Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-9

Last week we began speaking about some of the specific misconceptions, or the specific Shubuhat that the Mushrikin try to use to prove their Shirk or to prove that what they’re doing is something acceptable in Islam. When we say Mushrikin here, or the Mushrikun, or the people of Shirk, or the polytheists or whatever we call them here, we’re referring to people who claim Islam, but are actually not upon Islam.

So, they’ve either left Islam, or they’ve never been Muslim to begin with. The reason for this is obviously if they’re trying to prove what they’re doing is correct, by using Ayat from the Qur’an, or hadith from the Prophet (saws), then obviously these are people who are claiming Islam, because a Jew or a Christian, they wouldn’t bring or try to bring Ayat from the Qur’an or hadith from Rasul (saws) to try to say that “what we’re doing is correct”, because they don’t accept the Qur’an to begin with, let alone the Sunnah, and they don’t claim to be Muslimin.

So why would they try to prove that what they’re doing is Islamic, when they don’t even claim to be Muslim to begin with. So, this is something people need to keep in mind that when we’re talking about these misconceptions, it has to do with people who say that they’re Muslimin, but then introduce acts or beliefs, or statements in what they’re doing, trying to pass it off as being Islamic.

Last week we talked about three evidences that they try to use to say that what they’re doing from this Shirk is something acceptable. So, we mentioned three things, one of them was that they say that, we do these acts of shirk when we call upon someone in a grave, or call upon someone who’s alive but not in front of us, or we make sujud to our Shaykh, or whatever else they claim to do, that these are acts of Shirk. But what they will claim, is that they’ll say that this is something that’s Shirk or kufr, and it doesn’t take you out of Islam, and the reason for this is because, we aren’t that these people whether they’re alive or dead, we’re not saying that they control everything, we’re not saying the rizq comes from them, and we’re not saying that these people have the ability to take people’s lives or bring them back to life, and they don’t control the universe and these types of things.

So, they try to say that they’re on an acceptable path because we don’t attribute things of Rububiyyah or things of Lordship to these people. So, we talked about this at length alhamdulilah, and the most basic way to refute this is to say that, likewise the kuffar of Quraysh didn’t believe these things either. So, the kuffar of Quraysh that the Prophet (saws) was sent to and that the Prophet (saws) fought against, and they fought against the Prophet (saws), they didn’t believe that the idols that they worshipped had any control over these things. So, they didn’t take any attributes of Rububiyyah and attribute it to these things either.

They were merely saying that things that we use to intercede between us and Allah, and that they’re wasiyat, they’re intermediaries between us and Allah. This whole argument, by trying to say that it’s fine because we’re not saying that they control everything is completely false, the mere fact that they’re being taken as partners with Allah, or intermediaries between the person and Allah is sufficient for it to be something unacceptable.

The second argument that they use, is that they’ll say that what we’re doing now, we’re not going to the Shaykh of ours, whether they’re from the Sufiyyah, or we’re not going to the graves of any of the Sahabah, or what they claim to be the Sahabah if they’re from the Rafidah, or we’re not going to our Ayatullah, or whatever they call from their Imams, and we’re not seeking something directly from them. What we’re doing is asking them to ask Allah if they’re dead, and we’re doing something of ‘Ibadah for these people so that they will then intercede with Allah on our behalf. So, we’re not worshipping them for the mere fact to worship them, what we’re doing is we’re worshipping them, we’re doing this act so then they will seek something from Allah for us. They say that, this isn’t shirk because we’re not intending them as our end, they’re not the goal of what we’re doing, they’re just the intermediary. So, this is where we left off last week.

So, this is what we’ll talk about today. So, the first way to refute this, after we talked about already the general way of refuting. So, like we said before, Shaykh al-Islam here, Muhammed ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab, he talks about two ways of talking about these misconceptions, the first is that it’s general. So, we say we know Allah, and then through the Prophet (saws), he forbid shirk, we know this already, this isn’t something that’s really disputed, and we know that what you’re doing is asking something from other than Allah, so even if I don’t know how to explain this specific or refute, or argue against this specific argument, I know it’s wrong in and of itself because it doesn’t comply with the general rules of the Shari’ah, so this is the first way.

Specifically, if we want to talk about the specific way to refute or to answer this Shubuha or this misconception, then there’s a number of ways.

The first way would be that we start with the Ijma’ or we start with the consensus, because we know that the consensus of the Muslimin, or the consensus of the scholars of Islam is considered an evidence, because there’s evidence in the Qur’an, or evidence in the Sunnah, that this is the case, as Allah said

“And whoever opposes the Messenger after the clarification has come to him and he follows other than the way of believers...” [4:115] 

So, if the believers take a specific path, or they agree on something, this is considered to be an evidence, it’s considered to be the truth. So, we know that this is the case when it comes to shirk, so this is one evidence. Allah said,

“And if you dispute on something, then take it back to Allah, and the Messenger if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.” [4:59] 

So, here Allah referred us back to the Qur’an and the Sunnah on things that we dispute. So, the scholars of Fiqh, or specifically Usul al-Fiqh have said that this is evidence that if there is an agreement, that if all the Muslimin agree on something, then it’s already truth, it doesn’t need to be referred back to the Qur’an and the Sunnah because they’ve already agreed upon it. We know that in the Sahihayn, that the Prophet (saws) said in a number of ahadith with different phrasings, that he said, “There will never cease to be a group of my Ummah openly on the truth or clearly on the truth.”

So, this is another evidence that the scholars of Usul have used to say that Ijma’ is an evidence, because we know that in every single generation, there will always be at least one person or one group upon the truth. So, if the whole generation agrees on something, then we know that it’s the truth because that one group or that one person is included in that. So, how it be that if there’s always at least one group upon the truth, but everyone agrees upon it, and then someone says “No, it’s not necessarily the truth,” how can it be? It can’t be. So, this is just some of the evidence with regards to that.

So, knowing that Ijma’ is an evidence, or that consensus is a evidence, then we say that the first person who mentioned or narrated the Ijma’ that this action of putting someone between you and Allah not as the goal, but as a means for them to then intercede on your behalf. The first person who mentioned that this is the matter of disbelief or matter of kufr according to ‘Ijma was Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah. So, he said that this is matter of consensus when he was talking about the people who worship statues. Then the evidence he mentioned for this specifically himself was the Verse that we talked about before when Allah said,
“Surely, the religion is only for Allah, and those who take ‘Awliya besides Him, they say: “We worship them only that they may bring us closer to Allah.” [39:3]

So, the people in the time of the Prophet (saws), the mushrikin and even before that, when they would worship the idols, or they would worship something besides Allah, they would openly say, “we’re not doing it for this person in an of himself, we’re doing it that they will bring us closer to Allah.”

So, they weren’t wanting to be closer to al-Lat or they weren’t wanting to be closer to al-Uzza, and they weren’t wanting to be closer to any of the idols that they would worship, they were wanting to get closer to Allah, but despite this we don’t say that because they wanted to get closer to Allah by worshipping al-Lat, they’re Muslimin. We wouldn’t say that, even though they’re wanting to please Allah, but despite that they weren’t following the correct way of doing so, so it all became something that was rejected. So, this is the first person who mentioned the ‘Ijma. 

The second person was Abdul-Latif ibn Abdur-Rahman, who was from the Imams of the da’wah Najdiyyah, and we talked a bit about in the beginning of this series, some of the main scholars of this da’wah, so he was one of them. He mentioned this in his book, “Da’awah al-Manawi’in” or this book which he refutes some of the claims that are against the da’wah of Najd. So, he takes many of the claims that people say this is wrong, and he refutes them, so he was the second person to do so and you can also find him narrating the ‘Ijma in a book called “Mamju Risa’al wa’l Masa’il”, also in a letter by Abdul-Latif ibn Abdur-Rahman.

The third ‘Ijma, or the third discussion on this took place in the year 1343 Hijri, and it was the scholars of Makkah came together in this year, so just under about 90 years ago now, and they wrote a letter called “Al-Bayan al-Mufeed fi-matafaqa alayhi Ulama’i Najd min Aqa’id Tawhid” or they wrote a letter talking about all the things that the scholars of Najd had agreed upon to be from the correct issues of ‘Aqidah and Tawhid. They used the evidence when Allah said,

“And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not nor benefit them, and they say “these are our intercessors with Allah.” Say: “Do you inform Allah about something which He does not know in the Heavens and the Earth.” Glory and Exalted be He above all that they associate partners with Him.” [10:18]

So, Allah is also saying or He is clarifying that these people who Islam was sent to, they were worshipping these things, not to go against Allah in their claim, but they were doing it as a means to get closer to Allah, but despite this Allah called it shirk, and He rebuked the for it and He sent the Prophet (saws) to them to bring them to Islam. And likewise, another person who mentioned the consensus on this issue is Hamad ibn Nasr ibn Mu’amr in his book, “Al-Hadiyah Sunniyyah”, so he mentioned also that there’s a consensus on this issue as well. So, if someone says “Ya Rasullulah”, or if he says, “O wali of Allah”, or “O friend of Allah or ally of Allah”, if he goes to a grave and says that or if he goes to a Shaykh and says something like this, then this would be a matter of Shirk and that’s again a matter of consensus.

