How come prayers of shirk are answered by Allah ?
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:
Assalam alaikum
I come from a very
modern family.Religion meant nothing to me.But after coming in contact with
your forum i have realised the seriousness of islam and its deeper meaning.May
Allah provide you with all good things in this world and in the here after.
I would like you
to clarify my doubts regarding the following;
Bida is an
innovation and people indulging in it are cursed by allah and his angels.Nearly
all of my relatives indulge in bida (Quran qani, Ayaath-e-karima,Gyarvin etc)They
ask allah for some favour during these ceremony's and their prayers do get
answered.If bida is a crime then why does allah subhannah answer their prayers?
Continuing on the same note-My hindu friend was not able to conceive for nearly
8 years of her married life.Some "pundit"advised her to visit a
particular temple and pray there.Two months later she conceived.Mushriks are
considered disbelievers and obviously their gods do not exist.Then why was her
prayer answered.When i tell my people not to indulge in bida they say that
their prayers have been answered .Therefore i am wrong and they are right.
your sister
(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:
How come prayers of shirk are
answered by Allah ?
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 no one (no idol,
no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam,
no dai, nobody!) worthy of
worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His
slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Your Statement: I come from a very modern family. Religion
meant nothing to me.But after coming in contact with your forum i have realised
the seriousness of islam and its deeper meaning.May Allah provide you with all
good things in this world and in the here after.
Sahih Al-Bukhari
Hadith 4.253 Narrated by Sahl
On the day (of the
battle) of Khaibar, I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say to Hadrat Ali ibn
Abi Taalib (r.a.): ‘By Allah, if Allah
gives guidance to somebody through you, it is better for you than possessing
red camels (the most prized possession of those times!)."
May Allah Subhanah reward you
with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of
encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. We humbly hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgive us our shortcomings, and save you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.
Your statement: If bida is a
crime then why does allah subhannah answer their prayers? Continuing on the
same note-My hindu friend was not able to conceive for nearly 8 years of her
married life.Some "pundit"advised her to visit a particular temple and
pray there.Two months later she conceived.Mushriks are considered disbelievers
and obviously their gods do not exist.Then why was her prayer answered.When i
tell my people not to indulge in bida they say that their prayers have been
answered .Therefore i am wrong and they are right.
Beloved brother, before we answer your specific
question, we would like to explain the
difference between ‘bida’ (innovation) and ‘shirk’ (associating other gods with
Allah Subhanah).
Ref: Bida (innovations).
Bida is adding something to the
rituals in the deen of Islam, which have no basis or evidence in the Quran or
Sunnah. No person who ever walked on
this planet earth, worshipped Allah Subhanah better and in a more perfect
manner than the person of the Last Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah
(saws). When one invents a novelty, or
innovates a new rite or ritual in the deen of Islam, and creates his own method of earning rewards from Allah Subhanah
through these innovations, he implies
that either he worships Allah Subhanah more than the Messenger of Allah
(saws), or that he knows how to worship
Allah Subhanah better than the person of the Messenger of Allah (saws); both of which are absolutely
impossible!!!
Besides, if everyone starts
innovating and inventing his own rites and rituals and adding it to the deen of
Islam; the deen that was brought by Prophet Mohamed (saws) will change beyond
recognition, just as the deen of the earlier Prophets Musa (a.s.) and Isa
(a.s.) was changed by their followers!
That is why the Messenger of Allah (saws) has declared each innovation
in the deen as a grave sin in Islam!
Sunan of Abu-Dawood
Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib
That the Prophet of
Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives
shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by
Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.”
Sahih Muslim Hadith
1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah
That the Prophet of
Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The
best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and
the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations,
and every innovation is an error.”
