Source: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
◈ Gaining blessings (tabarruk) from graves is harām and a form of shirk.
◈ This is because it attributes special powers to something without any proof from Allah ﷻ.
◈ The Salaf Ṣāliḥīn (pious predecessors) never approved of such acts.
◈ Therefore, seeking blessings from graves is an innovation (bidʿah).
If the person believes:
◈ that the occupant of the grave can bring benefit or remove harm,
then this belief constitutes major shirk (shirk akbar).
Other acts that are major shirk include:
◈ Calling upon the occupant of the grave for benefit or harm removal.
◈ Worshipping him.
◈ Bowing or prostrating before him.
◈ Sacrificing an animal at his grave as a means of nearness or honour.
﴿وَمَن يَدعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلـهًا ءاخَرَ لا بُرهـنَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّما حِسابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ إِنَّهُ لا يُفلِحُ الكـفِرونَ﴾
Sūrat al-Muʾminūn: 117
“And whoever calls upon another deity with Allah, having no proof for it, his reckoning is with his Lord. Surely, the disbelievers will not succeed.”
﴿فَمَن كانَ يَرجوا لِقاءَ رَبِّهِ فَليَعمَل عَمَلًا صـلِحًا وَلا يُشرِك بِعِبادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا﴾
Sūrat al-Kahf: 110
“So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.”
◈ Whoever commits major shirk is a disbeliever, forbidden from Paradise, and will dwell eternally in Hell.
﴿إِنَّهُ مَن يُشرِك بِاللَّهِ فَقَد حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ الجَنَّةَ وَمَأوىهُ النّارُ وَما لِلظّـلِمينَ مِن أَنصارٍ﴾
Sūrat al-Māʾidah: 72
“Indeed, whoever associates partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and his abode is the Fire. And for the wrongdoers there will be no helpers.”
◈ If one swears by someone other than Allah believing that the one sworn by has a status equal to Allah ﷻ, this is major shirk.
◈ If such belief is not present but undue reverence in the heart causes one to swear by other than Allah, it is minor shirk (shirk aṣghar).
Ḥadīth:
«مَنْ حَلَفَ بِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ فَقَدْ کَفَرَ اَوْ اَشْرَك»
(Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Nudhūr wa-al-Aymān, Ḥadīth: 1535)
“Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed disbelief or shirk.”
◈ The claim “we learned this from our elders” is not a valid proof.
◈ This was exactly the reasoning of the pagans of Makkah when they rejected the Prophets.
﴿إِنّا وَجَدنا ءاباءَنا عَلى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنّا عَلى ءاثـرِهِم مُقتَدونَ﴾
Sūrat al-Zukhruf: 23
The Messengers replied:
﴿أَوَلَو جِئتُكُم بِأَهدى مِمّا وَجَدتُم عَلَيهِ ءاباءَكُم قالوا إِنّا بِما أُرسِلتُم بِهِ كـفِرونَ﴾
Sūrat al-Zukhruf: 24
Allah’s response:
﴿فَانتَقَمنا مِنهُم فَانظُر كَيفَ كانَ عـقِبَةُ المُكَذِّبينَ﴾
Sūrat al-Zukhruf: 25
◈ One cannot justify wrong practices on the basis of tradition or culture.
◈ Such excuses will hold no weight before Allah ﷻ.
◈ Those involved in such acts must immediately repent and return to Allah.
◈ The believer accepts the truth regardless of its source, and fears no blame in the path of Allah.
May Allah ﷻ grant us the ability to act in ways that please Him, and protect us from all acts that incur His anger and punishment.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
1. Seeking Blessings from Graves
◈ Gaining blessings (tabarruk) from graves is harām and a form of shirk.
◈ This is because it attributes special powers to something without any proof from Allah ﷻ.
◈ The Salaf Ṣāliḥīn (pious predecessors) never approved of such acts.
◈ Therefore, seeking blessings from graves is an innovation (bidʿah).
If the person believes:
◈ that the occupant of the grave can bring benefit or remove harm,
then this belief constitutes major shirk (shirk akbar).
Other acts that are major shirk include:
◈ Calling upon the occupant of the grave for benefit or harm removal.
◈ Worshipping him.
◈ Bowing or prostrating before him.
◈ Sacrificing an animal at his grave as a means of nearness or honour.
2. Qur'anic Evidences
﴿وَمَن يَدعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلـهًا ءاخَرَ لا بُرهـنَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّما حِسابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ إِنَّهُ لا يُفلِحُ الكـفِرونَ﴾
Sūrat al-Muʾminūn: 117
“And whoever calls upon another deity with Allah, having no proof for it, his reckoning is with his Lord. Surely, the disbelievers will not succeed.”
﴿فَمَن كانَ يَرجوا لِقاءَ رَبِّهِ فَليَعمَل عَمَلًا صـلِحًا وَلا يُشرِك بِعِبادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا﴾
Sūrat al-Kahf: 110
“So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.”
3. Consequences of Major Shirk
◈ Whoever commits major shirk is a disbeliever, forbidden from Paradise, and will dwell eternally in Hell.
﴿إِنَّهُ مَن يُشرِك بِاللَّهِ فَقَد حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ الجَنَّةَ وَمَأوىهُ النّارُ وَما لِلظّـلِمينَ مِن أَنصارٍ﴾
Sūrat al-Māʾidah: 72
“Indeed, whoever associates partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and his abode is the Fire. And for the wrongdoers there will be no helpers.”
4. Swearing an Oath by Other Than Allah
◈ If one swears by someone other than Allah believing that the one sworn by has a status equal to Allah ﷻ, this is major shirk.
◈ If such belief is not present but undue reverence in the heart causes one to swear by other than Allah, it is minor shirk (shirk aṣghar).
Ḥadīth:
«مَنْ حَلَفَ بِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ فَقَدْ کَفَرَ اَوْ اَشْرَك»
(Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Nudhūr wa-al-Aymān, Ḥadīth: 1535)
“Whoever swears by other than Allah has committed disbelief or shirk.”
5. Refuting False Justifications
◈ The claim “we learned this from our elders” is not a valid proof.
◈ This was exactly the reasoning of the pagans of Makkah when they rejected the Prophets.
﴿إِنّا وَجَدنا ءاباءَنا عَلى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنّا عَلى ءاثـرِهِم مُقتَدونَ﴾
Sūrat al-Zukhruf: 23
The Messengers replied:
﴿أَوَلَو جِئتُكُم بِأَهدى مِمّا وَجَدتُم عَلَيهِ ءاباءَكُم قالوا إِنّا بِما أُرسِلتُم بِهِ كـفِرونَ﴾
Sūrat al-Zukhruf: 24
Allah’s response:
﴿فَانتَقَمنا مِنهُم فَانظُر كَيفَ كانَ عـقِبَةُ المُكَذِّبينَ﴾
Sūrat al-Zukhruf: 25
6. Importance of Accepting the Truth
◈ One cannot justify wrong practices on the basis of tradition or culture.
◈ Such excuses will hold no weight before Allah ﷻ.
◈ Those involved in such acts must immediately repent and return to Allah.
◈ The believer accepts the truth regardless of its source, and fears no blame in the path of Allah.
Supplication
May Allah ﷻ grant us the ability to act in ways that please Him, and protect us from all acts that incur His anger and punishment.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
