Compiled by: Tauheed.com
This article is written in light of the Qur’ānic principle that making anyone a "Nidd" (equal, rival, or partner) with Allah—even with good intention or interpretation—is shirk. By presenting the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ, multiple verses of the Qur’ān, and the beliefs of the pagan Arabs, it has been demonstrated that seeking help from other than Allah, inventing intermediaries, and considering anyone a helper in distress or a reliever of difficulties—no matter how much it is clothed in religious terms—is in fact the same shirk which the Qur’ān and Sunnah have prohibited. The article also refutes Barelvi interpretations and compares them with the beliefs of the pagan Arabs, supported with evidences.
Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’ān:
فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
"So do not set up rivals to Allah while you know (the truth)."
[Surah al-Baqarah: 22]
The word “Andād” is the plural of “Nidd”, which means:
◈ Equal
◈ Partner
◈ Considered as comparable
This concept is not limited to associating partners in divinity alone, but also includes associating others with Allah in His knowledge, power, will, worship, and attributes.
This is also a warning for those who say: “We ask from others besides Allah, but we do not consider them equal to Allah.” Yet, the verse clearly prohibits making anyone a “Nidd” alongside Allah—knowingly or unknowingly.
From Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما):
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَشِئْتَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: "أَجَعَلْتَنِي لِلَّهِ نِدًّا؟ بَلْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ”
A man once said to the Prophet ﷺ: “Whatever Allah wills and you will.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Have you made me a partner (Nidd) with Allah? Rather say: Whatever Allah alone wills.”
Takhrīj and Authenticity:
Barelvi scholars argue that calling upon saints and prophets is not shirk because:
They consider it “granted by Allah”, not intrinsic power.
Their powers are limited, not unlimited like Allah’s.
Their ability is dependent, not independent.
But consider:
When the companion said “Mā Shāʾ Allāh wa Shiʾta”, he too believed the Prophet ﷺ’s will was:
Yet the Prophet ﷺ immediately rejected it, saying:
“Ajʿaltanī lillāhi Niddan?”
"Have you made me a partner with Allah?"
Conclusion: Even with the intention of attributing “granted and dependent” powers, associating others in Allah’s domain is shirk.
The Qur’ān confirms that the pagans of Arabia:
Examples:
Yet, Allah still declared them mushrik because they sought help and nearness through intermediaries:
"مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ”
"We do not worship them except to bring us closer to Allah."
[Surah al-Zumar: 3]
Thus, even with the claim of “intercession, nearness, and wasīlah”, Allah labeled their belief as shirk.
Today, many Barelvis call upon:
This is the same concept as:
"Mā Naʿbuduhum Illā Li-Yuqarribūnā Ilā Allāh"
(We only worship them to bring us closer to Allah).
Thus, the shirk of the pagan Arabs and modern-day grave worshippers is the same—only the names and expressions have changed.
Allāhumma Arinā al-Ḥaqqa Ḥaqqan wa Arzuqnā Ittibāʿah, wa Arinā al-Bāṭila Bāṭilan wa Arzuqnā Ijtinābah
(O Allah! Show us 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).
Allāhumma Ajʿalnā Min al-Muwaḥḥidīn, Wa Thabbit Qulūbanā ʿalā al-Tawḥīd Ḥattā Nalqāk
(O Allah! Make us among the people of tawḥīd and keep our hearts firm upon it until we meet You).
Allāhumma Barriʾnā Mina al-Shirki wa Ahlih, Waḥshurnā Fī Zumrat al-Muwaḥḥidīn, Wa Ajʿal Ākhir Kalāminā Lā Ilāha Illā Allāh
(O Allah! Free us from shirk and its people, gather us with the monotheists, and make our last words ‘Lā Ilāha Illā Allāh’).
Final Lesson:
The Prophet ﷺ’s ḥadīth on “Mā Shāʾ Allāh wa Shiʾta” exposes the reality of shirk in all its subtle forms. Today’s calls upon saints and prophets are nothing but a continuation of the shirk of pagan Arabs. True tawḥīd is to call only upon Allah, without intermediaries or rivals.
This article is written in light of the Qur’ānic principle that making anyone a "Nidd" (equal, rival, or partner) with Allah—even with good intention or interpretation—is shirk. By presenting the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ, multiple verses of the Qur’ān, and the beliefs of the pagan Arabs, it has been demonstrated that seeking help from other than Allah, inventing intermediaries, and considering anyone a helper in distress or a reliever of difficulties—no matter how much it is clothed in religious terms—is in fact the same shirk which the Qur’ān and Sunnah have prohibited. The article also refutes Barelvi interpretations and compares them with the beliefs of the pagan Arabs, supported with evidences.
❖ What Does It Mean to Make a "Nidd" for Allah?
Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’ān:
فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا لِلَّهِ أَنْدَادًا وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
"So do not set up rivals to Allah while you know (the truth)."
[Surah al-Baqarah: 22]
The word “Andād” is the plural of “Nidd”, which means:
◈ Equal
◈ Partner
◈ Considered as comparable
This concept is not limited to associating partners in divinity alone, but also includes associating others with Allah in His knowledge, power, will, worship, and attributes.
This is also a warning for those who say: “We ask from others besides Allah, but we do not consider them equal to Allah.” Yet, the verse clearly prohibits making anyone a “Nidd” alongside Allah—knowingly or unknowingly.
❖ The Prophetic Warning Against Subtle Shirk
From Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما):
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَشِئْتَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: "أَجَعَلْتَنِي لِلَّهِ نِدًّا؟ بَلْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ”
A man once said to the Prophet ﷺ: “Whatever Allah wills and you will.”
The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Have you made me a partner (Nidd) with Allah? Rather say: Whatever Allah alone wills.”
Takhrīj and Authenticity:
- Musnad Aḥmad (1839, 3145) –
Ṣaḥīḥ - Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān (2990) – Authentic
- al-Adab al-Mufrad (783) – Ḥasan (Albānī)
- al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah (139) – Strong isnād
- al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr (3/66, 2681) – Multiple authentic chains
❖ Refutation of Barelvi Interpretations
Barelvi scholars argue that calling upon saints and prophets is not shirk because:
They consider it “granted by Allah”, not intrinsic power. Their powers are limited, not unlimited like Allah’s. Their ability is dependent, not independent.But consider:
When the companion said “Mā Shāʾ Allāh wa Shiʾta”, he too believed the Prophet ﷺ’s will was:
- Limited
- Dependent
- By Allah’s permission
Yet the Prophet ﷺ immediately rejected it, saying:
“Ajʿaltanī lillāhi Niddan?”
"Have you made me a partner with Allah?"
Conclusion: Even with the intention of attributing “granted and dependent” powers, associating others in Allah’s domain is shirk.❖ The Belief of Pagan Arabs
The Qur’ān confirms that the pagans of Arabia:
- Believed Allah is the Creator and Sustainer.
- Did not consider idols as independent creators.
Examples:
- [Surah al-Zukhruf: 87]
- [Surah Yūnus: 31]
- [Surah al-Muʾminūn: 84–89]
Yet, Allah still declared them mushrik because they sought help and nearness through intermediaries:
"مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ”
"We do not worship them except to bring us closer to Allah."
[Surah al-Zumar: 3]
Thus, even with the claim of “intercession, nearness, and wasīlah”, Allah labeled their belief as shirk.
❖ Parallels with Barelvi Beliefs
Today, many Barelvis call upon:
- “Yā Rasūl Allāh! Help me”
- “Yā Ghawth al-Aʿẓam! Relieve me”
- “Yā ʿAlī! Support me”
- “Yā Khwāja! Solve my problem”
This is the same concept as:
"Mā Naʿbuduhum Illā Li-Yuqarribūnā Ilā Allāh"
(We only worship them to bring us closer to Allah).
Thus, the shirk of the pagan Arabs and modern-day grave worshippers is the same—only the names and expressions have changed.❖ Important Reminder
- Shirk remains shirk regardless of intention, ignorance, or interpretation.
- Even slight words implying partnership with Allah were rejected by the Prophet ﷺ.
- Seeking help, relief, or supernatural powers from anyone besides Allah is shirk.
❖ Supplications
Allāhumma Arinā al-Ḥaqqa Ḥaqqan wa Arzuqnā Ittibāʿah, wa Arinā al-Bāṭila Bāṭilan wa Arzuqnā Ijtinābah(O Allah! Show us 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).
Allāhumma Ajʿalnā Min al-Muwaḥḥidīn, Wa Thabbit Qulūbanā ʿalā al-Tawḥīd Ḥattā Nalqāk(O Allah! Make us among the people of tawḥīd and keep our hearts firm upon it until we meet You).
Allāhumma Barriʾnā Mina al-Shirki wa Ahlih, Waḥshurnā Fī Zumrat al-Muwaḥḥidīn, Wa Ajʿal Ākhir Kalāminā Lā Ilāha Illā Allāh(O Allah! Free us from shirk and its people, gather us with the monotheists, and make our last words ‘Lā Ilāha Illā Allāh’).
Final Lesson:The Prophet ﷺ’s ḥadīth on “Mā Shāʾ Allāh wa Shiʾta” exposes the reality of shirk in all its subtle forms. Today’s calls upon saints and prophets are nothing but a continuation of the shirk of pagan Arabs. True tawḥīd is to call only upon Allah, without intermediaries or rivals.
