Warnings Against Attributing Divine Powers to Saints.
Contents:
1. Ibn al Wardi (d 749 AH)state that some people have attributed to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī matters that are only applicable to Allah, subḥānahu wa ta‘ālā and even Ibn Hajr al asqalani.
2. Ibn Ḥajar al-‘Asqalānī (d. 852 AH) said something similar about the belief of people about the grave of Sayyidah Nafīsah.
3. Qāḍī Iyāḍ clarified.
4. Abu al-Fath al-Shahrastani (467 AH – 548 AH)
5. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ‘Abd al-Hādi
6. Ibn Kathīr spoke about the shirk-based beliefs held by some people regarding Shaykh ‘Adī ibn Musāfir, who also met Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī.
7. Student of Shah Waliullāh, The Naqshbandī Qāḍī Thanā’ullāh Panīpātī, on seeking help from ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (may Allah have mercy on him)
8. Taqi ud din al Maqrizi (745 ah to 865 ah) said about the tomb of Imam Jafar Sadiq and Abu Turab al-Nakhshabi
9. Student of Ibn hajar Haytami the Sufi, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Tahir ibn ‘Ali al-Hanafi al-Patani al-Gujrati (913 – 986 H) on Istigatha through dead.
10. These Auliyā’ are free from what people do at their graves, just as ‘Īsā عليه السلام is free from the shirk of the Christians. Ibn Khuldoon
11. Conclusion
Did you know:
𝟏. 𝐈𝐛𝐧 𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢 (𝐝 𝟕𝟒𝟗 𝐀𝐇) 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐤𝐡 ‘𝐀𝐛𝐝 𝐚𝐥-𝐐𝐚̄𝐝𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐥-𝐉𝐢̄𝐥𝐚̄𝐧𝐢̄ 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡, 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐡̣𝐚̄𝐧𝐚𝐡𝐮 𝐰𝐚 𝐭𝐚‘𝐚̄𝐥𝐚̄, and even Ibn Hajr al asqalani.
It is mentioned in Kashf al-Zunūn 2/159
قال الشيخ عمر بن عبد الوهاب العرضي، الحلبي، في ظهر نسخة من نسخ البهجة : ذكر ابن الوردي في تاريخه: أن في البهجة أمورا لا تصح، ومبالغات في شأن الشيخ عبد القادر، لا تليق إلا بالربوبية.انتهى, وبمثل هذه المقالة، قيل عن الشهاب ابن حجر العسقلاني.
Sheikh ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab al-‘Ardi, al-Halabi (950 AH 1024 AH), wrote on the back of a manuscript copy of al-Bahjat (ul Asrar):
“Ibn al-Wardi (d 749 AH) mentioned in his history that al-Bahjah contains matters that are not authentic, and exaggerations regarding Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir that are fitting only for divinity.”
It is with statements like this that similar remarks were made about al-Shihab Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani. [Abul Hai Lucknowy Hanafi also mentioned this in Athaar Al Marfua fi Akhbar Al Mawdhua page 66]
𝟐. 𝐈𝐛𝐧 𝐇̣𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐥-‘𝐀𝐬𝐪𝐚𝐥𝐚̄𝐧𝐢̄ (𝐝. 𝟖𝟓𝟐 𝐀𝐇) 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐲𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐡 𝐍𝐚𝐟𝐢̄𝐬𝐚𝐡.
He said regarding her grave:
، وما زال قبرُها مقصودًا بالزيارة والتبرك به، حتى اشتهر عَنْ نقل بعض العلماء أن المصريين كانوا يُسَمونَ الدعاء عندها الترياقَ المجرَّبَ! وقد غلا في ذلك بعضُ العوامِّ، بل كلهم، حتى إن بعضهم يقع في الكفر وهو لا يشعُرُ، واللَّه المستعان.
“Her grave has continued to be visited and sought for blessing, to the extent that it became well known—through reports transmitted by some scholars that the people of Egypt used to call supplication made near her grave ‘the tried and tested remedy’.
Some of the common folk indeed, most of them exceeded the limits in this matter, to the point that some fell into disbelief without realizing it. And Allah is the One whose help is sought.”
Source: al-Jawāhir wa al-Durar fī Tarjamat Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Ḥajar (2/949)
𝟑. 𝐀𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡, 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 “𝐎 𝐬𝐨-𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐬𝐨, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞,” “𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝,” 𝐨𝐫 “𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢 𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐢 𝐩𝐚𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲,” 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐐𝐚̄𝐝̣𝐢̄ 𝐈𝐲𝐚̄𝐝̣ 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝.
