Polytheism

Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: {So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know} [Sūrat al-Baqarah: 22]. He prohibited people from taking partners and rivals alongside Him with their worship, when they know that Allah alone is the Creator and the Provider. These partners and rivals are helpless and incapable of doing anything. Ibn ‘Abbās defined Al-‘Andād as rivals and mentioned some examples of how people take others as rivals alongside Allah. Polytheism is to swear or take an oath by other than Allah and it is subtler than the footsteps of an ant on a flat black stone in the darkness of the night. What is even more severe is to equate a rival with Allah, e.g. “By Allah and my life,” or to depend on a cause without depending on the one who caused it. Any issue must be referred to Allah. Examples of things forbidden to say are: “Had it not been for this dog protecting us, thieves would have broken in.” or: “Had it not been for this duck in our house to warn us if a stranger enters, thieves would have broken in.” Additionally, polytheism takes the following forms: “What Allah wills and you as well.” And: “If it weren't for Allah and so-and-so.” Don't make so–and-so equal to Allah. He then emphasized that these are all forms of minor polytheism, but if one were to believe that the person, the duck, or the dog have a role without Allah, this amounts to major polytheism.

الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، صالح بن فوزان بن عبد الله الفوزان، دار العاصمة، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2001م. تفسير القرآن العظيم، عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن إدريس ابن أبي حاتم، تحقيق: أسعد محمد الطيب، نشر: مكتبة نزار مصطفى الباز، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الثالثة، 1419هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated to his Lord to not make his grave like an idol that people worship by extolling it and facing it in prostration. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that Allah Almighty banished and expelled from His mercy those who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship, for taking them as places of worship is conducive to worshiping and having faith in them.

1. Exceeding the limits set by the Shariah with regard to the graves of the prophets and the righteous people turns them into idols worshiped apart from Allah. So, we should beware of the means leading to Shirk (polytheism).
2. It is not permissible to visit the graves to show reverence to them and perform worship there, regardless of the closeness of those buried to Allah.
3. It is prohibited to build mosques over the graves.
4. It is prohibited to perform prayer at the graves, even if no mosque is built there, except for prayer for a dead person upon whom the funeral prayer has not been offered.

مسند أحمد (12/ 314) (7358). فتح المجيد شرح كتاب التوحيد، لعبد الرحمن التميمي (1/ 434). القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد بن عثيمين (1/ 434). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص178). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص194). التمهيد لشرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح آل الشيخ (ص51). مشكاة المصابيح، للتبريزي (1/ 234).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that whoever swears by other than Allah and His names and attributes has disbelieved in Allah or associated partners with Him. This is because swearing entails extolment of the one by whom swearing is done, whereas all greatness belongs to Allah alone. So, we must only swear by Allah, His names, and attributes. This type of swearing falls under minor polytheism. However, if the swearer extols what he swears by like the extolment of Allah or greater, then his swearing constitutes major polytheism.

1. Extolment by swearing is a right only due to Allah Almighty. So, we should only swear by Allah and His names and attributes.
2. It points out the keenness of the Companions to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, particularly if the wrong act pertains to polytheism or disbelief.

سنن الترمذي (3/ 194) (1535). سنن أبي داود (5/ 154- 155) (3251). مسند أحمد (9/ 249) (5346)، (9/ 275) (5375)، (10/ 249) (6072). فتح المجيد شرح كتاب التوحيد، لعبد الرحمن التميمي (ص413). القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد، لابن عثيمين (2/ 214). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص326). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص365). التمهيد لشرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح آل الشيخ (ص452). فتاوى اللجنة الدائمة، (1/ 343).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that what he fears most for his Ummah is minor Shirk, which is showing off, i.e., doing good deeds for the sake of people. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs of the punishment of those who show off with their good deeds as it will be said to them on the Day of Judgment: Go to those for the sake of whom you offered your good deeds and see if they have the ability to reward you for such deeds.

1. Good deeds must be devoted to Allah Almighty with full sincerity and warning of ostentation must be avoided.
2. The Prophet's great compassion towards his Ummah and his keenness to guide and advise them.
3. If this is the Prophet's fear for his Companions, who are the most noble in terms of righteousness, then, the fear for those who succeed them is far greater.

مسند أحمد (39/ 39) (23630). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص57). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص45).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned against Tiyarah, which is regarding something, audible or visible, as a bad omen whether it is from birds, animals, people with deformities, numbers, days, etc. He mentioned the "Tayr" (bird) in specific because it was commonly known during the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, as a bird would be urged to fly when someone intended to do something like travel, trade, or anything else. If the bird flew to the right, he would take this as a good omen and proceed with what he intended, whereas if the bird flew to the left, he would take this as a bad omen and refrain from doing what he intended. He informed us that it is Shirk. In fact, belief in bad omens is Shirk because none can bring goodness except Allah and none can ward off evil except Allah, alone with no partner. Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that a Muslim may feel in his heart something of this pessimism; however, he must dispel it with reliance on Allah along with utilizing the available means.

1. Tiyarah is Shirk because it entails the heart's attachment to other than Allah.
2. The importance of repeating significant issues to be memorized and to settle in the hearts.
3. Tiyarah is dispelled by reliance on Allah Almighty.
4. The command to rely on Allah alone and to have one's heart attached to Him.