So, this is some of the evidences that they use to prove that what they’re doing is actually a matter of Shirk. Also, the scholar Sulayman ibn ‘Abdillah who was from the grandsons of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhab, he wrote the book “Taysir al-Aziz al-Hamid”, and he mentioned many evidences in this book to clarify that this act is actually an act of Shirk. So, first of all, he mentioned the verse,

“To Allah belongs all the intercession.” [39:44]

So, how is this used as evidence? If someone says “I’m seeking intercession from this person, so what’s the problem is we know that Allah will give the intercession to the Prophet (saws) and the other Anbiya, and we know that He gives it to the Shuhadah, and we know that the Salihin have it, and we know that the Mala’ika have it on the Day of Judgement, if we know that the Shafa’s is something correct, then what is the problem if we seek intercession from someone to then intercede with Allah on our behalf?”

The first problem is that, this intercession is it belongs to Allah, so even if this does have this intercession, they’re only able to do so after Allah gives permission for it. So, Allah says,
“All of the intercession belongs to Allah.” [39:44]

So, how can we take something that belongs to Allah and then go and ask for it from somebody else, just like we wouldn’t ask for Rizq from someone unless it was done in a Shar’i way, for example someone had food with them and you ask them “Can I have some food?”, that would be something that would be acceptable. But for example, if someone was to say “I’m starving, so I’m going to ask so and so who’s not even around me, doesn’t have the ability to give me Rizq, I’m going to ask him for Rizq, and the evidence that this is okay is that sometimes people give other people food.” We would say that this is something completely rejected, so the fact that it belongs to Allah, it’s only asked for from Allah. So, this is the first evidence.

Also, if we look at generally, the evidences that forbid Shirk, which is asking for something other than Allah. So, Allah said,
“And invoke not besides Allah any that will neither profit nor hurt you, but if you did do so than you shall certainly be from the Dhalimin.” [10:106]

And Allah also said, “And who is more astray than the one who calls besides Allah. Such as he will not answer them until the Day of Resurrection and who are unaware of the calls, and when mankind are gathered, they will be enemies for them and they will deny their worshipping.” [46:5-6]

So, here Allah rebuked and essentially cut down anybody who makes du’a to other than Allah saying that first of all, they can’t hear them so if they’re a statue they don’t have hearing to begin with, if it’s a human that’s dead, they can’t hear you anymore, and if it’s someone who’s on the other side of the world that you’re making du’a to, then obviously they can’t hear you as well, so they won’t hear you and they won’t answer you all the way until the Day of Judgement. So, no matter how long you wait, it’s not going to happen essentially, and then on the Day of Judgement, they’ll reject what you were even doing, they’ll say “we didn’t accept this, we didn’t want them to do it and we weren’t even aware of it,” so because they didn’t even know it was happening, so how can you then make du’a to someone who first of all can’t answer you, second can’t hear you and third doesn’t even know it’s taking place. So, on the Day of Judgement when they hear of it, and they’re aware that you’re worshipping them, they won’t even know that it took place, so how you can then expect to come from them.

So, this is another evidence that they use, and they use the verse when Allah said,

“Indeed, those who you call upon besides Allah are slaves just like you, so call upon them, and let them answer you if you are indeed truthful.” [7:194]

So, Allah here again is showing the ridiculousness of the claims that people say that “We’re going to make du’a to other than Allah, even if it’s as a intermediary.” So, even saying that, we’re not worshipping this person so they’ll enter us into Jannah, we’re worshipping them, so they’ll ask Allah to enter us into Jannah. These people can’t hear you, they can’t do anything for you, they’re either dead, or they’re statues that were never alive, or they’re on the other side of the earth, or even if they’re sitting in front of you and you’re making Sujud to them, they can’t do anything that you’re asking from them, they can’t do anything.

So, all of these things, Allah is essentially cutting them down and showing how dumb these things are that they claim, that they’re doing. Insha’Allah we’ll stop there. Next week, we’ll go onto the next Shubuha’. Wallahul A’lam.

 

Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid #9 [Transcribed] - By Shaykh Haytham Sayfaddeen

TO BE CONTINUED INSHA'ALLAH...

TO READ MORE, CLICK:

• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-1
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-2
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-3
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-4
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-5
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-6
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-7
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-8
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-10
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-11 
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-12
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-13
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-14
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-15
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-16
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-17
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-18
• Kashf ash-Shubuhat fit-Tawhid, PART-19 (LAST)