Qāḍī Iyāḍ (d 544 AH) said:
أَو نَزَع مِن الْكَلَام لِمَخْلُوق بِمَا لَا يَلِيق إلَّا فِي حَقّ خالِقِه غَيْر قاصِد لِلْكُفْر والاسْتِخْفَاف وَلَا عامِد لِلْإلْحَاد فَإِن تَكَرّر هَذَا مِنْه وَعُرِف بِه دَلّ عَلَى تلاعبه بدينه واستخفافه بحُرْمَة رَبّه وَجَهْلِه بِعَظِيم عِزَّتِه وكِبْرِيائِه وَهَذَا كُفْر لَا مِرْيَة فِيه
“Whoever attributes to a created being something that is only appropriate for the Creator WITHOUT intending disbelief, mockery, or deliberate heresy if this occurs repeatedly and becomes known as a habit, it indicates that he is playing with his religion, showing disregard for the sanctity of his Lord, and ignorance of His great Majesty and Glory. This constitutes clear kufr (disbelief) without any doubt.” [al Shifa 2/299]
Qāḍī Iyāḍ warned that using language proper only for Allah such as addressing a created being with divine supplications is impermissible like “Heal me and grant me wellness” etc. Thus, reducing disbelief to only denying Allah’s Lordship is invalid, as true disbelief includes attributing Allah’s exclusive rights to creation. This violation disregards the sanctity reserved for Allah alone.
𝟒. 𝐀𝐛𝐮 𝐚𝐥-𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥-𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢 (𝟒𝟔𝟕 𝐀𝐇 – 𝟓𝟒𝟖 𝐀𝐇) 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝:
ومن رفع الحاجة إلى من لا تُرفع إليه الحوائج فقد أشرك كلَّ الشرك
“Whoever directs a need to someone to whom needs are not to be directed has committed all forms of shirk.”
𝟓. 𝐀𝐥-𝐇̣𝐚̄𝐟𝐢𝐳̣ 𝐈𝐛𝐧 ‘𝐀𝐛𝐝 𝐚𝐥-𝐇𝐚̄𝐝𝐢̄ 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝:
ولو جاء إنسان إلى سرير الميت يدعوه من دون الله ويستغيث به كان هذا شركًا محرمًا بإجماع المسلمين
“If a person comes to the grave of a deceased and calls upon him instead of Allah, seeking help from him, this is shirk that is forbidden by consensus of the Muslims.”
(Al-Milal wa al-Nihal, 2/94) [65]
𝟔. 𝐈𝐛𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢̄𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐤-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐤𝐡 ‘𝐀𝐝𝐢̄ 𝐢𝐛𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐚̄𝐟𝐢𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐤𝐡 ‘𝐀𝐛𝐝 𝐚𝐥-𝐐𝐚̄𝐝𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐥-𝐉𝐢̄𝐥𝐚̄𝐧𝐢̄.
واعتقده أهل تلك الناحية اعتقادا بليغا، حتى إن منهم من يغلو غلوا كثيرا منكرا ومنهم من يجعله إلها أو شريكا، وهذا اعتقاد فاحش يؤدي إلى الخروج من الدين جملة.
The people of that region came to hold beliefs about him in an extreme manner, to the extent that some of them exaggerated greatly in a reprehensible way, and some even regarded him as a god or as a partner (with Allah). This is an obscene and grave belief that leads to complete apostasy from the religion altogether. [al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 12 under 555 h]
𝟕. 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐡 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚̄𝐡, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐪𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢̄ 𝐐𝐚̄𝐝̣𝐢̄ 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚̄’𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚̄𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐢̄𝐩𝐚̄𝐭𝐢̄, 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 ‘𝐀𝐛𝐝 𝐚𝐥-𝐐𝐚̄𝐝𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐥-𝐉𝐢̄𝐥𝐚̄𝐧𝐢̄ (𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦):
Qāḍī Thanā’ullāh said:
“The statements of ignorant people, such as ‘Yā Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī shay’an lillāh’ and ‘Yā Khawāja Shams al-Dīn al-Panipātī shay’an lillāh’ (‘O Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī, give something for the sake of Allah’ and ‘O Khawāja Shams al-Dīn Panipātī, give something for the sake of Allah’), are not permissible. Indeed, they constitute shirk (polytheism) and kufr.
“However, if someone says: ‘O my Lord, through the mediation of Khawāja Shams al-Dīn Panipātī, fulfil the following need of mine…’, then this is permissible.
“Regarding the verse ‘وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ عِبَادًا أَمْثَالَكُمْ’, it refers to disbelievers and idols. It should be noted that the phrase ‘دُونِ اللَّهِ’ is general.
“And if someone recites as a wazeefa: ‘Yā Muḥammad, Yā Muḥammad’, this is not allowed.”
(Tuhfatul Saalikeen tarjuma Irshad al-Talibin, p.22 and 23)
𝟖. 𝐓𝐚𝐪𝐢 𝐮𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐪𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐢 (𝟕𝟒𝟓 𝐚𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝟖𝟔𝟓 𝐚𝐡) 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐛 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐦 𝐉𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐪 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐮 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐚𝐥-𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢
وبالله ان الفتنة بهذا المكان الآخر من حارة برجوان الذي يعرف بجعفر الصادق لعظيمة فإنهما صارا كالأنصاب التي كانت تتخذها مشركوا العرب يلجأ إليهما سفهاء العامّة والنساء في أوقات الشدائد ويُنزلون بهذين الموضين كَرْبَهم وشدائدهم التي لا ينزلها البد إلا بالله ربه ويسألون في هذين الموضعين ما لا يقدر عليه إلا الله تعالى وحده من وفاء الدين من غير جهة معينة وطلب الولد ونحو ذلك ويحملون النذور من الزيت وغيره إليهما ظنًا أن ذلك ينجيهم من المكاره ويجلب إليهم المنافع ولعمري إنْ هي إلاّ كرّة خاسرة ولله الحمد على السلامة
By Allah, the trial at this other place in the Burjwān neighborhood, known as Ja‘far al-Ṣādiq, is indeed great. For it has become like the idols that the Arabs used to take as objects of worship. The foolish among the common people and the women resort to it in times of hardship, and they ascribe their distress and calamities to these two places distress that only Allah, their Lord, can truly relieve.
They ask at these two locations for matters that only Allah alone is capable of granting such as the fulfillment of obligations, the seeking of children, and similar needs and they bring offerings of oil and other items to them, thinking that this will protect them from harm and bring them benefit.
By my life, this is nothing but a futile and losing practice. Praise be to Allah for safety from it.
Al-Mawa’iz wa al-I’tibar bi Dhikr al-Khutat wa al-Athar” (3/94)
𝟗. 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐛𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐲𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐢, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐤𝐡 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐛𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐛𝐧 ‘𝐀𝐥𝐢 𝐚𝐥-𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐟𝐢 𝐚𝐥-𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐚𝐥-𝐆𝐮𝐣𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢 (𝟗𝟏𝟑 – 𝟗𝟖𝟔 𝐇) 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝.
He wrote:
فإن منهم من قصد بزيارة قبور الأنبياء والصلحاء أن يصلي عند قبورهم ويدعو عندها ويسألهم الحوائج وهذا لا يجوز عند أحد من علماء المسلمين فإن العبادة وطلب الحوائج والإستعانة حق لله وحده
“Among the people, some intended by visiting the graves of the Prophets and righteous people to pray at their graves, supplicate there, and ask them for their needs. This is not permissible according to any of the scholars of Islam, because worship, seeking needs, and asking for help belong to Allah alone.
(Majma‘ Bihar al-Anwar fi Ghara’ib al-Tanzil wa Lata’if al-Akhbar vol 2, p. 73 which became a widely accepted work (Nuzhat al-Khawatir p. 410) )
𝟏𝟎. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐲𝐚̄’ 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 ‘𝐈̄𝐬𝐚̄ عليه السلام 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬.
Ibn Khaldūn said in his Kitāb al-‘Ibar:
قد كثر الزغل في أصحاب الشيخ قدس سره وتجددت لهم أحوال شيطانية منذ أخذت التتار العراق من دخول النيران وركوب السباع واللعب بالحيات وهذا ما لا يعرفه الشيخ ولا صلحاء أصحابه فنعوذ بالله تعالى من الشيطان الرجيم
“The followers of the Shaykh (Rifā‘ī, may Allah sanctify his secret) have greatly increased in deviation. Since the Tatars took over Iraq, they have engaged in new satanic practices such as entering fire, riding wild animals, and playing with snakes. The Shaykh (Rifā‘ī) and his righteous companions have no connection with these un-Islamic practices. And we seek refuge in Allah from the Accursed Shayṭān.”
Source: Quoted by al-‘Ālūsī in Tafsīr Rūḥ al-Ma‘ānī (9/67)
𝟏𝟏. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧:
The post is not about tawassul, which is permissible for example, saying, “O Allah, I ask You through my love for Your Prophets or Awliyā’,” or the tawassul about which scholars differ, such as saying, “O Allah, I ask You through the Auliyā’ or Prophets.” It is also not about the innovated tawassul at graves, such as saying, “O such-and-such, pray for me.” Rather, it concerns direct istighātha, such as invoking from afar, “O Ghawth al-A‘ẓam, help!” or “Yā Ali, meri kashti par laga day.” Whenever this is addressed, some respond by citing the virtues of saints—a point irrelevant to the matter because, as Ibn Khaldūn noted, saints are free from such beliefs.