Supplication (Dua) is the worship of Allah Almighty, the weapon of the believer, the practice of the Prophets, and the method of the righteous. Whether in ease or hardship, the importance of supplication is undeniable, and for the believer, it is a desirable act in every condition. In every person’s life, there come many stages when they need to supplicate. Considering human needs, Allah Almighty has commanded His servants to supplicate, and in the Holy Quran and authentic Hadiths, there is a command everywhere to ask from Allah alone, and encouragement and guidance to do so have been explained. Not only is it not commanded to ask from anyone other than Allah, but such acts have also been condemned. For example, consider a few verses:
1: Allah Almighty said:
﴿ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ﴾
“Call upon your Lord humbly and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors.”
① In the exegesis of this verse, Naeemuddin Muradabadi Sahib wrote: “Supplication means seeking good from Allah Almighty, and it is included in worship.”
② Janab Muhammad Karam Shah Al-Azhari Sahib wrote in the exegesis of this verse: “It commands turning to the Divine Court in all needs and difficulties.”
These are the interpretations of those who believe in and practice supplication from others besides Allah and insist on it, but while clarifying the meaning of these Quranic verses, they have admitted that in all needs and difficulties, turning to Allah Almighty is commanded. If only they would accept this in practice as well.
2: Allah Almighty said:
﴿وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا ۚ إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴾
“And invoke Him, fearing and hoping. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.”
3: Allah Almighty said:
﴿ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ﴾
Observe the translation and exegesis of this verse by Janab Ghulam Rasool Saeedi Sahib, who wrote:
Translation: “And (O Messenger) when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be guided to success.”
And in its exegesis, he writes:
In our times, some ignorant people, instead of supplicating Allah Almighty, ask their needs from spiritual guides (Pirs), faqirs, and go to graves and shrines to express their needs and consider offerings to the saints. However, supplication and offerings should be made only to Allah Almighty because both supplication and offerings are acts of worship, and worship of anyone other than Allah is not permissible.
Saeedi Sahib here admits that some people ask their needs from Pirs, faqirs, graves, and shrines instead of Allah Almighty, whereas every supplication should be made to Allah Almighty. However, those of their sect who agree with Saeedi Sahib’s statement are not seen because they ask for supplications from those associated with high graves instead of Allah!!!
Saeedi Sahib also admitted that supplication is worship and worship of anyone other than Allah is not permissible, but he did not clarify which type of impermissibility it falls under. Listen to Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Sahib’s explanation, who wrote:
“Worship of anyone other than God is absolutely shirk, whether of the living or the dead.”
In short, Saeedi Sahib admits that supplication is worship, and Naeemi Sahib declares that worship of anyone other than Allah is absolutely shirk. May Allah Almighty grant them the ability to avoid shirk.
As for Saeedi Sahib’s statement: “Some ignorant people of our time…” It should be said that it is not just some ignorant people but many who do this. Then you call those who ask their needs at graves, shrines, and from Pirs ignorant, whereas in their sect, even those with great titles who are considered scholars commit such acts.
1: Janab Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Gujarati Sahib wrote:
“Many jurists have denied asking for supplication from the people of the graves except the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and other noble Prophets (may Allah be pleased with them), while Sufi elders and some jurists have proven it. Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the grave of Musa Kazim is a tried remedy for acceptance of supplication, and Imam Ghazali said that from whom help can be sought in life, help can also be sought after death.”
The statement attributed to Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) is unproven and baseless. Otherwise, from the statement of their Hakim al-Ummah Sahib, Saeedi Sahib can estimate that going to the graves of saints and asking them for needs is not only the belief and practice of “ignorant” people but even those considered jurists in their ranks commit such acts. As for the beliefs and views of the Sufis, this is not at all surprising.
2: Mufti Sahib further wrote:
“In Dur al-Mukhtar, Volume 3, at the end of the chapter on lost property, a practice is written for finding a lost item: Whoever loses something and wants Allah to return it, should stand facing the Qiblah at a high place, recite Surah Al-Fatiha, dedicate its reward to the Prophet (peace be upon him), then recite this supplication to Sayyid Ahmad bin Alwan: ‘O my master, O Ahmad bin Alwan, if you do not give me my lost item, I will remove you from the register of saints.’ Then Allah will return the lost item through their blessing.” This supplication calls upon Sayyid Ahmad bin Alwan and asks for help and the lost item, and this supplication was taught by the great Hanafi jurist Dur al-Mukhtar.”
This same statement was quoted by Muhammad Faiz Ahmad Owaisi Sahib in his book “Nida-e-Ya Rasul Allah (peace be upon him) with modern additions.”
3: And this same passage was quoted by Janab Ghulam Naseeruddin Sialvi Sahib in his book “Nida-e-Ya Rasul Allah (peace be upon him),”
citing Radd al-Muhtar
. Do such highly titled people also count as ignorant in your view, who teach supplication from others besides Allah? Whereas Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ﴾
“And your Lord said, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’ Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell humiliated.”
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
«الدعاء هو العبادة ثم قرأ: وقال ربكم ادعوني استجب لكم إن الذين يستكبرون عن عبادتي سيدخلون جهنم داخرين»
Supplication is worship. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited this verse: “And your Lord said: Call upon Me; I will respond to you. Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell humiliated.”
The first part of the verse commands supplication, and the second part warns of the bad end of rebellion against worship. The Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly stated that worship means supplication. That is, whoever rebels against supplication and does not ask from his Lord will enter Hell. Many scholars of the second group have also accepted that supplication is worship.
1: Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi wrote: “Mentioning worship after supplication indicates that supplication is worship.”
2: Muradabadi Sahib wrote in the exegesis of the above verse: One interpretation is that supplication means worship, and in the Holy Quran, supplication meaning worship occurs many times. In the noble Hadith:
الدعا هو العبادة
Pir Karam Shah Bihari Sahib wrote: “This exegesis of Ibn Abbas on ادعوني استجب لكم is transmitted: اعبدوني اثيبكم: ‘You worship Me, and I will give you its reward and recompense.’ This statement is narrated from Dhahak, Mujahid, and a group of exegetes. Other scholars have explained its meaning as: اسئلوني اعطيكم: ‘You ask Me, and I will give you.’ In reality, both interpretations are synonymous. There is essentially no difference between them. Supplication is the soul and essence of worship because extreme humility and neediness are called worship, and its true manifestation occurs when a person is surrounded by calamities, when all hopes are cut off, and he comes to the sacred court of his Lord with a bowed head, firmly confident that no supplicant ever returned empty-handed or deprived. Such miraculous neediness, utmost humility, and reverence manifest at that time; where else can such an example be found?”
From Bihari Sahib’s statement, it is clear that supplication is not only worship but worship based on extreme humility, submissiveness, and utmost reverence, and the true manifestation of worship occurs at the time of supplication. Ghulam Rasool Saeedi Sahib wrote in the exegesis of this verse: “Supplicating Allah is worshiping Him.”
