Monthly Archives: August 2015

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Supplication as it relates to the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- has varying forms (or manners) and they are as follows:

The First: It is to direct supplication towards the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- like supplication to Allah. So the supplicant says "O Allah's Messenger forgive me!" "O Allah's Messenger be merciful to me!" "O Messenger of Allah do this for me!" This is major polytheism (Shirk) that exits one from the religion. In doing so you without doubt ask the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- directly that which no one is able to do except Allah. Thus this act is major polytheism that exits one from the religion, due to you directing your supplication to other than Allah, and this is associating a partner in worship with Allah.

The Second: It is to ask Allah by way of or utilization of the Prophet's -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- honor (rank or prestige). This is not major polytheism that exits one from the religion, however it is prohibited and deemed innovation. So it is not permissible and it is in opposition to what the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- was sent with. The following narration refutes the claimant of this, "Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with our command then it's rejected."

The Third: It is to ask Allah by way of the Messenger's -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- supplication and this (is only) during his lifetime, just as Umar ibnul Khattab would do. Anas ibn Malik narrated that  whenever they were stricken with drought Umar ibnul Khattab would ask Al-Abbas ibn Abdil Muttalib to supplicate to Allah for rain. He use to say, "O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah ! Bless us with rain." And as a result it would rain.

So they would pray for rain by (aid of) the Prophet's -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- invocation during his lifetime, then by (aid of) Al-Abbas' invocation while he was living.

Therefore invocation as it relates to the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- is of three types:

1. Polytheism: Its invoking the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam-. So he directs his supplication to him and not to Allah. This is major polytheism that expels one from the religion.
2. An innovated invocation by aid and or utilization of the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam-. It is to ask Allah by way (aid) of the Prophet's honor -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- and this is a prohibited innovation.
3. Invoking Allah by way of the Prophet's supplication -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- while he was living. This was permissible during his life, however after his death it is something that is impossible (to accomplish), hence it is not permissible legislatively. Thus if one were (to attempt) to ask the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- (in present day to supplicate to Allah) he would go from this type to the first type mentioned and that is to ask Allah by way of the Prophet himself -sallahu alayhi wa salaam.

There is a fourth type and it is from the legislated means of being brought close to Allah. It is to ask Allah by way of love for the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam.

The scholars have acknowledged the legislative means of getting close to Allah through supplication as having three types:

1. Beseeching Allah by way of His names and attributes. (Meaning to call on Him using His names and attributes.)
2.  Beseeching Allah by way of righteous deeds like the story of the people of the cave.
3. Beseeching Allah by way of the righteous' supplications. (Meaning asking a righteous person to pray for you.)

These are the three legislated types of being brought close to Allah in supplication. If you supplicate to Allah by way of your love for the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- and your conformity to him, then this is legislated as it is beseeching Allah by way of righteous deeds like in the story of the people of the cave. Love for the Messenger -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- is from the best of righteous actions if it is legislative love.

قل إن كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله و يغفر لكم ذنوبكم و الله غفورٌ رحيمٌ

"Say (O Muhammad!): "If you really love Allah then follow me, then Allah will love you and forgive your sins and Allah is Oft Forgiving, and Merciful."  [Ali-Imran: 31]

Legislative love is to love and follow him -sallahu alayhi wa salaam- without transgressing set limits with regards to him similar to the excessiveness of the Jews and Christians. Indeed he is only Allah's servant and Messenger.

قل إنما أنا بشرٌ مثلكم يوحى إلىَّ

"Say (O Muhammad!): I am only a man like you, it has been revealed to me"

The difference between me and you is that it has been revealed to me.

إنما إلاهكم إلاهٌ واحدٌ فمن كان يرجو لقاء ربه فليعمل عملاً صالحاً و لا يشرك بعبادة ربه أحداً

"..your deity is only one deity. So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate a partner in worship with his Lord" [Al-Kahf: 110] 

Source: شرح توحيدالعبادة

Translated by Najeeb Al Anjelesi

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Umar Bazmool explains the following statement of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (as found in the article: Tawheed With Respect To Worship):

"In addition you're aware that this is tawheed, that which is more binding upon you than prayer and fasting. Allah will forgive whoever comes with it on the day of resurrection and will not forgive whoever is ignorant of it despite him being a devout worshiper."

The shaykh says, "In this (statement) there's a pointing towards the issue of excusing an individual due to ignorance. Hence the author's intent -may Allah bestow mercy upon him- is that whoever has the ability to learn, and acquire understanding of tawheed yet he is lenient (in that regard), or shuns (learning) it, or is lazy and as a result he falls into polytheism and whatever else that contradicts tawheed from directing acts of worship to other than Allah, then there's no excuse for him due to ignorance even if he be the most devout in worship from the people.

So whoever is ignorant concerning tawheed and his condition is like what was previously mentioned then there is no excuse for him.

Whoever says: "I say that there is no diety in truth except Allah," yet he goes around circling the grave (like what is performed at the Kabah as worship to Allah) then we say, you are ignorant with regards to the meaning there's no deity in truth except Allah and your Islam is not affirmed fundamentally, you are not excused due to ignorance. What is implied by you saying I'm  a Muslim and there is no deity in truth except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, yet you sacrifice to the inhabitant of the grave, you vow to him, and you go around circling his grave, what is the meaning of this? You're not excused for your ignorance. For this reason the author said, "and (He) will not forgive whoever is ignorant of it..."

The (specific) situation related to the lack of excuse due to ignorance here is for whomever had the ability to seek knowledge and understanding of tawheed, however he shunned it and turned away, or he was negligent and lazy (concerning the learning of it). And this is the issue that pertains to excusing one due to ignorance.  The Scholars have established (the fact) that the fundamental affairs of the religion that which are prerequisites of the religion, such as the actualization of the two testimonies by way of that which was mentioned previously (in the book from which this is extracted),  is that no one is excused for being ignorant of it due to it being the religion. It is Islam.

Consequently no one is excused for being ignorant in this regard if he has the ability to understand the truth and seek knowledge of it, yet he persists in falling into polytheism and other actions that contradict tawheed. 

Source: شرح توحيد العبادة

Translated by Najeeb Al Anjelesi