Ruling on Leading Prayer by One Who Seeks Help from Saints After Death
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
What is the ruling on someone who believes that saints (awliyā') remain alive in a worldly sense after their death and considers seeking help from them to be permissible? Can such a person lead the congregational prayer (imāmah)?
Believing that the awliyā' are alive in a worldly sense after death and considering it permissible to seek help from them is shirk (polytheism).
Hence, such a person is not fit to lead the prayer.
❀ ʿAllāmah Ṣanʿ Allāh Ḥanafī رحمه الله (d. 1120 AH) writes:
“Whoever holds the belief that apart from Allah, any prophet, saint, spirit, or any other being possesses the power to remove difficulties or fulfill needs, has fallen into a dangerous abyss of ignorance and stands on the brink of Hell.”
“Some argue that the saints fulfill needs through their miracles (karāmāt). We seek Allah’s protection from holding such a belief — to assume that the friends of Allah have such a rank, and that they can bring benefit or remove harm through miracles. This is the very belief of the idol-worshippers.”
Allah has quoted their statement:
﴿هَٰؤُلَاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِندَ اللَّهِ﴾
“These are our intercessors with Allah.”
— [Sūrat Yūnus: 18]
And another statement of theirs:
﴿مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ﴾
“We only worship them to bring us closer to Allah.”
— [Sūrat al-Zumar: 3]
Source: Sayfullāh ʿalā Man Kadhaba ʿalā Awliyāʾillāh, p. 48
❀ He further states:
“Among the believers, none can remove harm except Allah. All benefit is also derived from Him alone. Therefore, if someone is not capable of removing harm or giving benefit, then mentioning such a being when seeking aid is an act of shirk (polytheism), even if that being is a prophet, angel, saint, or anyone else. Verily, no one besides Allah has the power to grant benefit or remove harm.”
Source: Sayfullāh ʿalā Man Kadhaba ʿalā Awliyāʾillāh, p. 48
✔ Seeking help from the deceased — regardless of whether they are prophets, saints, or others — is a form of shirk.
✔ Believing that saints have worldly life after death and possess powers to help or harm is a false and dangerous belief.
✔ A person holding such beliefs is disqualified from leading the congregational prayer.
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
❖ Question:
What is the ruling on someone who believes that saints (awliyā') remain alive in a worldly sense after their death and considers seeking help from them to be permissible? Can such a person lead the congregational prayer (imāmah)?
❖ Answer:
Believing that the awliyā' are alive in a worldly sense after death and considering it permissible to seek help from them is shirk (polytheism).Hence, such a person is not fit to lead the prayer.
❖ Scholarly Commentary:
❀ ʿAllāmah Ṣanʿ Allāh Ḥanafī رحمه الله (d. 1120 AH) writes:
“Whoever holds the belief that apart from Allah, any prophet, saint, spirit, or any other being possesses the power to remove difficulties or fulfill needs, has fallen into a dangerous abyss of ignorance and stands on the brink of Hell.”
“Some argue that the saints fulfill needs through their miracles (karāmāt). We seek Allah’s protection from holding such a belief — to assume that the friends of Allah have such a rank, and that they can bring benefit or remove harm through miracles. This is the very belief of the idol-worshippers.”
Allah has quoted their statement:
﴿هَٰؤُلَاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِندَ اللَّهِ﴾
“These are our intercessors with Allah.”
— [Sūrat Yūnus: 18]
And another statement of theirs:
﴿مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ﴾
“We only worship them to bring us closer to Allah.”
— [Sūrat al-Zumar: 3]
Source: Sayfullāh ʿalā Man Kadhaba ʿalā Awliyāʾillāh, p. 48❀ He further states:
“Among the believers, none can remove harm except Allah. All benefit is also derived from Him alone. Therefore, if someone is not capable of removing harm or giving benefit, then mentioning such a being when seeking aid is an act of shirk (polytheism), even if that being is a prophet, angel, saint, or anyone else. Verily, no one besides Allah has the power to grant benefit or remove harm.”
Source: Sayfullāh ʿalā Man Kadhaba ʿalā Awliyāʾillāh, p. 48
Summary:
✔ Seeking help from the deceased — regardless of whether they are prophets, saints, or others — is a form of shirk.
✔ Believing that saints have worldly life after death and possess powers to help or harm is a false and dangerous belief.
✔ A person holding such beliefs is disqualified from leading the congregational prayer.