Therefore, supplicating others besides Allah is worshiping others besides Allah. In short, the worshipful nature of supplication is proven by the Quranic verse and the Prophet’s exegesis, which even the second group accepts. Worship is only and only due to Allah Almighty; worship of anyone other than Allah is certainly shirk. Whoever believes in asking others besides Allah for supplication is in fact believing in their worship and is certainly involved in shirk. (أعاذنا الله منه)
Remember, in the matter of worship, there is no room for the debate of “personal” and “bestower,” nor for literal and metaphorical distinctions, because no Muslim can ever say that “literally” or “truly,” Allah Almighty alone is the true God and worthy of worship. However, metaphorically and by way of bestowal, Allah Almighty’s beloved and close servants, such as the noble Prophets (may Allah be pleased with them) and the saints, are also worthy of worship, and their worship is permissible metaphorically (God forbid). Reconsider Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Sahib’s statement:
“Worship of anyone other than God is absolutely shirk, whether of the living or the dead.”
It is clear that worship of anyone other than Allah is absolutely shirk in every case. Since supplication is worship, and Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Sahib has also written: “Supplication is the highest pillar of worship.”
If even the lowest form of worship is not permissible for anyone other than Allah, then how can the highest pillar be permissible? Despite these statements, Mufti Sahib himself declared in his book “Ja al-Haqq” that asking for supplication from the “people of the graves” is permissible. References have been given on previous pages. See what efforts he makes; he wrote:
“Supplicating Allah Almighty is also worship because it involves acknowledging one’s servitude and the Lordship of Allah Almighty. This is worship, so it will also be rewarded. Therefore, this does not mean that asking anything from a servant is like worshiping him, which is shirk. Therefore, asking the Prophet (peace be upon him), the ruler, the wise, or the wealthy for something is neither technical supplication nor disbelief or shirk. People do ask each other for help. In short, supplication is legal, and the linguistic meaning of supplication is something else.”
The strange things Mufti Sahib wrote are merely to defend his self-made method and are of no use. Because people asking each other for help, children asking parents, parents asking children, siblings asking each other, friends and acquaintances, government or police, patients asking doctors or medicine for help is absolutely not “supplication,” and there is no concept of supplication in such help.
To understand the previous discussion, consider the statement of their Allama Ghulam Rasool Saeedi Sahib:
Investigation of Seeking Help from the Saints of Allah:
Allama Syed Mahmood Alusi writes: In seeking help, the general meaning is that in everything we seek help only from You, because in an authentic hadith the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Hazrat Ibn Abbas: «إذا استعنت فاستعن بالله»
When you seek help, seek it from Allah.
Due to this hadith, Hazrat Ibn Abbas adopted the view of generality in seeking help. Whoever seeks help from anyone other than Allah in his important matters or even in other insignificant matters has committed a futile act. Why is help not sought from Allah, who is the Self-Sufficient, the Great? And how can help be sought from others when all are in need of Him? Seeking help from one needy to another needy is an immature opinion and a deviation of intellect. I have seen many people who sought honor and wealth from others besides Allah and became humiliated and poor. So, no one besides Allah is worthy of seeking help from.
In this tafsir, seeking help from one needy to another is declared an immature opinion and a deviation of intellect, and it is clearly stated that all are in need of Allah Almighty. No one besides Allah is worthy of seeking help from. This refers to that help which is beyond causes and beyond human capacity; otherwise, the proof of help under causes is established by many evidences. In any case, Saeedi Sahib has quoted this tafsir and has not expressed disagreement. Saeedi Sahib further quotes: “Allama Maraghi writes: Allah Almighty has commanded us in this verse not to worship anyone besides Allah, nor to associate anyone in His worship, nor to show such reverence to anyone besides Allah as is shown to the deity, nor to seek help from anyone besides Allah, nor to ask for the power required to accomplish any task from anyone other than Him, except for those causes whose acquisition and attainment are lawful and accessible to us as ordinary means.
His explanation is that Allah Almighty, by His wisdom, has connected causes with their effects, and similarly has made them dependent on the removal of obstacles. For acquiring these causes, man is endowed with knowledge and understanding, and power to remove obstacles. Accordingly, we are commanded to help and cooperate with one another.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ﴾
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.”
﴿قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا﴾
“Dhul-Qarnayn said: ‘What my Lord has given me is better; so help me with strength to build a strong barrier between me and them.'”
Similarly, we seek medicines from doctors for the healing of the sick, weapons and soldiers for overcoming enemies, and we remove pests and insects to increase our crops. Without these causes, if we want healing for the sick or victory over enemies, then help will be sought only from Allah Almighty, and for all needs of earth and sky, only Allah Almighty will be asked. The Prophet’s pure life is an example for us; in various battles, for victory over disbelievers, he only raised his hands to Allah Almighty, prayed for victory and help from Him, and prayed for healing in sickness. Allah Almighty has promised us that if you pray to Me, I will answer your prayers, and He has said that He is closer to you than your jugular vein. So, whoever goes to the shrines of the Awliya (saints) to seek help for fulfilling needs, healing the sick, victory over enemies, or for offspring, has gone astray from the straight path, has turned away from Allah’s Shariah, and has acted like the idolaters of the age of ignorance.
Dear readers, all this passage has been quoted by Saeedi al-Millat of Barelvi sect. This clearly reveals the reality of the examples presented by their Hakim al-Ummat that asking from wise men, rulers, and wealthy people is not prayer at all; rather, these are the causes which Allah Almighty has appointed by His wisdom, and this is mutual cooperation in deeds of righteousness and piety, which is proven by the Quran. Giving such examples to prove the permissibility of praying to others besides Allah is certainly false. Saeedi Sahib has quoted all this from Tafsir al-Maraghi but has also expressed some disagreement. He wrote:
“In our view, Allama Maraghi’s ruling is not absolutely correct. In the age of ignorance, disbelievers considered idols worthy of worship and sought help from them with that belief. But a Muslim who does not consider anyone besides Allah worthy of worship, nor considers the Awliya as independent in their actions, but believes that the Awliya act in this universe by the power and permission given by Allah, and seeks help from them with this belief, then this Muslim’s act is not shirk nor like the idolaters of the age of ignorance. However, in our view, the real demand of Shariah is that help should be sought only from Allah Almighty in all matters. The Awliya are also in need of Allah, and we are also in need of Allah, so the safe course is to seek every need from Allah and to extend the hand of supplication before Him.”
From Saeedi Sahib’s statements, it appears that he agrees with the above excerpt from Tafsir al-Maraghi, but he disagrees that going to shrines and asking the Awliya for help, supplicating before them, and praying to them is not shirk like the age of ignorance. Otherwise, he agrees that both we and the Awliya are needy of Allah, so help should be sought only from Allah. In response to this disagreement, it is submitted that even Saeedi Barelvi Sahib admits that “du’a (supplication) is worship and worship is the right of Allah alone; not only du’a but all acts of worship are for Allah alone. If anyone worships anyone other than Allah, that is shirk.” As for Saeedi Sahib’s objection:
“A Muslim who does not consider anyone besides Allah worthy of worship, nor considers the Awliya as independent in their actions, nor considers them permanent in their actions.”