Ref: Shirk (associating other gods with Allah
Subhanah)
Shirk is absolutely the biggest
and gravest sin in Islam! All the
Prophets who ever came to this earth, came to invite people to the Truth of the
Oneness of Allah Subhanah, and warn
them against committing the evil and heinous sin of ‘shirk’! Any person who dies while in the state of
‘shirk’, Allah Subhanah has declared that He has forbidden Paradise for him, and Hell shall be his everlasting
abode! Such is the gravity of this
single most heinous sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (invoking
anything with Allah), Allah shall
forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall
be his abode. And for such wrong
doers there will be no one to help.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48:Shirk (associating other deities with
Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever
He pleases, sins other than this. For
whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie
and commits the most heinous sin.
Your Question: Mushriks are considered disbelievers and
obviously their gods do not exist. Then
why was her prayer answered.
The truth is that Allah Subhanah
has sent man on this earth for a test, to see who amongst mankind does the best
deeds. Thus, Allah Subhanah puts man
through good and bad conditions, and sees what is the reaction of his created
slave.
When Allah bestows someone with
good, the person’s test is whether he is grateful to Allah Subhanah or to
someone else! If the person is
constant in his gratefulness to Allah Subhanah he passes the test, and if he is
grateful to anything else other than Allah Subhanah (any idol, any star, any
grave, etc.), he fails the test miserably and is guilty of the heinous crime of
shirk!
When Allah Subhanah afflicts
someone with a trial, the preson’s test is whether he is patient and keeps his
hope in the Power and Strength of Allah Subhanah Alone, or does he go knocking and bowing and
pinning his hopes on every door and grave and idol, etc.! If the person accepts his affliction as a
trial from his Lord, shows patience and steadfastness, and keeps his hopes and prayers constant in
the Lord of the Worlds, he passes the
test. And if the person loses hope in
Allah Subhanah, and starts seeking ‘super-natural’ help from any combination of
his false gods, and idols, and graves,
and rituals, etc., he fails the test miserably and is guilty of
the heinous crime of shirk!
Allah Says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah 155-157:
155 Be sure We shall test you with
something of fear, and hunger, some loss in goods, or lives,
or the fruits (of your toil);
but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.
156 Who say when afflicted with calamity: "To
Allah we belong and to Him is our return."
157 They are those on whom (descend) blessings from
Allah and Mercy, and they are the ones
that receive guidance.
Thus, every good and evil that afflicts a person on this earth, is nothing more than a test ordained by the
Lord All-Mighty as a test! Allah
Subhanah tests his slaves for a limited time period ordained by Him, and when
the test period is over, He lifts the calamity
or affliction at the exact time He has ordained, whether the person beseeches
Allah Alone, or begs and prays to all
and sundry! And the deeds that a
person does during his time of trial will determine whether he passes or fails
the test in the sight of Allah Subhanah.
Whether your Hindu friend who
could not conceive had stayed patient and beseeched the One Lord of the Worlds
Alone, or whether she begged and
worshipped every idol in every temple in the world; her test would have ended on the exact same day which Allah
Subhanah had ordained for her!
Allah Subhanah cites a
similar parable in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verses 189-193:
189 It is He who created you from a single person
and made his mate of like nature in order that he might dwell with her (in
love). When they are united she bears
a light burden, and carries it about
(unnoticed). When she grows heavy they
both pray to Allah, their Lord
(saying): "if Thou givest us a goodly child we vow we shall (ever) be
grateful."
190 But when He giveth them a goodly child, they ascribe to others a share in the gift
they have received: but Allah is exalted high
above the ‘shirk’ they commit.
191 Do they indeed ascribe to Him as partners things
that can create nothing, but are themselves created?
192 No aid can they (their false gods) give them,
nor can they aid themselves!
193 If ye call them to guidance they will not
obey: for you it is the same whether ye
call them, or ye hold your peace!
Allah Subhanah Alone has the
Power to afflict someone with a trial, He Alone is the One Who determines what
trial to afflict on which person, He Alone is the One Who determines the period
of the trial, and He Alone is the One Who lifts the trial when the determined
test period has ended! The One Who
recognizes the Power and Strength of the One Lord of the Worlds, and keeps his
hopes and prayers constant on Him Alone, passes the test; and the one who thinks he can get his trial
lifted by someone who has absolutely no power or control over anything Allah
Decrees, and seeks help from all and
sundry, fails the test miserably!
