The Ruling on Slaughter at Shrines and Supplicating to Their Inhabitants
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Q: What is the ruling on drawing near to the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) by slaughtering animals at their shrines? And saying: “By the right of your righteous wali (close friend of Allah) so-and-so, heal us or remove such-and-such distress from us”?
A: It is known from the evidence of the Book and the Sunnah that drawing near to Allah by slaughtering for other than Allah, whether for the awliya (close friends of Allah), the jinn, idols, or any other created thing, is shirk (associating partners with Allah) and among the deeds of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance) and the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah). Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [al-An'am: 162-163]. The act of worship (al-nusk) is "slaughter." The Exalted clarified in this verse that slaughtering for other than Allah is shirk (associating partners with Allah), just as praying to other than Allah is. He (Mighty and Majestic) said: [Al-Kawthar 108:1] فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ [al-Kawthar: 1-2]. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) commanded His Prophet in this noble surah to pray to his Lord and slaughter for Him, in contrast to the people of shirk who prostrate to other than Allah and slaughter for other than Him. And He (Mighty and Majestic) said: [al-Isra: 23]. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : [al-Bayyinah: 5]. There are many verses in this meaning. Slaughtering is an act of worship, so it must be made sincere for Allah alone. In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) , that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1978b.
As for the statement of the one who says: “I ask Allah by the right of His awliya (close friends of Allah), or by the status of His awliya (close friends of Allah), or by the right of the Prophet, or by the status of the Prophet,” this is not shirk (associating partners with Allah), but it is a bid'ah (religious innovation) according to the majority of scholars, and it is one of the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is because supplication is an act of worship, and its manner is a matter of divine legislation (taqdiri). It has not been established from our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) anything indicating the permissibility or legitimacy of tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) by the right or status of any of the created beings. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to innovate a tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) that Allah, the Exalted, has not legislated. This is due to His saying, the Exalted: [Ash-Shura: 21]. And the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 1718a, which is agreed upon as authentic. In a narration by Muslim, which al-Bukhari suspended in his Sahih with certainty: Sahih Muslim 1718b. The meaning of his saying: is that it is rejected from its owner and not accepted. So it is obligatory for the people of Islam to adhere to what Allah has legislated and to beware of the bid'ah (religious innovation) that people have introduced.
As for the prescribed tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means), it is tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) by the names and attributes of Allah, and by His tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and by righteous deeds. Among these are faith in Allah and His Messenger, and the love of Allah and His Messenger, and the like of these deeds of righteousness and good. The evidence for this is abundant, among which is His saying, the Exalted: [Al-A'raf: 180]. And among them is that he (peace and blessings be upon him) heard a man saying: Bulugh al-Maram 16:125, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Bulugh al-Maram 16:125. It was narrated by the people of the four Sunan, and Ibn Hibban graded it as authentic.
And among them is the hadith of the companions of the cave who sought nearness to Allah, the Exalted, by their righteous deeds. The first of them sought nearness to Allah, the Exalted, by his kindness to his parents. The second sought nearness to Allah by his chastity from zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) after he had the ability to commit it. The third sought nearness to Allah, the Exalted, by the fact that he increased the wage of a worker and then delivered it to him. So Allah relieved their distress, accepted their supplication, and removed the rock that had blocked the entrance of the cave. The hadith is agreed upon as authentic. And success is from Allah.
A: It is known from the evidence of the Book and the Sunnah that drawing near to Allah by slaughtering for other than Allah, whether for the awliya (close friends of Allah), the jinn, idols, or any other created thing, is shirk (associating partners with Allah) and among the deeds of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance) and the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah). Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: :
(162) Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (163) No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims."
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَIndeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar.
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلا تَعْبُدُوا إِلا إِيَّاهُAnd they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَAllah cursed him who sacrificed for anyone besides Allah
لعن الله من ذبح لغير اللهAs for the statement of the one who says: “I ask Allah by the right of His awliya (close friends of Allah), or by the status of His awliya (close friends of Allah), or by the right of the Prophet, or by the status of the Prophet,” this is not shirk (associating partners with Allah), but it is a bid'ah (religious innovation) according to the majority of scholars, and it is one of the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is because supplication is an act of worship, and its manner is a matter of divine legislation (taqdiri). It has not been established from our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) anything indicating the permissibility or legitimacy of tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) by the right or status of any of the created beings. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to innovate a tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) that Allah, the Exalted, has not legislated. This is due to His saying, the Exalted:
Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented?
أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَنْ بِهِ اللَّهُ'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردHe who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردSo it is rejected
فهو ردAs for the prescribed tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means), it is tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) by the names and attributes of Allah, and by His tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and by righteous deeds. Among these are faith in Allah and His Messenger, and the love of Allah and His Messenger, and the like of these deeds of righteousness and good. The evidence for this is abundant, among which is His saying, the Exalted:
And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them
وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَاO Allah! I ask you by virtue that I testify that you are Allah; there is no God but You, the one —· the Self Sufficient Master, Who did not beget, and was not begotten, and to whom no one is equal.
اللهم إني أسألك بأني أشهد أنك أنت الله لا إله إلا أنت الأحد الصمد الذي لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحدHe has asked Allah by His Name by which when asked, He gives, and by which when supplicated, He answers.
لقد سأل الله باسمه الذي إذا سئل به أعطى، وإذا دعي به أجابAnd among them is the hadith of the companions of the cave who sought nearness to Allah, the Exalted, by their righteous deeds. The first of them sought nearness to Allah, the Exalted, by his kindness to his parents. The second sought nearness to Allah by his chastity from zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) after he had the ability to commit it. The third sought nearness to Allah, the Exalted, by the fact that he increased the wage of a worker and then delivered it to him. So Allah relieved their distress, accepted their supplication, and removed the rock that had blocked the entrance of the cave. The hadith is agreed upon as authentic. And success is from Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.