It is submitted that from the Quranic verses and Barelvi tafsirs, it is clear that the idolaters of the age of ignorance also did not consider their “alihah” (gods) as independent in their actions or permanent controllers; rather, they considered them creations and possessions of Allah, just like people nowadays think. As you wrote:
“Rather, he believes that the Awliya act in this universe by the power and permission given by Allah, and seeks help from them with this belief.”
The idolaters also held a similar belief. Consider the testimony of the Quran where Allah says:
﴿قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَمَن يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَمَن يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ ۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ ۚ فَقُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴾
Now see the translation of these verses by their “Ghazali Dauran” Ahmad Saeed Kazmi Sahib, who wrote:
“Say to them: Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? Who owns the ears and eyes? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? And who manages all affairs of the universe? Then they will say: Allah. Say: Then do you not fear Allah?”
These Quranic verses testify that the idolaters of the age of ignorance also believed and admitted that Allah alone manages all affairs of the universe, provides sustenance from the heavens and the earth, and is the owner of hearing, sight, life, and death. Despite these clear admissions, they worshipped their beloveds. The Quran also clarifies the reason for this. Allah says:
﴿وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِندَ اللَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُونَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ﴾
“And they worship besides Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say, ‘Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth? Glory be to Him and exalted above what they associate with Him.'”
Similarly, Allah says:
﴿وَ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللهِ زُلْفٰي﴾
“And those whom they invoke besides Allah do not create anything, but they are themselves created.”
It is clear that the people of the age of ignorance who worshipped the righteous and perfect people, their purpose was to attain nearness to the true Owner and Controller, Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Obviously, they did not consider them the true deities but as those who bring them closer to the true deity and as intercessors. They considered their Awliya not as permanent controllers but as possessors of bestowed power and authority from Allah. With this belief, they worshipped them and sought prayers from them. As Syedna Ibn Abbas Khalil (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
«كان المشركون يقولون: لبيك لا شريك لك، قال فيقول رسول الله: ويلكم قد قل، فيقولون: إلا شريكا هو لك تملكه وما ملك يقولون هذا وهم يطوفون بالبيت»
“The idolaters circumambulated the Kaaba saying: لبيك لا شريك لك (When they said this), the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Woe to you, enough (stop it).’ But they said: إِلَّا شَرِيكًا هُوَ لَكَ تَمْلِكُهُ وَمَا مَلَكَ meaning: O Allah! You have no partner except the partner who is for You, and that partner also has an owner, and whatever is under the control of that partner, You are also the owner of it.” They used to say this while circumambulating the Kaaba.”
Pir Karam Shah Bihrawi Sahib, while explaining the beliefs of the idolaters, wrote:
“The belief of the idolaters regarding idols has been explained in many places. Also, the Talbiyah they used to say during Hajj reveals their belief. They used to say: لبيك اللهم لبيك لا شريك لك إلا شريكا هو لك تملكه و ما ملك ‘Here we are, O Allah, here we are. We are here; You have no partner except the partner whom You have made Your partner, and he has an owner, and the one whom he owns, You are also the owner.'”
In Sahih Muslim, there is also تملكه و ما ملك which Bihrawi Sahib has also quoted. From his translation, it is clear that the idolaters of the age of ignorance also considered their deities as servants of Allah, needy of Him, subjugated to Him, helpless and powerless before Him.
From the words of وما ملك, it is evident that the idolaters acknowledged Allah as the owner of the powers and actions of their established partners and believed that they themselves had no power or authority but that these were powers granted by Allah, and the owner of their powers is also Allah. But did this belief and expression save them from the ruling of shirk? Certainly not. They are called idolaters in the Quran and Hadith, and their worship and prayers are declared disbelief and shirk. So, if today someone holds a similar “bestowed” belief and worships others besides Allah and asks prayers from others besides Allah, why can’t their deeds be called shirk? Because it is shirk.
In any case, Saeedi Sahib’s objection is baseless, and Ahmad Mustafa al-Maraghi’s discussed opinion is according to evidence and incident. Regarding evidence, the hadith mentioned earlier states that du’a is worship, as even the opposing party admits. This hadith is a sufficient and conclusive proof on this issue, since many verses prove that worship is exclusively for Allah Almighty, and worship of anyone besides Allah is not permissible. Therefore, Saeedi Sahib’s objections are merely based on defending his co-sectarians. Further read:
Allah Almighty says:
﴿يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِن قِطْمِيرٍ ﴿١٣﴾ إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ ۚ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ ﴿١٤﴾ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ ﴿١٥﴾
Ahmad Saeed Kazmi Multani Sahib translated it as:
“This is your Lord, the Exalted in Might, the Owner of Majesty. And those whom you invoke besides Him do not possess [even] the protection of a date seed. If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, you will deny your association [with them]. And none can inform you like One Knowing.”
“In these verses, Allah Almighty states that those who are invoked besides Allah are not owners or controllers of anything. If you call upon them, they cannot hear your call or prayer; even if they hear, they cannot respond or accept because they have no authority. On the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your shirk and declare their dissociation. The beginning of this statement clarifies: وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ‘Those whom you invoke besides Allah.’ Those whom you call upon and pray to. It is clear that at this point their shirk is du’a itself, as the verse says: لَا يَسْمَعُوا تَدْعُوْهُمْ ‘They do not hear your prayer.’ Even if they hear, they cannot respond or accept your supplication. The word ‘du’a’ is present in the verse, which has been translated as ‘call’ by Ahmad Raza Khan Sahib, Kazmi Sahib, Bihrawi Sahib, and even Saeedi Sahib. So, the shirk of praying to others besides Allah is proven from these verses. Saeedi Sahib’s denial is only to defend his co-sectarians.”
For this defense, Barelvi translators have translated وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ as “worship.” See:
① Ahmad Raza Khan Sahib wrote: “And those besides Him whom you worship.”
② Kazmi Multani Sahib translated: “Those whom you worship besides Allah.”
③ Bihrawi Sahib translated: “And those idols whom you worship besides Allah.”
④ Saeedi Sahib translated: “And those whom you worship besides Allah.”
Whereas the next verse in the same sequence has تَدْعُوهُمْ, which all have translated as “call.” Similarly, in دُعَاءَ كُم, the translation is “call and supplication.” Why different translations of the same root word in the same sequence? One place “worship,” another place “call”? The purpose is to defend themselves that they also call others besides Allah. Their co-sectarians pray to others besides Allah, so they translate it as worship so that the verses are not applied to them, and common people think it is about idol worship. Calling the righteous, pious, and close servants of Allah, asking them for prayers, supplications, and cries is not against these verses. Kazmi Sahib also added (false deity) in brackets. Although the true deity is only Allah. The fact that du’a is worship is proven by hadith and their own statements. Bihrawi Sahib translated this verse with “idol” in brackets to prove that these verses are about idols. Then, in the tafsir, three commentators’ opinions are quoted, two of whom clearly did not consider these verses exclusively about idols. Bihrawi Sahib wrote:
1: تدعون من دونه اي الاصنام
Undoubtedly, Allama Qurtubi
wrote this, but his intention was not to restrict these verses only to idols because in the same tafsir he also wrote:
«ثم يجوز أن يرجع هذا الى معبودين مما يعقل كالملائكة والجن والأنبياء والشياطين»
“It is also permissible that this statement refers to those deities who are conscious, such as angels, prophets (peace be upon them), jinn, and devils.”
