Exaggeration in Regard to the Righteous

Authored by: Sheikh al-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him)
Translated by: Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi (may Allah protect him)


One of the practices of Jahiliyyah (the Age of Ignorance) was their tendency to exaggerate the status of scholars and the righteous, as mentioned in the Qur'an:

"The Jews say, 'Uzair is the son of Allah,' and the Christians say, 'The Messiah is the son of Allah.' These are their statements, uttered with their mouths; they imitate the sayings of those who disbelieved before them. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded? They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah, the son of Mary, while they were not commanded except to worship one God. There is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him in worship."

[Surah At-Tawbah: 30-31]

This means that they treated their scholars as deities, considering them the ultimate authorities on what is lawful and unlawful, and believing they had control over matters of the universe. They would call upon them to remove difficulties and bring about benefit, which was a practice of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) during their time of ignorance. Over time, this practice spread worldwide, and remnants of it are still present today.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) foretold this when he said:

"You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you."

Unfortunately, we now witness the majority of people deviating from the true religion of Allah. They are immersed in innovations (bid'ah), wandering in the valleys of misguidance, and displaying animosity towards the Qur'an, Sunnah, and those who adhere to them. Because of this, religion is in mourning, and Islam is suffering due to their actions.

May Allah be sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.

This warning against exaggeration in regard to the righteous highlights the dangers of falling into practices that deviate from the pure monotheism of Islam. It reminds us that we must worship and seek help only from Allah, and not elevate anyone, even scholars and righteous individuals, to a status that is reserved for Allah alone.
 
Back
Top