The Ruling on Praying Behind One Who Calls Upon the Dead
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This is a message received by the program from our brother Khalid Ali from the Democratic Republic of Sudan. He says in his message, and at its beginning: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah alone, who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. Praise be to Allah who has made among the Ummah of Muhammad those who desire the truth for people and who respond to those who have corrupted the creed of our righteous Salaf (may Allah be pleased with them). I ask the honorable and noble Shaykhs of the program "Light on the Path" to answer my questions.
First question: Is it permissible to pray behind one who permits calling upon the dead? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: One who permits calling upon the dead is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). So, one who permits that the dead be called upon and it be said, "Help, help, so-and-so! Aid me, help me, help us against our enemy. You know our needs, so give us such and such"—this person is a mushrik. One does not pray behind him, nor behind one who does his work, nor behind one who is pleased with his work, nor behind one who is pleased with his work either. Rather, this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) and is of the kind of the work of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), similar to the work of Abu Jahl and others of the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah). For Allah says: [Surah al-Jinn: 18], and He says, Exalted is He: [Surah Yunus: 106], meaning: the mushrikin. And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: [Surah Fatir: 13-14]. He named their calling upon them shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah. He said, (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [Surah al-Mu'minun: 117].
Likewise, one who calls upon idols, stones, trees, or stars, seeking aid from them or making vows to them, is called a mushrik. So, one does not pray over him, nor pray behind him, nor take him as a companion. Rather, he is hated for the sake of Allah and opposed for the sake of Allah, (Glorified and Exalted is He). But he is advised, guided, and taught, in the hope that Allah will guide him. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
First question: Is it permissible to pray behind one who permits calling upon the dead? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: One who permits calling upon the dead is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). So, one who permits that the dead be called upon and it be said, "Help, help, so-and-so! Aid me, help me, help us against our enemy. You know our needs, so give us such and such"—this person is a mushrik. One does not pray behind him, nor behind one who does his work, nor behind one who is pleased with his work, nor behind one who is pleased with his work either. Rather, this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) and is of the kind of the work of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), similar to the work of Abu Jahl and others of the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah). For Allah says:
so do not invoke with Allah anyone.
فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًاAnd do not invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers.'"
وَلا تَدْعُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لا يَنْفَعُكَ وَلا يَضُرُّكَ فَإِنْ فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذًا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَThat 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.
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 بِشِرْكِكُمْAnd 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 الْكَافِرُونَLikewise, one who calls upon idols, stones, trees, or stars, seeking aid from them or making vows to them, is called a mushrik. So, one does not pray over him, nor pray behind him, nor take him as a companion. Rather, he is hated for the sake of Allah and opposed for the sake of Allah, (Glorified and Exalted is He). But he is advised, guided, and taught, in the hope that Allah will guide him. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.