2: Bihrawi Sahib quoted another reference from Tafsir Mazhari: أى الذين تعبدونها من الأصنام.
Although Sanaullah Panipati
wrote more after this phrase, see the full phrase:
«اى الذين تعبدونها من الاصنام وغيرها كائنة من دونه تعالى ما يملكون من قطمير»
“Meaning: Those whom you worship besides Allah, whether idols or others, they do not possess even the shell of a date seed.”
This shows that Qurtubi and Mazhari also took every entity besides Allah as meant in these verses, those who are called upon besides Allah and from whom prayers are sought. The verses are not only about idols but about all besides Allah. This is also clear from Bihrawi and Saeedi Sahib’s tafsirs. Bihrawi Sahib wrote: Allama Alusi writes that idols do not respond because they are lifeless and cannot hear or speak, but those who call upon angels or Allah’s close ones do not respond because these misguided people have considered them as gods, whereas they are far from being gods. So why would they respond to such accusations? «و كيف يجيبون زاعم ذلك فيهم و فيه من التهمة ما فيه روح المعاني»
If this is the case, then what benefit does it serve Pir Sahib to write only “al-asnam” (idols) in the verse? Still, Bihrawi Sahib only quoted Allama Alusi’s Hanafi statement partially and omitted what was against him. The fact is that Allama Alusi did not only mention the possibility quoted by Bihrawi Sahib but also wrote immediately after:
«وعدم الاستجابة الفعلية يحتمل أن يكون لهذا أيضا و يحتمل أن يكون لأن نفع من دعائهم ليس من وظائفهم»
“And the non-response (i.e., no benefit) may be due to this reason, and it is also possible that those who ask for prayers from them are not responsible for bringing benefit or harm.”
Allama Alusi clearly states that it is not the duty of the close ones to benefit those who ask prayers and supplications from them, whether someone calls them as gods or as close servants of Allah, they do not benefit. It is also remembered that just as Alusi denied idols hearing, he also denied hearing by the close ones. Pir Sahib mentioned the denial of idols but did not mention the denial of hearing by the close ones. Let us hear from Allama Alusi who wrote:
«ويحتمل أن يكون مع عبدتها و عبدة الملائكة و عيسى وغيرهم من المقربين ، و عدم السماع حينئذ إما لأن المعبود ليس من شأنه ذلك كالاصنام و إما لأنه فى شغل شاغل و بعد بعيد عن عابده كعيسى عليه السلام، و روي هذا عن البلخى أو لأن الله عزوجل حفظ سمعه من أن يصل اليه مثل هذا الدعاء لغاية قبحه و ثقله على سمع من هو فى غاية العبودية لله عزوجل، فلا يرد أن الملائكة يسمعون وهم فى السماء كما ورد بعض الآثار دعاء المؤمنين ربهم سبحانه»
“And this statement may also apply to those who worship angels, Jesus (peace be upon him), and other righteous people. In this case, their prayers are not heard because it is not befitting for the deity, like idols, or because the deity is busy in worship or far from His worshippers, like Jesus (peace be upon him). This tafsir is also narrated from Balkhi. Or the non-hearing is because Allah has protected their hearing from such prayers, as a servant who is at the highest level of servitude to Allah would find such prayers extremely offensive. So, it is not possible that angels hear such prayers while residing in the heavens, as some traditions mention believers’ prayers to their Lord.”
In short, from Pir Karam Shah Bihrawi Sahib’s own tafsir, it is clear that the verses of Surah Fatir are not only for idols and their worshippers but also for those who worship righteous and close servants and make supplications and cries to them.
Now consider Saeedi Sahib’s tafsir, who writes:
“And it is also possible that here the deities mean those deities who are of sound mind, such as Jesus, Uzair, angels, and they will disassociate themselves from the worship of the idolaters on the Day of Resurrection. The Quran says:
﴿وَ اِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ يٰعِيْسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ ءَاَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُوْنِيْ وَ اُمِّيَ اِلٰهَيْنِ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِؕ-قَالَ سُبْحٰنَكَ مَا يَكُوْنُ لِيْۤ اَنْ اَقُوْلَ مَا لَيْسَ لِيْۗ-بِحَقٍّ﴾
“And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, ‘O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah?’ ‘ He will say, ‘Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right.'”
When both Barelvi commentators admit that these verses of Surah Fatir also concern Allah’s righteous servants, close ones, and pious worshippers, then consider what Allah Almighty says in these verses:
﴿يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِن قِطْمِيرٍ ﴿١٣﴾ إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ ۚ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ ﴿١٤﴾
“You who call upon besides Allah do not possess even the shell of a date seed. If you call upon them, they do not hear your call; and if they hear, they cannot respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your shirk.”
Does it not become clear from these verses that even Allah’s beloved servants cannot hear anyone’s prayers? Even if they hear, they cannot benefit, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown people’s shirk and declare their dissociation.
The shirk of praying to others besides Allah is proven from this verse. Similarly, these verses also prove false the statement taught by Saeedi Sahib: “At most, one may request the Awliya to pray to Allah Almighty for fulfilling our needs.”
There is no disagreement about requesting prayers from living Awliya or any Muslim, but from the context of Saeedi Sahib’s writing, it appears that he also believes in requesting prayers from deceased Awliya. Similarly, Sarfaraz Khan Safdar Sahib wrote: Hazrat Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi Sahib, former Mufti Darul Uloom Deoband and current Grand Mufti of Pakistan, writes: Likewise, seeking help through non-material causes from any prophet or wali or using them as means to directly pray to Allah Almighty is proven permissible by hadith narrations and Quranic indications.
In the same book
, Sarfaraz Sahib quoted such requests as permissible and did not refute them, while Allah Almighty says: ﴿وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ﴾ “Even if they hear, they cannot accept your supplication.” Therefore, the Deobandis and Barelvis saying to a deceased elder, “O Hazrat! Please pray to Allah for us,” and then believing that they can hear and pray to Allah contradicts this verse. Because believing that if these deceased elders hear, they will pray or can pray means that they have accepted the supplication or can accept it, which Allah Almighty negates in the Quran. On one hand, Sarfaraz and Saeedi Sahib hold this view, and on the other hand, Sarfaraz Sahib writes: “Qazi Sahib gave another meaning of this verse that the negation is of hearing that results in benefit or effect, and that hearing can only be beneficial. What benefit is there in hearing after death?”
In another book, answering this verse: إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتٰى, he wrote: The answer: There are two famous interpretations of this verse; the first is the negation of beneficial hearing.
And Saeedi Sahib wrote:
“The general rule for the dead is that they do not listen attentively or accept any message.”
He further writes: “In any case, this verse does not negate hearing absolutely for the dead but negates listening attentively and accepting any message.”
At present, there is no discussion on what is proven from the verses إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى and وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُور. The purpose is only to say that when Saeedi Sahib admits that the negation is of accepting the message, then requesting the deceased in graves or from the dead to pray is exactly what this negation refers to! The shirk of praying to others besides Allah is also proven from hadith, as we have narrated from Sayyidna Nu’man bin Bashir or from him that du’a is worship.
