Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother Burhan,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

Answering to a question "What is the definition of Shirk" you have mentioned 26 examples.

Thus it becomes our duty to recognize and be aware of ‘shirk’ and all the manifestations of this horrendous and grave sin.   Allow me to just give you an example of what constitutes ‘shirk’:

Point 1-25 it's clear to me but I couldn’t get point no 26 as mentioned below

To go to somebody to take our message or supplication to Allah is shirk

Because in our daily life we use to tell our fellow brother to remember in dua (dua ki darkhwasth hai, ya dua me yaad rakhna) or sometime we face some problem or in a difficult situation, or going for a long journey, we request some good persons, Islamic scholars or Imam (all alive not dead) to pray for easiness of our affairs. Is these all include in shirk? Please clarify.

 

Jazak Allah Khair

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Invoking someone in unseen is shirk

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Respected brother, there is absolutely no harm if one approaches one’s believing brethren with whom one is in direct conversation or correspondence with, and requests them to remember them in their supplications, or make supplications unto the Lord Most Gracious on their behalf, etc.…..that is perfectly acceptable and in accordance with the Guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verses 97-98:

97      They (the sons of Prophet Yaqoob (a.s.)) said: "O our father! Ask for us forgiveness for our sins for we were truly at fault."

98      He (Prophet Yaqoob (a.s.)) said: "Soon will I ask my Lord for forgiveness for you: for He is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 64:

64      We sent not a Messenger but to be obeyed in accordance with the Will of Allah.  If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come unto thee (O Prophet (saws)) and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them; they would have found Allah indeed Oft-Returning Most Merciful.

 

But to invoke anyone or anything (other than Allah Subhanah Alone) in the ‘unseen’ would be a manifest act of ‘shirk’ in the Sight of the Lord. 

 

For example:

• If one invokes anyone in creation who is dead, or to assume that the deceased can hear or respond to their invocation, or asks the person buried in the grave to take their message or supplication unto Allah, etc….that would be ‘shirk’!!!
• Asking a brethren or loved one with whom one is in direct conversation or correspondence to supplicate Allah Subhanah on their behalf is absolutely fine and acceptable….but say one is living in Dubai and without any mode of correspondence (telephone, internet, etc.) assumes that someone living in Delhi has the power to hear or listen or respond to their invocation in the ‘unseen’ would be a manifestation of the abomination of ‘shirk’ in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

 

It is Allah Subhanah Alone Who is the All-Hearing….and to assume that one in creation, living or dead, can hear or respond to one’s invocation in the ‘unseen’ would be a manifest form and application of the abomination of ‘shirk’.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39  Surah Zumur verses 2-3:

So worship Allah Alone, making your religion His exclusively.  Beware! Religion is the exclusive Right of Allah.  As for those who have taken other ‘auliyas’ (guardians) with Allah (and justify their this conduct by saying): “We serve (or invoke) them only that they may bring us closer to Allah.” Allah will surely judge between them concerning all that in which they differ.  Allah does not show guidance to any liar and denier of the Truth.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10  Surah Yunus  verse 18:

These people serve beside Allah those which can neither harm nor benefit them, and say, “These are our ‘shofa’a’ (intercessors) with Allah!”  (O Mohammed), tell them, “Do you wish to inform Allah of that thing which He knows not in the heavens, or in the earth?”  He is absolutely free from, and exalted above the shirk that they commit.

 

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),   one can be assured of never ever being misled;   but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.  

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan