Are the verses of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (disbelief) specific to the first polytheists?

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The question: It is said that there are some good people who spoke in the mosque about this matter and cited verses from the Qur'an and hadiths from the Sunnah. The Imam said: "These verses and hadiths are only about the first polytheists." So, are the verses of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (disbelief) specific to the first polytheists, or do they apply to everyone who does what they did?
The answer: They are not specific to them, but rather they apply to them and to whoever does their deeds. The Qur'an was revealed for them and for others until the Day of Resurrection; it is the proof of Allah against His servants until the Day of Resurrection. So His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) :

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

[Al-Dhariyat: 56], this encompasses those in His time and those after him until the Day of Resurrection. And His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):

so do not invoke with Allah anyone.

فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

[Al-Jinn: 18], this encompasses the people of Makkah and the people of Madinah and encompasses all people; they are all prohibited from invoking anyone besides Allah, in his time (peace and blessings be upon him) and after that until the Day of Resurrection. And so is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):

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 الْكَافِرُونَ

[Al-Mu'minun: 117], this is general. And so is His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He):

Say, [O Muhammad], "Invoke those you claim [as deities] besides Allah." They do not possess an atom's weight [of ability] in the heavens or on the earth, and they do not have therein any partnership [with Him], nor is there for Him from among them any assistant.

قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لا يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَلا فِي الأَرْضِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِنْ شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ ظَهِيرٍ

[Saba: 22], this encompasses all creation, just as it encompasses the idols and encompasses everything worshipped besides Allah. And so is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):

⁽⁵⁶⁾ Say, "Invoke those you have claimed [as gods] besides Him, for they do not possess the [ability for] removal of adversity from you or [for its] transfer [to someone else]." ⁽⁵⁷⁾ Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord, [striving as to] which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever feared.

قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَلا يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنكُمْ وَلا تَحْوِيلًا ۝ أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا

[Al-Isra: 57], this encompasses all people. And so is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):

That 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 خَبِيرٍ

[Fatir: 14] , so He (Glorified and Exalted is He) made clear that those invoked besides Allah, whether idols, jinn, angels, prophets, or righteous people, do not hear the supplication of whoever invokes them:

If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication

إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ

[Fatir: 14], and that they are:

do not possess [as much as] the membrane of a date seed.

مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْ قِطْمِيرٍ

[Fatir: 13], which is the husk on the kernel, so they do not possess what is asked of them and they are not able to hear it:

If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication

إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ

[Fatir: 14]. This is the word of the Truth (Glorified and Exalted is He) . Then He said:

and if they heard, they would not respond to you

وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ

[Fatir: 14], so even if it were assumed that they heard, they would not respond due to their incapacity. Then He said:

And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ

[Fatir: 14], so He named the invocation of them as shirk (associating partners with Allah) with them. So it is obligatory upon the people of Islam to abandon that, and it is obligatory upon every person of legal responsibility to abandon that and not to invoke anyone but Allah alone (Glorified and Exalted is He) . This encompasses all eras, from his time (peace and blessings be upon him) to the end of time. We ask Allah for guidance for all of us. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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