When du’a is worship, then worship of anyone besides Allah is shirk. To escape from this hadith, these people resort to various tricks, some of which you have already read, and more are interesting to mention. Their Allama Ghulam Naseeruddin Sialvi Sahib wrote: Wahhabi sect suspects that in the hadith الدعا هو العبادة and الدعا مخ العبادة, du’a is exactly worship and the essence of worship.
In response, we request that if this hadith means that calling someone becomes worship, then what is the meaning of the Quranic verses where Allah commands His Messenger (peace be upon him) or the People of the Book to call upon Him?
يا يها النبى ، يايها الرسول ، يايها المزمل ، يايها المدثر، يسين يايها الناسُ ، يايها الذين آمنوا، يا اهل الكتاب قد جاء كم رسولنا
Answer: Who takes this hadith to mean that every call is worship? We say that asking someone for du’a, honor, respect, offspring, and supplications is worship. The hadith clearly states that “du’a is worship.” If one has complete faith in the hadith, he cannot say that du’a is not worship. The rest is a confusion of topics, quoting various Quranic verses where Allah calls His Messenger or the People of the Book. Not every call is shirk. Even if someone says so, presenting all these examples against him is wrong because these mention Allah’s calling. The rulings are for servants, not for Allah. After this, Sialvi Sahib quoted various Quranic verses mentioning calling and repeatedly asked:
“If every call is worship, then did Allah command the Prophet (peace be upon him) to worship disbelievers? To worship people? When the Prophet (peace be upon him) worships you gently?”
Answer: نعوذ بالله ثم نعوذ بالله، No one said every call is worship. This style of argument is strange, inventing objections and attributing them to opponents and then answering them. In any case, except for one, all examples given by Sialvi Sahib mention calling near people, which we do not deny. One example is from Surah Baqarah (260) for Sayyidna Ibrahim (peace be upon him), which is a special case and does not mean calling dead animals and birds.
After these examples, Sialvi Sahib wrote:
“From these verses, the conclusion is that the hadith الدعا هو العبادة means that calling someone as a deity is worship.”
Answer: Sialvi Sahib quoted many verses mentioning calling, but from them, this conclusion does not necessarily follow that the hadith الدعاء هو العبادة means calling someone as a deity is worship. The hadith is clear that if du’a is sought from others besides Allah, whether considered deity or not, it is worship, but in Islam, this worship is detestable and blameworthy. The hadith demands that worship like du’a be reserved only for Allah.
After some refutation of Maraghi, Saeedi Sahib further wrote: “We have seen illiterate masses and ignorant people repeatedly prostrating at the shrines of Awliya, who do not desist despite prohibition. Similarly, they make vows and offerings at the shrines, although prostration, whether of worship or respect, is not permissible for anyone other than Allah.”
After this, what Saeedi Sahib wrote is explained more clearly in his Sharh Sahih Muslim; see the excerpt from Sharh Sahih Muslim as well. They write:
«مِن دُونِهِ»
During times of calamity, the staunch polytheists would dedicate themselves to Allah Almighty:
Those who, instead of praying to Allah Almighty for their needs, call upon the saints of Allah and, leaving Allah Almighty aside, request the saints of Allah to fulfill their needs, should ponder over these verses.
﴿ هُوَ الَّذِي يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا كُنتُمْ فِي الْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِم بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُوا بِهَا جَاءَتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ وَجَاءَهُمُ الْمَوْجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ ۙ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ﴿٢٢﴾ فَلَمَّا أَنجَاهُمْ إِذَا هُمْ يَبْغُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ۗ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُم﴾
He it is Who drives you on land and sea until, when you are in the ships and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from all sides and they think that they are overwhelmed by the storm. Then they call upon Allah, sincere to Him in religion, saying, “If You save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful.” But when He saves them, they commit injustice upon the earth without right. O mankind, your injustice is only against yourselves.
“From these verses it is understood that even the staunchest polytheists and hardened idolaters used to call upon Allah in severe distress, pray to Him, and make vows to Him. How regrettable and blameworthy it is that we, calling ourselves Muslims, leave Allah aside in our needs and make vows to the saints of Allah.”
Saidi Sahib further wrote:
Imam Razi
writes in his Tafsir:
These disbelievers had made idols in the form of the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the noble saints, and they believed that when they worshipped these idols, the idols would intercede for them with Allah. Similarly, in this era, many people honor the graves of the saints of Allah and believe that by honoring these graves, the saints will intercede for them with Allah.
Saidi Sahib says that even the staunchest polytheists called only Allah Almighty in severe distress. We, calling ourselves Muslims, call upon the saints of Allah instead of Allah in our needs. So it is said that there are people of our sect who, instead of taking lessons from such verses, ask for prayers from beings other than Allah, from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the noble saints. Someone says:
يا رسول الله انظر حالنا يا حبيب الله اسمع قالنا
Meaning: O Messenger of Allah! Look upon our condition. O beloved of Allah! Hear our plea.
The first question: Allah Almighty says:
﴿أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾
1: Ahmad Saeed Kazmi Barelvi Sahib translated it as:
“Say, who responds to the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there any deity with Allah? Little do you remember.”
2: Pir Karam Shah Al-Azhari Sahib translated this verse as:
“Who responds to the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the distress, and who has made you successors on the earth? Is there any god besides Allah? You reflect very little.”
Then in the Tafsir of this verse it is written: “Every person, no matter how influential or wealthy, faces some calamity in life when his personal abilities, resources, friends, and companions become helpless. He himself admits that no plan or device can save him from this whirlpool of destruction. At that time, his gaze turns to Allah Almighty, and he believes that salvation is impossible without His help. Because such situations affect every king and beggar, every noble and poor, every scholar and ignorant person.
Therefore, they are asked: At that time, you also admit that your idols, these false gods, cannot help you. Allah Almighty is the One who saves your ship surrounded by storms to safety on the shore. So why do you not accept advice and why do you not firmly believe in His Oneness? The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) taught his servants how to pray to their Noble Master in times of distress, so that all servants of Mustafa (peace and blessings be upon him) may benefit from it,
«عن ابى بكرة قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فى دعاء المضطر: اللهم رحمتك ارجوا فلا تكلني إلى نفسي طرفه عين وأصلح لي شأني كله لا إله إلا أنت»
“O Allah, I only hope for Your mercy. Do not entrust my soul even for the blink of an eye. Make my affairs right. There is no deity except You.”
From Azhari Sahib’s Tafsir, it is understood that this verse of the Holy Quran poses a question: Who is the one who delivers from calamities? And the answer is Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He. According to them, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also taught turning to Allah and praying to Him in times of distress.
3: Janab Ghulam Rasool Saidi Barelvi Sahib wrote:
“(Say) when the distressed one calls upon Him, who responds to his prayer and removes the distress and makes you successors on the earth? Is there any deity with Allah? You accept very little advice.”
