The Ruling on Seeking Forgiveness for One Who Exalted the Occupants of Graves
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Question:
This is a questioner for the program who says in this question: Is it permissible for me, O Shaykh, to seek forgiveness for a person, one of my relatives, who has died, and I do not know whether he died with a good ending or not? Knowing that he used to venerate, or sanctify, the awliya (close friends of Allah), the occupants of graves, and the shrines, and he believed that this was part of the religion. Please guide me in my question.
Answer:
If his outward appearance is shirk (associating partners with Allah), and exaggeration regarding the dead, calling upon the dead, and seeking aid from the dead, then no, do not call for him. But if his outward appearance is Islam, and you do not know of him anything but Islam, then there is no harm in calling for him and seeking forgiveness for your brother. This is prescribed (mashru'). A believer calls for his brothers and seeks forgiveness for them, as the followers of the Muhajireen and Ansar said with excellence: [Al-Hashr: 10]. So you seek forgiveness for your brothers and call for them with mercy if his outward appearance is Islam.
As for the one whose outward appearance is shirk (associating partners with Allah)—which is exaggeration regarding graves, calling upon the dead, and seeking aid from the dead—then one does not call for him. Because calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead, and asking them for needs is major shirk. This is the religion of the polytheists. We ask Allah for safety.
And likewise, calling upon the jinn... calling upon idols... calling upon the stars, all of this is major shirk. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [At-Tawbah: 113].
And when Abu Talib died upon the religion of his people, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 2035Sahih (Darussalam) So Allah revealed this verse regarding that: [At-Tawbah: 113]. Whoever dies upon shirk is among the companions of the Hellfire.
So the point is: The one who is known for calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the occupants of graves, or from idols, or from the jinn, or from the stars, or from the angels, or from the prophets, all of this is major shirk, falling under His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He): [An-Nisa: 48], and falling under His saying (Glorified is He): [Luqman: 13], and falling under His saying (Glorified is He): [Al-Ma'idah: 72], and in His saying (Glorified is He): [Al-An'am: 88]. And He said (Glorified is He): [Az-Zumar 39:65] بَلِ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدْ وَكُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِين [Az-Zumar: 66]. And He said (Glorified is He): [Al-Mu'minun: 117]. And He said (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Fatir: 13].
: The membrane on the pit of the date [Fatir 35:13]“If you call them, they will not hear your call, and even if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disavow your association of partners with them” [Fatir: 14]. This encompasses everyone; it encompasses the absent ones, and it encompasses the dead, whether they are prophets or others. [Fatir: 14] Even if we were to assume that they heard, they would not respond. [Fatir: 14] That is, they would deny it and disavow it. To Allah, He says, Exalted is He: [Al-Qasas: 63] Yes, we ask Allah for well-being.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence.
This is a questioner for the program who says in this question: Is it permissible for me, O Shaykh, to seek forgiveness for a person, one of my relatives, who has died, and I do not know whether he died with a good ending or not? Knowing that he used to venerate, or sanctify, the awliya (close friends of Allah), the occupants of graves, and the shrines, and he believed that this was part of the religion. Please guide me in my question.
Answer:
If his outward appearance is shirk (associating partners with Allah), and exaggeration regarding the dead, calling upon the dead, and seeking aid from the dead, then no, do not call for him. But if his outward appearance is Islam, and you do not know of him anything but Islam, then there is no harm in calling for him and seeking forgiveness for your brother. This is prescribed (mashru'). A believer calls for his brothers and seeks forgiveness for them, as the followers of the Muhajireen and Ansar said with excellence:
Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith
رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالإِيمَانِAs for the one whose outward appearance is shirk (associating partners with Allah)—which is exaggeration regarding graves, calling upon the dead, and seeking aid from the dead—then one does not call for him. Because calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead, and asking them for needs is major shirk. This is the religion of the polytheists. We ask Allah for safety.
And likewise, calling upon the jinn... calling upon idols... calling upon the stars, all of this is major shirk. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُوْلِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِAnd when Abu Talib died upon the religion of his people, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
I will keep on asking for Allah's forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so.
لأستغفرن لك ما لم أُنْهَ عنكIt is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُوْلِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِSo the point is: The one who is known for calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the occupants of graves, or from idols, or from the jinn, or from the stars, or from the angels, or from the prophets, all of this is major shirk, falling under His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He):
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِIndeed, association [with him] is great injustice."
إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌIndeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.
إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍBut if they had associated others with Allah, then worthless for them would be whatever they were doing.
وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَAnd it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allah, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers."
وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ And 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.
ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْ قِطْمِيرٍThe husk
القطميرAnd those whom you invoke other than Him do not possess [as much as] the membrane of a date seed.
وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْ قِطْمِيرٍ If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond
إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُواAnd on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association
وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْWe declare our disassociation [from them] to You. They did not used to worship us."
تَبَرَّأْنَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانُوا إِيَّانَا يَعْبُدُونَThe presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.