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The Ruling o n Requesting the Prophet 's Supplic at ion After His Death
By Shaykh Saalih Aal al-Shaykh
This is an answer given by the Shaykh to the issue of requesting the supplication of those who
have passed away and entered the barzakh. The Shaykh was asked (during his explanation of Aqidah al-Tahaawiyyah), in the print version 2/1029 (Dar al-Mawaddah, Egypt):
The one who asked the Prophet (sal lal laahu alayhi wasal lam) to
supplicate for him and to ask for his forgiveness from Allaah after his
(the Proph et 's) death, is this shirk ?
Yes, it is major shirk because the Prophet (sal lallaahu alayhi w asal lam) is
not to be cal led upon after his death . Requesting supplication from the deadand requesting (their) supplication (for them to) request rescue and sending of rain, meaning, that he supplicates to Allaah that He grants relief or he supplicatesto Allaah to forgive (the person making the request), that he supplicates to Allaahto give (to that person) and what is like this, all of it is enters into the word "du'a"(supplication) and Allaah, the Mighty and Majest ic said, "A nd the mosques
are for Allaah, so do not in vok e anyone alongsid e Allaah " (72:18). And the one who says that this form, which is to request the supplication (of the
deceased) is excluded from that (type of) request through which shirk isactually shirk, then he has demolished the entire foundation of Tawheed in thisparticular topic.
For all types of request (talab), requesting supplication, meaningrequesting supplication from the dead or requesting aid and what is like that, allof it is included within the same subject area, which is (making) request (talab),and requesting is supplicating (du'a), so it is included within His, the Most High'ssaying, " And who ever invok es besides A l lah, any other i lah (god) of whom
he has no p roof then his reckonin g is o nly w ith his Lo rd. Surely, the disbel ievers wi l l not b e successful ." (23:117) and it is also included within Hissaying, " And the mosques are for Al laah, so do not invo ke anyone alongsid e
Allaah " (72:18) and into His saying " And tho se, whom you in voke or call upon
instead of Him, own not even th e thin membrane over the dateýstone " (35:13) and other similar verses.
Hence, making this distinction clashes with the evidence and whoever understood from some of the speech of our Scholars (this) separation or that thisrequesting of supplication from the dead is a bid'ah (innovation), this does not
mean it is not (at the same time)shirk, rather it is an innovated (form) of shirk, with the meaning that the people of Jaahiliyyah did not used to perform this(particular type of shirk). They used to seek nearness to (their deities) so they inturn would supplicate for them. However, that the dead are requested to
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supplicate, this is a bid'ah, it was not present originally, neither with the people of Jaahiliyyah and nor with the Muslims, then it occurred, and so it is an innovationno doubt (from this angle), however it is an innovation of shirk and kufr. And th is is the (very) meaning of shafaa'ah (intercession) , what is the meaning
of intercession, that ( intercession ) which if a person seeks from other than
Al laah he becomes a mushr ik? intercession (means) to request supplication, requesting supplication from the dead, this is (the meaning) of intercession.
