Praise be to Allah Alone. Peace and blessings be upon the Seal Prophet, upon his household,
From `Abdul`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz to whoever reads this of the Muslims. May Allah guide me and them to comprehension of religious knowledge and conduct me and them along His Straight Path.
May Allah's Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you.
This advice intends to draw attention to some abominable acts ignorantly committed by many people as a result of Satanic temptation and corruption of their minds and thoughts in submission to the whim of those who commit it.
Among these acts is that which I was informed about; that some people call others to worship them, alleging things that could delude the common people into the belief that they could dispose of the affairs of the universe or that they are qualified to be invoked in order to benefit or to harm. Such an act on the part of those aberrant people is an imitation of Fir`aun (Pharaoh) and the likes of evil disbelievers, since Allah Alone and none else deserves `Ibadah (to be worshipped) due to His Omnipotence, Prescience, and not being in need of any of His creatures. For worship of Allah Alone is the purpose of sending Messengers and Books and for which Allah created the jinn and mankind and legislated Jihad. Allah (Exalted be He) says, And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says,
And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes) besides Allâh, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them? And when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping.
And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allâh, any other ilâh (god), of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! AlKâfirûn (the disbelievers in Allâh and in the Oneness of Allâh, polytheists, pagans, idolaters) will not be successful.
And invoke not besides Allâh, any such that will neither profit you nor harm you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrongdoers).
Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills
And (remember) when Luqmân said to his son when he was advising him: "O my son! Join not in worship others with Allâh. Verily joining others in worship with Allâh is a great Zûlm (wrong) indeed.
But the Messiah ['Isâ (Jesus)] said: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allâh, my Lord and your Lord." Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allâh, then Allâh has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers.
They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allâh (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allâh), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but One Ilâh (God Allâh) Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).
And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.
It is evident in these Ayahs (Qur'anic verses) and others that worshipping other than Allah or associating any one else with Him in worship such as prophets, Awliya' (pious people; sing. Waliy), idols, trees, or stones, means associating others with Him (Glorified and Exalted be He) in His Divinity. This contradicts the belief in the Oneness of Allah for the sake of which He has created the jinn and mankind and sent Messengers and Scriptures to explain and call for it. Such is the meaning of "La Ilah Illah Allah." It means no one other than Allah (Exalted be He) is truly worthy of being worshipped. Hence, it disproves worship of other than Allah and establishes it for Allah Alone, as
That is because Allâh — He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Bâtil (falsehood).
This is the essence of the religion and the basis of the creed without the validity of which, acts of worship are invalid since Allah (Exalted be He) says,
And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ), as it was to those (Allâh's Messengers) before you: "If you join others in worship with Allâh, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers."
But if they had joined in worship others with Allâh, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them.
Due to this grave matter, Allah (Exalted be He) sent Messengers and Scriptures to explain monotheism, call for it, and warn against worshipping anyone other than Him (Exalted be He). Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says,
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all false deities i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)."
And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) but We revealed to him (saying): Lâ ilâha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allâh)], so worship Me (Alone and none else)."
(This is) a Book, the Verses whereof are perfected (in every sphere of knowledge), and then explained in detail from One (Allâh), Who is AllWise, WellAcquainted (with all things). (Saying) worship none but Allâh. Verily, I (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴـﻪ ﻭ ﺳـﻠﻢ) am unto you from Him a warner and a bringer of glad tidings.
This (Qur'an) is a Message for mankind (and a clear proof against them), in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is the only One Ilâh (God Allâh) (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh) and that men of understanding may take heed.
It is reported in the two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (i.e. AlBukhari and Muslim) that The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked which sin is gravest in Allah's sight? He (the Noble Prophet) replied, "That you associate a partner with Allah, while it is He Who has created you."
A partner is a peer and an equal. So, whoever invokes, deifies, calls for help, makes a vow to or devote any act of worship to other than Allah, be he a Prophet, a Waliy, a king, a jinni, an idol, and so on, he is associating others with Allah in His Divinity, since worship of
Allah Alone is due to none other than Him. According to the Sahih Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, O Mu`adh! Do you know what the right that Allah has upon His servants and what the right the servants have upon Allah? I (Mu`adh) replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best!" He (the Noble Prophet) said, "Verily, the right of Allah over His servants is that they should worship Him, and associate nothing with Him (in His Divinity), while the right the servants have upon Allah is that He would not torture him who associate nothing with Him".
Indeed, Allah has created the jinn and mankind for this great matter, namely, believing in His Oneness, worshipping him Alone, and renouncing partners, peers and equals. May He be Exalted; there is no god but Him and no Lord other than Him. Thus, whoever calls people to worship him or alleges that he deserves to be worshipped, would then be a disbeliever who must be invited to repent or, if he refuses to do so, should be killed by the ruler, since the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him. (Related by AlBukhari).
It is an act of manifest aberration and gross ignorance to believe in what diviners, foretellers, geomancers, astrologers, sorcerers and augurs tell about the Ghayb (the Unseen). Undoubtedly, this is an abominable act and a branch of disbelief, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, He who visits a diviner and asks him about anything, his Prayers extending to forty nights will not be accepted. (Related by Muslim in his Sahih Book of Hadith).
