Source: http://www.ibnbaz.org.sa

Question:

We hear some people saying “Madad Ya rasulallaah” (I call upon you Oh messenger of Allaah), or “Madad yaa nabiyy” (I call upon you Oh prophet)? What is the ruling on this?

Answer:

This kind of talk is major shirk (associating partners with Allaah (SWT)) and it means asking the Prophet (PBUH) for help. The scholars from the companions of the prophet (PBUH) as well as their followers from the Sunni Scholars unanimously agree that asking the dead(prophets and others) for help, the unseen (angels, Jinn, etc.), idols, stones, trees, stars or anything similar to that is considered major shirk. The proof is in the words of Allah:

“And the mosques are for Allah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allah”. (Al Jinn 18)  

Allah says: “Such is Allah your Lord; His is the kingdom. And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmir (the thin membrane over the date-stone).  If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad SAW) like Him Who is the AllKnower (of each and everything).” Faatir verses 13&14.

Allah says: “And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allah, any other ilah (god), of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! Al-Kafirun (the disbelievers in Allah and in the Oneness of Allah, polytheists, pagans, idolaters, etc.) will not be successful”. Al Muminoon verse 117.

The verses from the Quran concerning this issue are many. This act was practiced by the disbelievers of Quraish and others. Allah (SWT) sent all of the prophets may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them and He (SWT) also sent down his books to prohibit and warn against it.

As Allah (SWT) says: “And certainly We raised in every nation a messenger saying: Serve Allah and shun the Shaitan.” (An-Nahl: 36)

 Allah says: “Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me”. (Al-Ambiyaa’: 25)

Allah says: “Alif Lam Ra (This is) a Book, whose verses are made decisive, then are they made plain, from the Wise, All-aware”. “That ye should worship none but Allah. (Say): "Verily I am (sent) unto you from Him to warn and to bring glad tidings”. (Huud: 1-2)

Allah says: “The revelation of this Book is from Allah, the Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom”. “Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee in Truth: so serve Allah, offering Him sincere devotion”. “Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors other than Allah (say): "We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah." Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.” (Az- Zumar: 1-3)

So Allah (glorified be He) explained in these verses that he has sent the Messengers and books so that He can be worshiped alone without a partner in various types of worship such as: supplication, asking for help, fear, hope, praying, fasting, sacrificing, fulfilling a promise for Allaah (SWT) or anything that is considered an act of worship.

He also informed us about the disbelievers of Quarish and others who say to their Prophets and other callers to the truth: “we do not worship them (meaning their awliyaa) only to get us closer to Allah”. Meaning that they have worshiped them in order to bring them closer to Allaah and intercede for them, not because they think that they create, provide or control the universe. Allaah then called them liars and disbelievers in the following verse: “Verily, Allaah will judge between them over what they were disputing in, verily Allaah does not guide he who is a liar and a disbeliever”.

Allah (SWT) also showed in another verse from Surat Yuunus that they say that the gods that they associate with Allaah intercede for them to Allaah: “And they worship other than Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, "These are our intercessors with Allah"” then Allaah replies to them by saying: Say, "Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?" Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him” (Yuunus: 18).

Allah says in surat Adh-Dhariat that he only created Jinn and mankind to worship him alone. Allah says: “I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me”. (Adh-Dhariat; 56).

So it is compulsory upon all Jinn and mankind to worship Allah alone with sincerity and to beware of worshiping Prophets or anything else beside Him be it by asking for ‘madad’ (supplication) or any other type of worship. This is done as an implementation to the mentioned verses and adhering to the call of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and other prophets; that is to call people to the oneness of Allah and to direct all acts of worship to him alone, in addition to forbidding them from Shirk (associating partners with Allaah (SWT)). This is the fundamental belief of Islaam for which Allaah (SWT) sent his Messengers and books, and for which humans and Jinn were created. For he who asks prophets or others for help, or asks them for ‘madad’ or worships them in any other way, has associated partners with Allaah (swt) and has become of those whom Allaah says about them: “.... If they were to join other gods with Him, all that they did would be vain for them”. (Al Anam: 88).

And also: “And certainly, it has been revealed to you and to those before you: Surely if you associate (with Allah), your work would certainly come to naught and you would certainly be of the losers”. (Azumar: 65).

 Allah says: “Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin”. (An-nisaa’: 48).

Allah says: “.... Lo! Whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, for him Allah hath forbidden paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evil-doers there will be no helpers”. Al Maidah verse 72.

The only person that is excused (from this ruling) for ignorance is the one that Islaam has not reached him and did not receive the proof from the Quran and sunnah. His matter is with Allah (SWT) who will test him on the Day of Judgment and if he obeys, he will be admitted into Jannah and if he disobeys, he will be admitted in to the hell fire. This is also the case with the children of the disbelievers whom die before the age of puberty. This is proven by the hadith of the messenger of Allaah (PBUH) who said: “Allaah is most knowing of what they used to do” (its authenticity is agreed aupon). The other opinion is that they (the children of the disbelievers) are from the people of Paradise because they died on the Fitrah which is the natural belief in Allah aza wa jal. It was authentically narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Every child is born on a Fitrah” in another narration “is born on this belief and his parents change him into a Jew, Christian or fire worshiper”. It was also narrated that Prophet (PBUH) saw Prophet Ibrahim in Jannah and with him were the children of the believers and the disbelievers. This is the most correct opinion in regards to the children of the disbelievers.

Allah says: “..., nor do We chastise until We raise a messenger”. (Al–Israa: 15).

What is also exempted (from this ruling) is asking the living to do that which they can, this is not considered as Shirk as per the words of Allah (SWT) about the story of Muusa (AS) with the Coptic man: “…Now the man of his own religion appealed to him against his foe...” (Al Qassas: 15).

This is because every human is in need of the help of his brothers in matters in Islam such as Jihad, etc. This is not ‘Shirk’, on the contrary it is permissible, recommended or obligatory depending on the Islamic proofs.

And Allah knows Best

Original article in Arabic by Sheikh Ibn Baaz

http://www.ibnbaz.org.sa/mat/229