“We have quoted all translations from scholars of this group who believe in and practice praying to beings other than Allah. From these translations, it is absolutely clear that the above verse is actually a question: (Say) who is it that responds to the distressed one’s prayer and removes his distress? Is there any god besides Allah?” What is the correct and true answer to this question? Surely, the correct answer is: لا اله الا الله Every follower of the religion of Islam who believes in the Prophet (peace be upon him) recites this declaration and testifies to it, and giving this testimony is one of the foremost and most fundamental pillars of Islam. Just think, after affirming لا اله الا الله, how can it be said that along with Allah Almighty, Allah’s beloved and close servants are also the relievers of difficulties, fulfillers of needs, and responders to pleas who can solve everyone’s problems? Saying this means that verbally one says لا اله الا الله but does not understand its meaning.
Personal Taqlid is an Administrative Fatwa:
Mufti Muhammad Shafi, the father of Taqi Usmani Sahib, said: “Hazrat Sheikh-ul-Hind used to say that personal taqlid (imitation) is not a Shariah ruling, but rather an administrative fatwa, the essence of which is that all four Imams are true Mujtahids. Each one has strong evidence for their position.”
Second question: Allah Almighty says:
﴿قُلْ مَن يُنَجِّيكُم مِّن ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ تَدْعُونَهُ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً لَّئِنْ أَنجَانَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ﴿٦٣﴾ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُنَجِّيكُم مِّنْهَا وَمِن كُلِّ كَرْبٍ ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٦٤﴾
1: “Say, ‘Who rescues you from the dangers of the land and sea, whom you call upon humbly and secretly, ‘If He saves us from this, we will surely be among the thankful.’ Say, ‘Allah rescues you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others with Him.'”
2: “Say, ‘Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and the rivers, whom you call upon humbly and secretly, ‘If He saves us from this [calamity], we will surely be among the grateful.’ Say, ‘Allah rescues you from it and from every hardship; then [still] you associate others [with Him].'”
3: “Say, ‘Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea, whom you call upon?’ Say, ‘Allah rescues you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others [with Him].'”
Pir of Bhera, Karam Shah Sahib, wrote in the commentary of these verses:
“Man is being asked, O respected one! Tell us, when you are surrounded by the clouds of calamities on land or sea, and the paths of salvation are blocked, to whose presence do you cry out? In whose mercy do you seek refuge?”
Their scholar Ghulam Rasool Saeedi Sahib also provided translation and commentary on these verses: “Say, ‘Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and seas, whom you call upon humbly and secretly, saying, ‘If He saves us from this calamity, we will surely be among the thankful.’ Say, ‘Allah rescues you from this and every hardship; then [still] you associate others [with Him].'”
He further wrote: “This verse mentions the darkness of the land, which means both sensory darkness and metaphorical darkness. Sensory darkness is the darkness of night, thick clouds, rain, and storms; the darkness of the seas is the darkness of night, clouds, and the turmoil of waves. Metaphorical darkness refers to intense fear caused by these darknesses, the fear of not finding signs to guide the way, and the fear of sudden attack by enemies. The meaning is that when such causes accumulate, causing great anxiety and severe fear, and a person sees no way of salvation and becomes hopeless from all sides, then at that time he turns only to Allah Almighty and directs his tongue and heart towards Allah.
It is understood that the natural disposition of man demands that in such a state, he should turn only to Allah Almighty, trust in His grace and mercy, and consider Him the refuge and shelter. When in such a state He alone is the helper and supporter, then in every condition only He should be called upon, help should be sought from Him alone, and He alone should be worshipped.”
Dear readers! The translations and commentaries of Barelvi scholars are before you. From them, you can easily understand that Allah Almighty asked a question in Surah Al-An’am (verse 63): “Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and seas (calamities)?” Now, many people of this Ummah who consider, along with Allah Almighty, His pious and close servants as helpers, supporters, and fulfillers of needs, believe that the Awliya Allah have the power to relieve difficulties, as their Hakim-ul-Ummat Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Gujarati Sahib wrote:
1: The Awliya have been given the power by Allah to return a fired arrow.
“Meaning the Awliya have such power that they can return an arrow shot from a bow.”
2: He further wrote: “Sheikh Salahuddin says that my Lord has given me the power to bring down the sky upon the earth, and if I wish, I can destroy all the people of the world by Allah’s power, but we pray for reform.”
3: Further written: “The Awliya’s dominion is over the worlds, and this is only over their souls because souls remain.”
4: Further written: “In Bustan-ul-Muhadditheen, Shah Abdul Aziz Sahib quotes these couplets of Sheikh Abu al-Abbas Ahmad Zardani:
I am the one who gathers the dirt of my disciple’s feet, while the calamities of the time trouble him. If you are in distress, calamity, or fear, call out, O Zarooq! I will come immediately.”
What is the status of these baseless statements! But it is very easy to prove them false; show them the reference and say: “Sir! Now you say: ‘O Zarooq!’ Even if you say it millions and billions of times, ‘Zarooq’ will not come.” Yet this is their belief.
5: Further written: “Nazhat-ul-Khatir in the translation of Sayyidi Sharif Abdul Qadir, author Mulla Ali Qari,”
quotes the saying of Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam: Whoever seeks help from me in grief and sorrow, his grief and sorrow will be removed, and whoever calls my name in times of hardship, that hardship will be removed.”
They also write: “Hazrat Ghaus Pak teaches Muslims to seek help from him in times of calamity, and the great and reliable Hanafi scholar Mulla Ali Qari, may Allah have mercy on him, has narrated this without denial and says it has been tested and is absolutely correct.”
6: Further written: “From this statement, it is clear that the kingdom of the Amiriyyat of Wilayat-e-Ghausiyat is granted to people from Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.”
Gujarati Sahib’s statements need no further explanation regarding what powers and authority they accept for the Awliya Allah, while on the other hand, in the same book, he also writes: “The idols were not given these powers by Allah; they consider them their own masters and seek help from them, therefore they are criminals and rebellious servants of Allah.”
This is a matter of belief. According to Hanafi and Barelvi principles, these people should present conclusive and definitive evidence proving that the Awliya have the power and authority to hear everyone’s cries at all times and places, remove grief and sorrow, grant dominion and kingship, grant righteousness and sainthood, bring down the sky upon the earth, and destroy everyone. If they cannot provide such evidence—and certainly they cannot—then according to the above fatwas of the Mufti Sahib, they will be proven “criminals and rebellious servants of Allah.” Can the rebellious servants of Allah be Muslims and believers, while rebellion is a greater crime than sin because not every sin is rebellion?
Imdadullah Thanvi Sahib (whom Deobandis call Sayyid al-Taifah and Muhajir Makki, etc.) wrote in his book while explaining the method of spiritual retreat (Chilla): “Seek help from the sacred souls of the spiritual guides and enter seclusion.”
In short, if someone holds the belief that when the question present in the Quran before them is asked: “Tell us, who rescues you from the darkness of the land and seas (calamities)?” then honestly tell what their answer would be? Would it not be Allah Almighty, the Prophets, Sayyid Na’ali, Baba Abdul Qadir Gilani, Baba Moinuddin Chishti, Baba Ali Hajveri, Baba Farid, and many other Babas? And they keep saying:
“O Mola Ali, O Lion of God, help me cross the boat.”
