Posted 12 March 2005 - 05:48 AM
asalamu alaikum,
Back to the topic at hand. The following is taken from the Book, The Pillars of Islam and Iman by Muhammad bin Jamil Zeno (teacher at Dar-ul-Hadith Al Khairiyah Makkah Al Mukaramah). (page 41- 44)
2. Shirk (polytheism) in Worship nullifies Iman(belief/faith)
This second category includes denial of Allah as the object of worship or ascribingpartner along with Allah. It too has various manifestations:
1. Those who worship the sun, the oon and the stars and trees or any other created being, and abandon the worship of Allah, who created all these things which have no power to benfit nor to harm. Allah said:
"And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, but prostrated not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him." (41:37 )
2. Those who worship Allah, and worship along with Him some of His creation such as saints, as embodied in idols, graveworship, etc. The Arab idol worshippers before Islam were of this category, as they used to call upon Allah only in times of hardship and pressing need, and would worship others in times of ease. As the Quran described them.
"And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him only, but when He brings them safely to land behold, they give a share of their worship to others." (29:65 )
They are characterized as Al Mushrikum (those who associate and attribue partner with Allah), even though they made supplication to Allah Alone when they were afraid of drowning at sea, because they didn't stay like that instead they called upon others after He saved them.
3. Since Allah was displeased with the idol worshipping Arabs before Islam, rather than, He branded them Kafir (i.e the disbelievers) and ordered His Prophet to fight them, because they called upon others besides Allah at the time of ease and He didn't accept their whole heartedness when they called upon Him alone in hardship, and He labelled them Mushrikin. What can we say about certain Muslims today, who resort to dead saints at the time of ease as well as at the time of hardship? And they ask of them what only Allah has the power to bestow, like curing the sick, and granting sustenance and guidance etc, and they forget the creator of those saints, whereas He is the only One who cures, the Sustainer and the Guide. And those dead people have no power at all and cannot even hear those who are calling upon them, as Allah stated:
"And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmir (the thin membrane over the datestone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your resquest) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the All Knower (of each and every thing) (35:13,14 )
This verse is explicit to the effect that the dead cannot hear those who call upon them and explicit in stating that their supplication is Major Shirk.
Some of them might say: we dont believe that these saints and righteous people have the power to benefit or harm, we onl take them as intermediaries who will intercede with Allah on our behalf, and through them we get closer to Allah. Our reply to them is that the idolaters before Islam use to hold a similar belief, as is mentioned in the Quran.
"And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: "These are our intercessors with Allah." Say: "Do you inform Allah that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?" Glorified and Exalted is He above all that which they associate as partners with Him." (10:18 )
This verse is explicit in proving that whoever worships and supplicates other than Allah, he is a Mushrik even if he believes that those other beings cannot benefit nor harm, but only sees them as intercessors.
Allah said about the idolaters:
"And those who take Auliya (protectors and helpers) besides Him (say): "We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah. Verily, Allah will judge between them concernin that wherein thery differ. Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever (39:3 )
This verse is explicit in proving the disbelief of those who call upon other than Allah with the intention of getting thereby closer to Allah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Because supplication is worship." (Tirmidhi)
4. Among the nullifiers of Belief is to rule by other than what Allah has revealed; if it is accompanied by the belief the Allah's Laws are inapproprialte or less appropriate, or that man made laws which contradict them are equally appropriate; Allah said:
"The command (or the judgement) is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him, that is the ture straight religion, but most men know not (12:40 )
"And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the Kafirun (disbelievers- of a lesser degree as they do not act on Allah's Laws) (5:44 )
In case the ruler is applying the law other than what Allah has revealed, while believing that the revealed Law is the only Ligitimate Law, but he contradicted it on the basis of personal whim and inclnation or because of what he considers to be external pressure beyond his control, then he is unjust and tyrannical or corrupt, but he did not cross the line of disbelief, this is according to the statement of Ibn Abbas (raa) who said:
"Whoever repudiates what Allah has revealed, then he surely disbelieved, while one who accepted it (while acting in contradiction to it) He is unjust and corrupt."
This is the interpretation of the verse chosen by the great exegaete Inb Jarir At Tabari, And Ata said with regard to the second state:
"A level of disvelief below the level which takes one out of Islam."
As for those who suspended the Laws of Allah and replacced them with man made laws which oppose them, believing in the validity of their man made laws, they have disbelieved and gone out of Islam, by the consensus of the scholars.
5.Among the nullifiers of Belief is displeasure with Allah's Legislation, or the opinion that it is too confining and strict or that it imposes undue hardship. Allah said:
"But no, y your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you Judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission." (4:65 )
Or to dislike the order which is revealed, as Allah (swt) said:
"But those who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah) for them is destruction, and (Allah) will make their deeds vain. That is because they hate that which Allah has sent down (this Quran and islamic laws) so He has made their deed fruitless (47: 8, 9, )