Grave worship has become a wide spread phenomenon in the Muslim World, millions are spent each year on preserving historical sites and gravesites, which Islam absolutely and completely forbids.
Seeking help from the dead is haram in Islam. It is a shirk, a grave sin in Islam. Shirk means associating partners with Allah (swt), the Creator, the Sustainer and the Maintainer of the heavens and the earth universe and its inhabitants. Allah doesn’t forgive shirk but He forgive sins any less than that. Because shirk is the greatest sin in Allah’s Sight. Allah said in the Quran: “Surely Allah will not forgive the association of partners (shirk) with Him, but He forgives sins less than that of whomever He wishes” (4:48). In a Hadith Qudsi, the Prophet (SAWS) said, Allah said: “O son of Adam! As long as you supplicate to Me and hope of Me, I’ll forgive whatever you committed, and it will be easy for Me to do that. And even if you brought the earth’s fill of sins to Me, I will bring forth its fill of forgiveness, as long as you do not associate anything or anyone in worship with Me. And even if your err and your errors accumulate until they reach the boundaries of the shy and then ask Me forgiveness, I will forgive you!” (Sahih Muslim)
Seeking help from a dead falls into Shirk in Ruboobiyah (association in the Lordship), shirk Asma-as- sifah ( association in Allah’s names and attributes), and shirk in al ‘Ibadah (association in Worship). It falls in shirk in Ruboobiyah by believing that the dead person could hear and could aid us. Allah (swt) said: “Allah created all things and He is the agent on whom all things depend” (39:62). Allah created us and Sustains for us, so we should depend on Him and seek His help entirely, not seek help from others and certainly not from a dead. Seeking help from a dead is the most prohibited act in Islam. It should be noted, we are not permitted to seek help from our Prophet (saws) or make his grave into a worshipping place. It’s not even permissible for anyone to make du’a to bring closer to Allah by touching the chamber of the prophet saws or by facing it. The Prophet (saws) warned us the severity of the grave worshipping and made the du’a: “O Allah! Never turn my grave into an idol to be worshipped. Allah’s wrath intensified on a people who turn their Prophet’s graves into Masjid.” ( Malik in his Muwatta and Ahmed in Al-Musnad). Nothing of Allah’s creation such as: The angels, the prophets, pious and righteous people, idols, etc can help or answer prayers except Allah. Allah alone answers all prayers and accepts prayers. Allah said: “ Nor call on any besides Allah, such can neither profit you, nor hurt you. If you do, then you will surely be one of the zalimun" (Qur'an 10:106). Consequently, seeking help from the dead person is an absurd and ridiculous idea. First of all, the dead body who himself is a powerless and hopeless vulnerable body, who can neither help himself nor can aid himself. Allah said: “Do they attribute as partners to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves are created? No help can they give them, nor do they help themselves.” (soorah Al-A’raaf, 7:191,192). And secondly, why should we seek a dead person’s help or make du’a to bring us closer to Allah when Allah is the all Hearer and all Knower. It doesn’t matter how pious or righteous the persons were or might be, Allah is Sufficient for us. Allah said in the Quran: “When My servants ask you (O Mohammad) about me tell them, ‘Verily I am close to them; I listen to the prayer of every one who calls on Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me in order that they may be guided aright”. (2:186). Another ayah Allah said in the Quran is, “It’s We who created man and We know what his soul whispers to him, for We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (50:16).
Seeking help from a dead is form of shirk in Ibadah (association in Worship) and Asma-as-sifah giving Allah’s creation the attributes of Allah’s. When someone makes du’a to a dead person is equal to worshiping them, because our prophet saws said “prayer (du’a) is worship” (sunan abi dawud). Allah the all Mighty said: “Do you worship besides Allah that which (cannot and) does not help you at all or harm you?” (21:66). In another ayah Allah (swt) said: “Those on whom you call besides Allah are only slaves like yourselves” (7:194).
Muslims are allowed to travel to only three places to worship. These are the three masjids: Masjid-al- Haram in Makah, Al-Masjid an- Nabawi in Medina, and Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem. The Prophet (SAWS) said, "Do not set out on a journey except for three Masjids, Al-Masjid-AI-Haram, the Masjid of Allah's Apostle, and the Masjid of Al-Aqsa, (Masjid of Jerusalem)."(Sahih Bukhari) However, our Prophet (saws) didn’t encourage setting out on a journey only intended to visit his Masjid-an-Nabawi or visiting prophet (saws)’s grave in Medina. The Prophet (saws) said: “Send blessings upon me, for your blessings will reach me no matter where you are.” And he said, “Allah has angels who travel about throughout the land, conveying to me the salaams of my Ummah.” (Narrated by al-Nasaa’i). Nevertheless, he encouraged pilgrims to visit and pray in his masjid when they are in the Makah for umrah or hajj, because the blessings of praying in the prophet’s masjid is a thousand times better than praying in any ordinary Masjid. The Prophet (saws) said, “A prayer in this mosque of mine is a thousand times greater than a prayer in other than it, except for the Masjid al-Haram.” (Sahih Bukhari)”. Setting out on a journey besides these three places to worship is an innovation and innovations are prohibited in Islam. The Prophet (saws) said: “Every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the Hellfire."( Reported by an-Nasaa'ee)
Students of knowledge should approach these issues, such as: seeking help from the dead and travelling to particular places of worship, other than what our Prophet (saws) permitted, in their respective communities with pure knowledge and taqwah(fear of Allah). Students of knowledge need to educate other with the most respected manner and with patience. Because, most likely, when people hear something different than what they are brought up with, they would be rigid about it and they would react frenetically. Perhaps it is normal for human beings to react this way. They wouldn’t want to change their habits or practices, which were passed down through their parents and ancestors for years; they would definitely not want to give up their practices overnight. So, instead of being hopeless or upset with them, students of knowledge should follow the Sunnah of our prophet (saws), which is, being patient and making dua for them. Our beloved prophet (saws) was patient, perseverance and prayed for his people who were on the wrong path. So, by following the footsteps of our prophet (saws) and with evidences from Quran and Sunnah, inshaAlllah these issues could be prevented and erased from our communities.
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