This article is compiled in light of the Quranic principle that making anyone a “ند” (partner, associate) with Allah—even with intention and interpretation—is shirk (polytheism). It is proven through the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, numerous verses of the Quran, and the beliefs of the Arab polytheists that seeking help from others besides Allah, inventing intermediaries, and considering anyone as a reliever of difficulties or one who answers supplications, no matter how much it is dressed in religious garb, is actually the same shirk which the Quran and Sunnah have forbidden. The article also refutes Barelvi interpretations and presents a comparative study of the beliefs of the Arab polytheists and the Barelvi sect with evidence.
What does it mean to make “partners” for Allah?
The Holy Quran states:
فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
“So do not set up with Allah any “أندادًا”, while you know (that He alone is to be worshipped).”
In this verse, Allah has used the word “ندّ”, which is the plural of “ندّ”.
The meaning of is:
◈ Partner,
◈ Associate,
◈ One who is considered equal.
Its meaning is not limited to associating partners in divinity only, but also includes associating partners with Allah in knowledge, power, will, worship, and attributes “ندّ”.
This warning is also for those who say in belief that we do ask from others besides Allah, but we do not consider them equal to Allah—while the verse clearly says: knowingly do not make anyone “ندّ”.
To explain the same meaning, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also used the same word “ند” on one occasion.
Prophetic Hadith ﷺ – Indication of a Subtle Form of Shirk:
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَشِئْتَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: “أَجَعَلْتَنِي لِلَّهِ نِدًّا؟ بَلْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ”.
Narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما:
A person said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
“Whatever Allah wills and you will.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Have you made me a partner with Allah?
Rather (say) whatever only Allah wills.”
Authentication and Chains of the Hadith:
✅ شیخ شعیب الارناؤوط:“Its chain is authentic according to the condition of Muslim”
✅ اسناد صحیح اور ابن حبان کے معیار پر پوری
✅ شیخ البانی:“Its chain is good”
✅ فرمایا:“And its chain is authentic, all its narrators are trustworthy”
✅ متعدد طرق اور قابلِ قبول اسناد کے ساتھ روایت
Refutation of the interpretations presented to justify polytheistic beliefs from the above Hadith
🔹 When Barelvi scholars call the saints or prophets, peace be upon them, problem solvers, grantors of needs, helpers, and responders to supplications, they present these interpretations in their defense:
🔸 “We do not consider them effective by themselves, but it is by Allah’s grant.”
🔸 “This authority is limited, not unlimited like Allah.”
🔸 “This is not permanent but temporary, by Allah’s permission.”
🔹 That is, they say:
Although we ask for help from others besides Allah, we do not consider them equal to Allah; we just consider them grantors and ask from them.
❗ But consider:
🔹 The companion who said “ما شاء اللہ وشئتَ” was also referring to the Prophet ﷺ as:
a grantor, temporary, limited.
📌 Yet the Prophet ﷺ did not tolerate his words and immediately said:
“أَجَعَلْتَنِي لِلَّهِ نِدًّا؟”
“Have you made me a partner with Allah?”
🔵 From this, it is proven:
🔹 Shirk does not only occur when someone is considered “like Allah.”
🔹 Rather, when someone other than Allah is believed to help from the unseen, to have control, or to hear calls, no matter how many conditions and interpretations are attached, it remains shirk.
📌 The Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ invalidates and rejects all Barelvi interpretations.
The Arab polytheists were not deniers of Allah’s Lordship, Creatorship, and Power
The Quran has clarified at many places that the Arab polytheists believed in Allah’s Lordship, Creatorship, and Power, yet they were still considered polytheists.
“وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ”
“And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say, Allah.”
“قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ… فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ”
“Ask them who provides for you from the heaven and the earth… they will surely say, Allah.”
In these verses, Allah asked in detail who has control over the earth and sky, the five senses, the soul, everything?
And repeatedly the answer came: Allah
🔵 So the question is:
🔹 If they believed all that was of Allah
🔹 Neither did they consider saints as creators
🔹 Nor did they consider idols as Lord or Provider
📌 Then why did Allah call them polytheists?
Polytheism of the Polytheists in the Light of Surah Az-Zumar
Allah Almighty describes the belief of the polytheists in Surah Az-Zumar:
“مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ”
“We worship them only that they may bring us nearer to Allah.”
🔹 The Arab polytheists used to say:
🔸 We consider them as means to bring us closer to Allah.
🔸 Instead of direct access to Allah, we use these sacred beings as intermediaries.
🔸 Their worship or calling is not the goal, but a means.
📌 But what did Allah Almighty say about their act?
“إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ”
“Indeed, Allah does not guide one who is a liar and disbeliever.”
🔵 Important Point:
🔹 The polytheists claimed:
“We do not consider idols or saints as Creator or Provider
But only call upon them for intercession.”
🔹 But the Quran called even this belief polytheism, whether the intention was good or the belief was “granted, non-permanent.”
Barelvi Beliefs – The Same Shirk, New Interpretations
🔹 The Barelvi people consider seeking help, calling upon, pleading to saints and prophets, knowing unseen matters, and resolving difficulties as permissible.
But their defense is that:
🔸 We do not consider them as the Creator or the original cause.
🔸 We believe that their knowledge and power are granted and limited.
🔸 We only make them an intermediary and a means.
🔵 But these same things were said by the Arab polytheists:
“مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ”
“We only worship them to bring us closer to Allah.”
So the question arises:
🔹 If the shirk of the Arab polytheists was major shirk on the basis that they called upon others besides Allah by making them intermediaries,
🔹 Then the Barelvi people are doing exactly the same thing:
🔸 O Ghaus! Help
🔸 O Messenger of Allah! My plea
🔸 O Khawaja! Remover of difficulties
🔸 O Ali! Helper
📌 So what difference remains?
The Deception of Considering Misguidance as Guidance
🔹 The Holy Quran also mentions a psychological attitude of the Arab polytheists that they considered their actions as guidance, not misguidance.
“أَفَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَرَآهُ حَسَنًا”
“So is he (guided) who has his evil deed made attractive to him, and he regards it as good?”
🔹 This is also the condition of those holding Barelvi beliefs:
🔸 Calling upon others besides Allah
🔸 The belief in solving difficulties through intermediaries
🔸 Seeking needs from graves
🔸 Pleading to the dead
📌 They justify all these not as worship but as respect, love, and legitimate means,
and call their polytheistic acts religion and guidance.
Intention and Interpretation Do Not Excuse Shirk
The Quran and Hadith do not remove shirk by good intention or the belief of giving. The Prophet ﷺ gave a severe warning even for minor words like “ما شاء اللہ و شئتَ”.
📌 Therefore:
🔹 Shirk remains shirk
🔹 Whether done by the ignorant or the knowledgeable
🔹 Whether the intention is good or an interpretation is made
🔹 Whether the attire is religious or of love—shirk is an unforgivable sin unless repented.
Present-day “Nads” – Saints of Graves, Solvers of Difficulties at Shrines
🔹 If one reflects, who are being made the peers (Nads) of Allah in today’s era?
🔸 O Messenger of Allah! Hear our plea
🔸 O Greatest Helper! Assist us
🔸 O Khawaja! Relieve our difficulties
🔸 O Ali! Have mercy on our condition
🔸 O Imam Hussain! Save us
📌 All these words outwardly appear as expressions of devotion, but in reality, they attribute to others besides Allah the status of help, control, hearing, and response.
Is this really shirk?
Yes! Because:
🔹 Allah says:
“وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًۭا”
“Indeed, mosques are for Allah alone, so do not call upon anyone along with Allah.”
🔹 And He said:
“وَمَنۡ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدۡعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسۡتَجِيبُ لَهُۥٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ”
“And who is more astray than one who calls upon those who will not respond until the Day of Resurrection?”
Conclusion:
🔹 Those who today cover graves with cloths, make vows, or chant slogans of the Prophet or the Greatest Helper are practically doing the same as the polytheists of Arabia used to do.
📌 The names have changed, the claims have changed, the attire has changed—but the belief in calling upon others besides Allah remains the same.
🤲 Finally, a prayer to Allah:
🔹 اَللّٰهُمَّ أَرِنَا الْحَقَّ حَقًّا وَارْزُقْنَا اتِّبَاعَهُ، وَأَرِنَا الْبَاطِلَ بَاطِلًا وَارْزُقْنَا اجْتِنَابَهُ
“O Allah! Show us the truth as truth and grant us the ability to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us the ability to avoid it.”
🔹 اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُوَحِّدِينَ، وَثَبِّتْ قُلُوبَنَا عَلَى التَّوْحِيدِ حَتَّى نَلْقَاكَ
“O Allah! Make us pure monotheists and keep our hearts steadfast on Tawheed until we meet You.”
🔹 اَللّٰهُمَّ بَرِّئْنَا مِنَ الشِّرْكِ وَأَهْلِهِ، وَاحْشُرْنَا فِي زُمْرَةِ الْمُوَحِّدِينَ، وَاجْعَلْ آخِرَ كَلَامِنَا لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ
“O Allah! Deliver us from shirk and the polytheists, raise us among the group of monotheists, and make our last words ‘There is no god but Allah.'”
🔹 اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ هَذَا الْعَمَلَ خَالِصًا لِوَجْهِكَ، وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِيهِ لِغَيْرِكَ نَصِيبًا
“O Allah! Accept this deed sincerely for Yourself alone, and do not make any share of it for anyone else.”
📌 O Allah! Grant us beneficial knowledge, correct belief, and the ability to perform righteous deeds. Ameen.
❖ وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