“O Moinuddin Chishti, help me cross.”
“Baha-ud-Din, the boat is bright, light, and every calamity is far.”
“The one who makes destiny is at the camp in Lahore.”
“Baba Shah Jamal, son of the red ones.”
And many such slogans they present.
But immediately after this question, in the very next verse, what answer did Allah Almighty make His beloved Prophet ﷺ give to oppression? And what lesson did He want to teach all humanity through him?
قُلِ اللهُ!
Kazmi, Az Hari, and Saeedi Sahib translated it: “Say, ‘He is the only helper and supporter, so in every condition only He should be called upon.'”
So, who is the rescuer from calamities? The Quranic question’s Quranic answer is: “Allah alone.” If those who believe in help from others besides Allah also present this Quranic answer, then the slogans and prayers mentioned above would have no place and would certainly be negated. And if they answer this question according to their belief that Allah Almighty and along with Him, Baba Baba Baba… then this answer will be different from the answer of the Book that distinguishes between truth and falsehood, and it will be different in creed as well. Think for yourself! How can an answer different from the Quranic answer be true?
Listen to some sayings of their “Mujaddid” and highly titled Aala Hazrat: He said, “Hazrat Sayyidi Ahmad Zarooq, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When someone is in distress or calls out ‘Zarooq,’ I immediately help him.”
He added: “But I have never asked for such help. Whenever I sought assistance or said ‘Ghaus,’ I was thirty years old. When I appeared before the presence of the beloved Divine, I realized this was all the action of Hazrat. Seeing this miracle, help should be sought by calling the blessed name of the beloved Divine instead of ‘Zarooq’.”
يا غوثاه
On another occasion, Khan Sahib said:
“Probably in Hadiqa Nadia, it is mentioned that once Hazrat Sayyidi Junaid Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him, came to the Tigris River and started walking on it as if it were land, saying ‘Ya Allah.’ Later, a person came who also needed to cross. There was no boat at that time. Seeing Hazrat crossing, he asked how he could cross. Hazrat said, ‘O Junaid, O Junaid,’ and he started walking on the river like land. When they reached a bend in the river, the accursed Satan whispered in his heart: ‘Hazrat says “Ya Allah,” but calls you “O Junaid.” Why shouldn’t I say “Ya Allah” too?’ He said ‘Ya Allah’ and immediately drowned, crying out to Hazrat. Hazrat said, ‘Say the same.’ He said, ‘O Junaid, O Junaid,’ and crossed the river. He asked, ‘Hazrat, what was this? You say “Allah” and cross, but when I say it, I drown.’ Hazrat said, ‘O fool, you have not yet reached Junaid; the desire to reach Allah is there.'”
Tell me! In a religion where saying “Ya Allah,” calling upon the Lord, is considered the whispering of the accursed Satan, and reaching Allah Almighty, which is the ultimate goal, is described as a “desire,” where can the belief in seeking help from Allah alone exist? They have invented a method that first one reaches Junaid, then step by step Allah. It is surprising that in their belief, there is no need for any intermediary to seek help from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or Sayyid Na’ali; everyone can immediately reach them. But Allah Almighty, who is the true helper and helper, cannot be directly sought for help without intermediaries. If this were not so, how could it be said, “O fool, you have not yet reached Junaid; the desire to reach Allah is there”?
In conclusion,
reflect on the question and adopt the answer taught in
, then the belief becomes clear that in every difficulty of land and sea, one should call upon Allah Almighty alone, and Allah alone hears the prayer and rescues from every hardship and distress; there is no one besides Allah.
Condolences
❀ Eminent scholar, teacher of teachers, Sheikh al-Hadith Hafiz Abdul Hamid Az Har, may Allah have mercy on him, passed away on 14 November 2015 in Rawalpindi. إنا لله و إنا إليه راجعون .
He was suffering from a heart condition and remained admitted in the hospital until his death.
❀ Renowned historian and author of many books, Maulana Muhammad Ishaq Bhatti, may Allah have mercy on him, passed away on 22 December 2015 in Lahore. إنا لله و إنا إليه راجعون.
The Maktaba al-Hadith institution prays for both these elders that Allah Almighty grants them a high place in Paradise, forgives their sins, and accepts their good deeds. Ameen.
The institution also shares equally in the grief of their heirs.
Third Question: Allah Almighty says:
﴿قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمْ شِرْكٌ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ ۖ ائْتُونِي بِكِتَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِ هَٰذَا أَوْ أَثَارَةٍ مِّنْ عِلْمٍ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٤﴾ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ ﴿٥﴾وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوا لَهُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَكَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَافِرِينَ ﴿٦﴾
Ahmad Saeed Kazmi Sahib translated these verses as:
“Say, ‘Tell me, then, about those whom you invoke besides Allah. Show me what portion of the earth they have created or have they a share in the heavens?’ Bring me a scripture before this or some remnants of knowledge if you should be truthful. And who is more astray than he who calls upon those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection and who are unaware of their invocation, and when the people are gathered, they will be his enemies and will deny his worship.”
Ghulam Rasool Saeedi Sahib translated it somewhat like this: Say, “Do you see those whom you worship besides Allah? Show me what they have created. Show me which part of the earth they have created or do they have any share in the creation of the heavens? Bring me a book from before this or some remaining knowledge if you are truthful. And who is more astray than he who calls upon those who cannot respond to his call until the Day of Resurrection, and they are unaware of their calling? And when the people are gathered (on the Day of Judgment), those (false deities) will be their enemies and will deny their worship.”
Pir Karam Shah Bihari Sahib translated it as:
“Say (O disbelievers), have you ever considered those whom you call upon besides Allah? (Then) show me what they have created from the earth or do they have any share in the creation of the heavens? Bring me any scripture that was revealed before this or any other proof of knowledge if you are truthful. And who is more astray than the wretched one who calls upon a deity other than Allah who cannot respond to his call until the Day of Resurrection, and they are heedless of their calling? And when the people are gathered (on the Day of Judgment), those deities will be their enemies and will completely deny their worship.”
Kazmi Sahib translated تَدْعُونَ as “worship,” and Saeedi Sahib translated it as “worship,” while in many places it has been translated as “you call,” as in Surah Al-An’am verse (63). However, from the context of the verse, it is clear that تَدعونَ here also means supplication and calling, since the continuation of the statement also mentions supplication. All three translators translated “yad’u” and “du’a’ihim” as “calling.”
Pir of Bhera translated it as calling but added in brackets “calling as God,” whereas the Quran, Sunnah, and the statements of those people themselves prove that the polytheists of Mecca considered their deities as creatures of Allah, as Kazmi Sahib also acknowledges:
The polytheists worshipped idols and were asked who created those idols they worshipped? Allah Almighty says: “They will say Allah created them.”
Then, since supplication is worship and worship of anyone other than Allah is shirk, whether it is done considering them as God or as a pious servant of God, it is still shirk. Therefore, this addition is unnecessary. After this necessary clarification, see that this verse also poses a question: “Tell me, which part of the earth and sky have those whom you call besides Allah created?”