سنن أبي داود (6/ 54) (3915). سنن ابن ماجه (4/ 560) (3538). سنن الترمذي (3/ 258) (1614). مسند أحمد (6/ 213) (3687). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد القرعاوي (ص259). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص233).

‘Adiyy ibn Hātim, a noble Companion, heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recite a verse indicating that the Jews and Christians took their scholars and devout people as deities. They would legislate for them rulings opposite to Allah's legislations and would be obeyed. On hearing the verse, ‘Adiyy could not understand what it means, because he thought that worship was confined to prostration and similar acts. Therefore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that part of worshipping the rabbis and monks lies in obeying them in forbidding the lawful and allowing the forbidden, thus contradicting the divine and prophetic legislation.

1. It is major polytheism to obey scholars or other individuals in changing the rulings of Allah Almighty if one knows they are contradicting the Shariah of Allah.
2. Determining the lawful and the unlawful is the right of Allah Almighty.
3. It demonstrates one of the kinds of polytheism, namely the polytheism of obedience.
4. The legitimacy of teaching the ignorant.
5. Worship is a comprehensive term that includes all words and deeds, inward and outward, that are dear and pleasing to the Almighty Lord.
6. It shows the misguidance of rabbis and monks.
7. It proves that the Jews and Christians are polytheists.
8. The core of all messengers’ religion is one, namely monotheism.
9. Obedience to a created being that involves disobedience to the Creator is a form of worship to him.
10. One is required to ask the scholars about unknown or unclear rulings.
11. The Companions were keen on learning.

كتاب التوحيد، للإمام محمد بن عبد الوهاب، ت: د. دغش العجمي. مكتبة أهل الأثر, الطبعة الخامسة, 1435ه. الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لمحمد بن عبد العزيز السليمان القرعاوي, ت: محمد بن أحمد سيد, مكتبة السوادي، الطبعة: الخامسة، 1424ه. الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، للشيخ صالح الفوزان, دار العاصمة, الطبعة الأولى، 1422ه. سلسلة الأحاديث الصحيحة، للألباني, مكتبة المعارف, الطبعة الأولى, 1415ه. جامع الترمذي, ت: أحمد شاكر, مكتبة ومطبعة مصطفى البابي, الطبعة: الثانية، 1395ه.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the ruling on treating the bewitched person in the way that was commonly practiced in the pre-Islamic era, such as counteracting magic with magic. He replied by saying that it was an act of the devil or carried out by the devil. This is because such a way of treatment involves magic and satanic methods, and is thus prohibited and tantamount to disbelief. However, there is a permissible type of Nushrah, which involves neutralizing magic by using Ruqyah, finding the magic spell and breaking it by hand along with reciting the Qur'an, or by taking lawful medications.

1. The legitimacy of asking the scholars about unambiguous rulings so as to avoid falling into what is prohibited.
2. It is prohibited to perform Nushrah (charm for one who is possessed) in the way it was done in Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period), for it is sorcery, which is a form of disbelief.
3. The works of Satan are all prohibited.

1- الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، صالح بن فوزان بن عبد الله الفوزان، دار العاصمة، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2001م. 2- الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، محمد بن عبد العزيز السليمان القرعاوي، تحقيق: محمد بن أحمد سيد، مكتبة السوادي، الطبعة: الخامسة، 1424هـ - 2003م. 3- سنن أبي داود، سليمان بن الأشعث أبوداود، تحقيق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد، المكتبة العصرية، صيدا، بيروت. 4- مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، أحمد بن حنبل أبو عبدالله الشيباني، تحقيق: شعيب الأرنؤوط و عادل مرشد، وآخرون، تحت إشراف: عبد الله بن عبد المحسن التركي، مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الأولى، 1421هـ - 2001م. 5- سلسلة الأحاديث الصحيحة وشيء من فقهها وفوائدها، محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، مكتبة المعارف للنشر والتوزيع، الرياض.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) informs us that whoever refrains from doing anything that he had intended to do out of belief in bad omens, has in some sense committed polytheism. When the Companions asked him about the expiation of this major sin, he instructed them to say those noble words mentioned in the Hadīth. This homily indicates entrusting all affairs to Allah and negating omnipotence from anyone other than Him.

1. It establishes the polytheism of a person who is deterred by an evil omen from pursuing his course of action.
2. The repentance of a polytheist is accepted.
3. It guides to what a person should say if he is influenced by evil omens.
4. Good and evil are predestined by Allah Almighty.

1- فتح المجيد شرح كتاب التوحيد، مطبعة السنة المحمدية، القاهرة، مصر، الطبعة: السابعة، 1377هـ - 1957م. 2- القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد، دار ابن الجوزي، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الثانية, محرم، 1424ه. 3- الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، دار العاصمة الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ - 2001م. 4- الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، مكتبة السوادي، جدة، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الخامسة، 1424هـ - 2003م. 5- التمهيد لشرح كتاب التوحيد، دار التوحيد، تاريخ النشر: 1424هـ. 6- مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، المحقق: شعيب الأرنؤوط - عادل مرشد، وآخرون، إشراف: د عبد الله بن عبد المحسن التركي، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة-الطبعة: الأولى، 1421هـ - 2001م. 7- السلسلة الصحيحة، مكتبة المعارف للنشر والتوزيع، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى.