The Ruling on Praying Behind the Tomb Worshippers

Question:
From the Arab Republic of Egypt, Suha Governorate, this is a message from our brother Ibrahim Mahmoud Ibrahim. Our brother says in his message: I am from Upper Egypt, and I reside in a small village where corrupt beliefs regarding the people of graves, shrines, and maqams are prevalent. They call out to their names in times of distress and turn to them in times of calamity. They make vows to them and believe that they can bring benefit or harm. They swear by their names. Is the prayer valid behind an imam of a mosque who believes in those graves, believes that their occupants can bring benefit or harm, and calls out to their names?
He also swears by other than Allah. Is the Friday prayer valid behind him? If no one else is available to pray behind except him, and he is like them, is it better to pray alone in this case, or to pray behind him?
Are those tomb worshippers excused due to their ignorance, or are they not excused? Is the ignorant one among them judged to be a Muslim, or is he judged to be a disbeliever? Is the funeral prayer performed for their deceased and are they buried in Muslim cemeteries, or not? Please answer these questions. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
This is a great question with a major significance, because it concerns disbelief, faith, Islam, and shirk (associating partners with Allah). These people whose beliefs and actions you mentioned, O questioner, are considered disbelievers, mushriks (those who associate partners with Allah), and polytheists, like the disbelievers of Quraysh and their like. The funeral prayer is not performed for them, nor is the prayer performed behind them, because they seek aid from the people of graves and ask them to fulfill needs and relieve distress. This is major shirk. Therefore, no one should pray behind them or pray for them when they die. Rather, their ruling is the ruling of the people of shirk.
And if some people believe in them, believing that the awliya (close friends of Allah) can bring benefit or harm, that becomes another shirk. Calling upon them, asking them, and seeking aid from them is major shirk. And believing that they can bring benefit or harm and act regarding the servants is another shirk added to the shirk of the first polytheists. Indeed, Quraysh and their like in their pre-Islamic age of ignorance did not believe that the dead or the idols could bring benefit or harm. Rather, they believed that they were intercessors with Allah and that they brought them closer to Allah, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : Allah responded to them by saying: [Yunus:18]. Thus, He called them mushriks for this, even though they said: "These are our intercessors with Allah." This indicates that they did not believe that they could bring benefit or harm, but rather they believed that they were intermediaries.
And He (Mighty and Majestic) said in Surat al-Zumar: [al-Zumar:2-3]. Thus, He (Mighty and Majestic) clarified that they did not worship them because they bring harm or benefit, but rather they worshipped them to bring them closer to Allah.
He (Mighty and Majestic) said about them that they say: [al-Zumar:3]. It is known from this that the disbelievers of Quraysh and other disbelievers of the Arabs in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not believe that the people of graves, or the idols, or the trees, or the stones, or the prophets and the righteous could bring them benefit or harm. Rather, they believed that they were intermediaries who benefited them through their mediation and brought them closer to Allah. Therefore, they worshipped them, asked them, sought aid from them, and slaughtered for them, and the like of that.
These people are disbelievers as long as they remain in this state. It is not permissible for you to pray behind any of them. If you pray alone, then for Friday you should pray the midday prayer alone, unless you find among the monotheists someone to pray Friday with you in a mosque, if it is facilitated in the mosque, or in the house of one of you if it is not facilitated in the mosque. As for praying behind these people, that is not allowed, because their shirk is apparent and their disbelief is apparent. We ask Allah for safety.
It is obligatory for the callers to Allah to call them to Allah, to clarify the truth to them, and to guide them. It is obligatory for them to learn, ask, and benefit, and not to persist in their falsehood.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the one in this situation to ask the scholars in his country or in other countries, by letter, by telephone, or by other means. He should ask. Allah says: [al-Nahl:43]. The one who is eager about his religion asks, even if it requires traveling, even if he moves from one place to another, as the righteous Salaf (the earliest generations) did, traveling from one country to another to seek knowledge.
And this issue is the greatest issue. The issue of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and disbelief is the greatest and biggest issue. Therefore, it is obligatory for every person of legal age to strive for his salvation and safety, and to ask the scholars about what is difficult for him, and not to be satisfied with the customs that his ancestors followed, as Allah said about the disbelievers: [al-Zukhruf:23]. That is not what is right. This is not what is right. Rather, it is obligatory to learn, to examine, to understand the religion, and to ask about what is difficult until you worship your Lord with knowledge: [Yusuf:108]. So we ask Allah for you, O questioner, and for those about whom you mentioned these actions. We ask Allah for all of them guidance and success for beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds. Indeed, He (Mighty and Majestic) is Generous and Bountiful.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.