If one just sees the
modus-operandi of the people who commit shirk, he will see the fallacy in the
process of shirk, through simple and basic common sense. Lets take the same example of a woman who
is unable to conceive; she tries everything in her power, but cannot
conceive. Then she decides to seek
‘super-natural’ help, and goes from one god to another god, one idol to another
idol, one ritual to another ritual, to get her wish to conceive. Anyone who gives her hope that she might be
able to get her wish from so and so god, or temple, or idol, or star, or
whatever; she runs to that hope and does the necessary rituals as told by the
relevant ‘holy men’! She keeps on
running after every hope until the precise time which Allah had ordained for
the ending of her test arrives; and her test is lifted by Allah Subhanah, and
she conceives! Now the person starts
thanking and being grateful to the last stop she made in her run-a-around, and
thinks and believes that so and so god or temple or whatever was responsible
for giving her wish! And she starts worshipping and thanking and being grateful
to her deity, when in truth, that deity had absolutely nothing to do with her
test, the period of her test, or the
lifting of her trial! She failed her
test miserably, and through her own deeds deserves the Wrath and Anger of the
All-Mighty Lord of the Worlds!
But the one who knows that none
other than Allah Subhanah Alone has all the Power and Might in this Universe,
stays constant in his hope and prayer to the One True Lord Alone. He never ever waivers from his supplications
to his One and Only Lord, and remains steadfast and patient in his period of
trial. At the precise time ordained by
Allah Subhanah, the trial will be lifted; but his deeds of constancy, patience,
steadfastness, and hope on the Lord Who
holds all Power and Might Alone, enables
him to pass the test with flying colors, and earns him the Pleasure and Good
Will of Allah Subhanah.
If you study the people who
commit shirk, they always thank their false gods, or idols, or stars,
or graves, or whatever else they
can think of as a deity for all the good things in life; and reserve all the afflictions that cannot
be removed as the ‘Will of the One True Lord’! Whatever good that happens to them, they ascribe it to their
self-invented gods; and whatever trial or affliction comes upon them, like death of a loved one, like bankruptcy, or a deadly incurable disease,
etc.; they ascribe it to the
Supreme Lord!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rum verses 33-35:When a affliction befalls the people,
they invoke their Lord, turning penitently towards Him. Then, when He makes them taste of His Mercy,
some of them start committing shirk, so that they may show ingratitude for Our
Favors. Well, enjoy yourselves, for
soon you shall know! Have We sent down
to them an authority, which may testify to the truth of the Shirk they are
committing?
But when one truly believes in
the One Lord Alone without associating any partners with Him, he knows for sure
that all good is a Mercy from His Lord, and all afflictions are a trial from
the same Lord. Thus when He receives
Allah’s Mercy, he is grateful to his Lord;
and when afflicted with a trial,
he remains patient and keeps his hope and prayers constant to the same
Lord of the Worlds!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 67:These people (who commit shirk) have not
recognized the true worth of Allah, as His worth should truly be
recognized. (As for His Omnipotence)
the entire earth on the Day of Resurrection shall be in His grasp and the
heavens shall be rolled up in His Right Hand.
Glorified is He and Exalted above the ‘shirk’ that these people commit.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verse 66:Note it well that all the dwellers of the
heavens and the earth belong to Allah.
And those who invoke partners besides Allah, follow nothing but surmises
and merely indulge in guess-works!
The truth about the power and
might of the false deities is described by Allah Subhanah in the parable quoted
below!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse73:O mankind!
A parable is related to you, so listen to it! Those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot (even) create a fly,
even though they may all combine together for this purpose! Nay! If a fly snatches away anything from
them, they would have no power to release it from the fly! How weak are those who petition, and how
weak are those to whom they supplicate!
Glorified and Far Exalted is
Allah Subhanah the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything that exists
in between from what they associate with Him!
Whatever written of Truth and benefit
is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of
me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in
Islam,
