyone other than Allah, whether angels, jinn, prophets, or the rest of creation, and to seek aid from them, and to make vows to them while alive or dead, and to ask them to relieve distress and facilitate matters, all of this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). And it is all of the work of the worshippers of idols and statues, the worshippers of al-Lat and al-Uzza, and their like. And so is what many of the ignorant do at the graves, invoking the dead, seeking aid from the dead, making vows to them, and slaughtering for them. This is major shirk, and it is of the same kind as the work of the polytheists at al-Lat in al-Ta'if in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. And only one thing is permissible, which is seeking help from a living, present, capable created being, specifically with what he is capable of. This is what is permissible, as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said in the story of Musa: [Surat al-Qasas: 15].
So, if he is alive and present, and you seek his help in something he is capable of, such as repairing your car, cooperating with you in the farm in cutting the grass, in gathering firewood, in things like that which are within his capability, there is no harm. He hears your words, you speak to him and he is capable, or you write to him, or by way of the telephone, the phone, you say to him: lend me such and such, or help me with such and such. There is no harm. These are ordinary, natural matters, there is nothing wrong with them, of the same kind as what Allah mentioned about Musa in His saying the Sublime: [Surat al-Qasas: 15].
Like how a person seeks aid in war from his brothers in fighting the enemies, they cooperate in fighting the enemies in besieging them. These are natural, ordinary, tangible matters, there is nothing wrong with them, there is no harm in them.
As for invoking the dead, and seeking aid from the dead, or from stones, or from idols, or from stars, or from the absent like the jinn and the angels, or an absent person in whom you believe and who does not hear your words, you believe in his secret, and that he hears by other than the tangible way, all of this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), like the belief of the Sufis in some of their men.
So, it is obligatory to be cautious of these polytheistic matters, and to warn against them, and to fully cooperate in exposing their people, and to warn against them. For worship is the right of Allah alone, no one is to share with Him in that. Allah the Exalted said: [Surat al-Isra: 23]. He the Sublime said: [Surat al-Fatihah: 5]. He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: أَلا لِّلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ [Surat az-Zumar: 2-3]. He the Sublime said: [Surat al-Bayyinah: 5]. He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [Surat al-Hajj: 62].
So, He the Sublime is the true deity, there is no other deity worshipped with Him in truth. Rather, it is a deity in falsehood. All the deities are in falsehood, all of them. And the true deity is Allah alone (Glorified and Exalted is He) . And when Quraysh heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) his saying to them: they became arrogant and said: [Surat Sad: 5]. And He the Sublime said: وَيَقُولُونَأَئِنَّا لَتَارِكُوا آلِهَتِنَا لِّشَاعِرٍ مَّجْنُونٍ [Surat as-Saffat: 35-36]. They claimed to have deities, and that they would not leave them for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And this is from their ignorance, their misguidance, and the corruption of their belief. So, the true deity is Allah alone, the One capable of benefiting you and harming you, and aiding you. He is the One who is capable of everything, the Sublime. He is the One capable of everything: [Surat al-Baqarah: 20].
As for the deities invoked other than Allah, they are all false, they are all incapable, they do not possess for themselves any harm or benefit, nor for their worshippers. But Satan made it attractive to the people of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and inspired them until they worshipped other than Allah, invoked other than Allah, and sought aid from other than Allah. So they fell into the greatest of sins, and the greatest types of kufr (disbelief). Allah the Sublime said: بَلِ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدْ وَكُنْ مِّنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ [Surat az-Zumar: 65-66].
This is a great issue, this is the greatest issue, the biggest issue: the issue of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and shirk (associating partners with Allah). So, it is obligatory for every person to understand it in detail, whether man or woman. It is obligatory to understand this issue in detail, and all matters of the religion; so that you are upon clarity, upon insight in what you do and what you leave, so that you act upon the truth which Allah has prescribed, and you make your worship sincere for Allah, and you be cautious of what Allah has forbidden for you. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So, among the signs of goodness is that you understand the religion in detail, and that you are upon insight. And among the signs of destruction is that you are ignorant of your religion, turning away from your religion.
We ask Allah for all Muslims for guidance and success, and we ask Allah to rectify the conditions of all Muslims, and we ask Allah to grant all people success to understand the religion in detail, and to enter into the religion of Allah, and to be cautious of shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) . For the religion of Allah is the truth, and what is other than it is false: [Surat Aal 'Imran: 19].
So, Islam: is the tawhid (the oneness of Allah) of Allah, and sincerity to Him, and leaving the worship of what is other than Him, and obeying His commands, and leaving His prohibitions. This is Islam, and this is the religion of Allah, which all the messengers came with, and with which their seal, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), came. And what is other than it, it is false, whether that religion is Judaism, or Christianity, or polytheism, or Zoroastrianism, or communism, or otherwise. They are all false, they are all false religions. And the true religion is Islam, with which Allah sent the messengers. It is the sincerity of worship to Allah alone, and obeying His commands, and leaving His prohibitions which His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.