Today, those who ask for prayers from the pious servants of Allah and consider it permissible to ask them for prayers should think and answer: among those pious servants, who is there about whom it can be claimed that he is the creator of certain parts of the earth and sky? Leaving aside others, no believer holds the belief that the best of creation, the leader of the Prophets, Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him), created any part of the earth or sky or is the creator of anything.
Although after Allah Almighty, the highest and most honored status belongs to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and after Allah, the greatest love is also due to him, yet he is not a creator of anything; he is a creation and the best among creations. If he is not a creator, how can other close servants be creators? If they are not creators, and this is also the belief of those who ask them for prayers, then how can asking them for prayers and considering it permissible be correct?
Pir Karam Shah Bihari Sahib wrote in the commentary of these verses:
If your idols have taken any part in the creation of the earth and heavens, then prove it with evidence. Show me any writing in which it is written that your such and such idol or deity created such and such thing of the earth and heavens. If you cannot show any such reference from any heavenly book, then at least present some rational proof. That is, knowledge that only you have obtained and those who passed before you did not have access to. If you have neither any scriptural nor rational proof, then do not commit such a mistake knowingly and unnecessarily, for which the punishment, if not repented, is eternal Hellfire.” Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ ﴿٢٠﴾ أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاءٍ ۖ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿٢١﴾
“Those whom you call upon besides Allah are not creators of anything, and they themselves are created. They are dead, not alive, and they do not know when they will be resurrected.”
These verses also prove that supplication should be made to the Creator, not to the creation. The creation has died, and those who are alive will eventually die. They do not even know when they will be raised from the graves. Some people holding the opposite view have made unsuccessful attempts to defend their position. The answer to that will be presented, God willing, on another occasion.
Fourth Question: Allah Almighty said:
﴿قُلْ أَرَأَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَاكُمْ عَذَابُ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَتَتْكُمُ السَّاعَةُ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَدْعُونَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ﴿٤٠﴾ بَلْ إِيَّاهُ تَدْعُونَ فَيَكْشِفُ مَا تَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ إِن شَاءَ وَتَنسَوْنَ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٤١﴾
Pir Karam Shah Bihari Sahib translated these verses as: “If the punishment of Allah comes upon you or the Hour (Day of Judgment) comes upon you, will you then call upon anyone other than Allah? Tell me if you are truthful. Rather, you will call upon Him alone, and He will remove the distress for which you called upon Him if He wills, and you will forget those whom you associated (with Him).”
Ghulam Rasool Saeedi Barelvi Sahib translated these verses as:
Say, “Tell me, if the punishment of Allah comes upon you or the Hour arrives, will you call upon anyone other than Allah for help? (Tell me!) If you are truthful. Rather, you will call upon Him alone, so if He wills, He will relieve the distress for which you called upon Him, and you will forget those whom you associated (with Allah).”
In the commentary of these verses, Saeedi Sahib wrote:
In times of calamities, calling upon only Allah is the natural demand of a human being:
First, Allah Almighty clarified the ignorance of the disbelievers and explained that Allah’s knowledge encompasses the entire universe and that He alone is the true controller of the universe. Then Allah Almighty stated that when any calamity befalls these disbelievers, they turn to Allah alone for refuge and do not rebel against obeying Him. From this, it is understood that their nature also demands that there is no remover of difficulties or fulfiller of needs except Allah, and in calamities and hardships, He alone is the savior and effective helper.
O Noble Messenger! Tell these polytheists that just as punishments came upon previous nations, they were swallowed by the earth, or severe storms came upon them, or thunderbolts struck, or a flood came, if such a punishment were to come upon you or the Day of Judgment were to come upon you, would you then call upon anyone other than Allah who would remove these calamities from you, or would you call upon the idols you have made with your own hands to save you from these hardships? Tell me, if you are truthful in worshiping these idols?
Although at this point Saeedi Sahib of the Barelvi sect did not forget to defend his sect, he admitted the fact that in calamities, calling upon Allah alone is the natural demand of man, and that it is also the natural demand that there is no remover of difficulties or fulfiller of needs except Allah, and in calamities and hardships, Allah alone is the savior and effective helper. Now, those who consider others besides Allah as the remover of difficulties, fulfiller of needs, helper, savior, and effective helper are, according to their own statement, deviating from nature.
In short, even from the Barelvi translations of these verses, it is clear that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, asked a question to make them understand and commanded His Prophet, peace be upon him, to ask this question: Tell me, if Allah’s punishment comes upon you or the Day of Judgment comes upon you, will you then call upon anyone other than Allah (to be saved from this calamity), will you pray to them?
If this same question is asked today from many who believe in various removers of difficulties and fulfillers of needs, and we should ask in obedience to Allah’s command and the Prophet Muhammad’s, peace be upon him, and we do ask, then think about what their answer would be?
If they say yes, we consider Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, Sheikh Jilani, Ali Hajveri, and others as removers of difficulties, fulfillers of needs, helpers, and effective helpers, and we believe in them, then we will also call upon them to be saved from calamities, troubles, and hardships. If they give this answer, Saeedi Sahib wrote: “Allah Almighty Himself answers this question: Allah Almighty says: Rather, you will call upon Him alone.”
Indeed, the teaching and stated answer of Allah Almighty is بَلْ ايَّاهُ تَدْعُونَ “Rather, you will call upon Him alone.” So the answer of those who ask prayers from others besides Allah will differ from the answer taught by Allah in the Holy Quran, in which only Allah is mentioned for supplication, whereas the above answer includes the idea that others besides Allah are also removers of difficulties and fulfillers of needs. Because it contradicts the Holy Quran, this answer and belief are certainly false, and if they give the answer contrary to their belief and usual view that we will call upon and pray only to Allah for deliverance from calamities and hardships, then their belief, view, and practice will be proven false.
Dear readers! These were some verses of the Holy Quran in which Allah Almighty established some questions for the guidance of His servants and at some places also provided their answers. If these questions and answers are well understood, then there will be no scope or concept for the permissibility or act of asking prayers from anyone other than Allah. In all such verses presented, مِن دُونِ اللهِ that is the words “except Allah” appear, and many people insist that these are in reference to مِن دُونِ الله and mean “idols.” God willing, we will explain this in an article titled “Who is meant by مِن دُونِ الله?” Allah Almighty grant us success. Ameen.
Shadharat al-Dhahab
❀ Imam Abu al-Muzaffar Sam’ani, may Allah have mercy on him
, said:
«إن الحق واحد وما عداه باطل»
“Undoubtedly, the truth is one, and whatever is other than it is falsehood.”
❀ Imam Malik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«من إزالة العلم أن تجيب كل من يسألك»
“Among the losses of knowledge is that you respond to every questioner.”
❀ Imam Abdul Rahman ibn Mahdi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«لا يكون إماما فى العلم من أخذ بالشاذ من العلم ولا يكون إماما فى العلم من روى عن كل أحد ولا يكون إماما فى العلم من روى كل ما سمع»
“Can a person be an imam in knowledge who takes rare statements from knowledge? Neither can he be an imam who narrates from every Tom, Dick, and Harry, nor can he be an imam who relates every heard statement.”