It is authentically established that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade going to and asking fortunetellers (about the future). AhlulSunan (authors of Hadith compilations classified by jurisprudential themes) narratedthat the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, If anyone resorts to a diviner and believes in what he says, then he disbelieves in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Hadiths bearing the same meaning are numerous. The Muslims are obliged to avoid asking foretellers, diviners, and all sorcerers, along with all those interested in foretelling matters of the Ghayb and those manipulating the minds of the ignorant people and confusing the Muslims. Matters of the Ghayb are known only to the One Who knows the unknown as well as the innermost secrets of the breasts. Even His Messengers and Angels know nothing about matters of the Ghayb except things which He (Exalted be He) tells them.
Say: "None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allâh, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected."
Say (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ): "I don't tell you that with me are the treasures of Allâh, nor (that) I know the Unseen; nor I tell you that I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me." Say: "Are the blind and the one who sees equal? Will you not then take thought?"
Say (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ): "I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allâh wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (Unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."
These verses and others prove that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), being the greatest and best of all prophets, did not know the Ghayb. What would be the case then with other creatures? So, whoever believes that he knows the Ghayb or that any creature does, he would be fabricating a lie against Allah, going a stray, and disbelieving in Allah (Exalted be He). Hence, matters of the Ghayb are among the things whose knowledge is confined to Allah.
Verily Allâh, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allâh is AllKnower, AllAware (of things).
Ibn Mas`ud said, Everything is given to your Prophet (peace be upon him) except for five (things): Verily Allâh, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour. Ibn `Abbas said, "These five matters are known to none other than Allah (Exalted be He) even the close Angel and the sent Prophet do not know them. Thus, whoever claims that he knows about any of them disbelieves in the Qur'an as he would be contradicting it. Besides, the prophets undoubtedly know much of the Ghayb through Allah's revealing it to them.
Believing in the Unseen is one of the principles of Faith and one of the traits of the sincere believers, while claiming to know the Ghayb and foretelling matters of the Unseen are among the characteristics of the aberrant fortunetellers who deviate from right guidance, and of the
augurs, sorcerers, and diviners who wander from the Straight Path and lead astray others of the unenlightened Muslims, as Allah (Exalted be He) says, And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He.
said, The keys of the Ghayb are five. Then he recited Allah's (may He be Exalted) saying, Verily Allâh, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain
It is the duty of religious scholars to remind people of the grave mistakes they commit regarding this matter and other matters, since they will be held accountable for them before Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
Why do not the rabbis and the religious learned men forbid them from uttering sinful words and from eating illegal things. Evil indeed is that which they have been performing.
Likewise, the belief that Banu Hashim will have their sins forgiven, no matter what they might do. Such (belief) involves crass ignorance and extreme aberration.
Indeed, Allah (Exalted be He) does not look to honorable lineage or noble ancestry, but He rather looks to hearts and deeds.
O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that (believer) who has AtTaqwâ [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqûn (the pious. See V.2:2)].
Verily Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your hearts and to your deeds.
Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.
For example, Abu Talib who was the Prophet's (peace be upon him) uncle benefited nothing by his kinship to the Prophet (peace be upon him) or by his noble ancestry.
It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allâh's Forgiveness for the Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh), even though they be of kin
Verily you (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) guide not whom you like, but Allâh guides whom He wills.
Perish the two hands of Abû Lahab (an uncle of the Prophet) and perish he!
He who lags behind in doing good deeds, his noble lineage will not make him go ahead.
O people of Quraysh, purchase your selves from Allah, for I cannot avail you against Allah at all.
Another abominable matter, of corrupt belief and extreme aberration, is that some foolish and ignorant people believe that some of the witless, aberrant, and misleading polytheists could cure the sick (among them), drive harm away from and bring benefit to them.
And if Allâh touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He, and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour
Say: "It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right Path."
Say (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ): "None can protect me from Allâh's punishment (if I were to disobey Him), nor can I find refuge except in Him. (Mine is) but conveyance (of the truth) from Allâh and His Messages (of Islâmic Monotheism)
Say (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ): "I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allâh wills."
If you (have to) ask, ask of Allah; and if you seek help,
seek help from Allah Indeed, the Prophet (peace be uopn him) possessed no power to benefit or to hurt himself or anyone else. This is more applicable for anyone other than him. Thus, whoever exceeds the limits in exalting a prophet, a righteous person, or a Waliy, raising him to the level of divinity, asking him for example for cure, support, sustenance or profit this is then aberration and association of others with Allah in worship. So, the one who does so should be invited to repent; if he refuses, be killed. Such is the case with the one who takes intercessors between him and Allah, trusting in, invoking and asking (of) them, since he then disbelieves (in Allah), according to the consensus of scholars. Thus, the one who believes that anyone other than Allah, be it a prophet, a waliy, a jinni, a spirit, and so on, possesses the power to remove distress, fulfill a need, cure a disease, or drive away affliction, he then falls into a grave aberration and a fatal abyss of ignorance. He would be on the brink of a pit of Fire through his associating others with the Almighty Allah in His Divinity. The one who invokes any of the Awliya', righteous persons or the likes, seeking help from them, he then
associates them with Allah in worship. This is because no one possesses the power to help or profit other than Allah (Exalted be He).
However, there is no restriction in calling the living, present, and capable person and asking for his help in what lies within his power of legally permissible matters, for this is not among the types of Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity) according to the consensus of the Muslims.
Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says regarding the story of Musa (Moses), The man of his (own) party asked him for help against his foe
After all, there are other proofs from the Glorious Qur'an and the Sunnah to this effect, and Allah is the Guide to all success.
Another abominable act that some of the descendants of Banu Hashim claim that that no one is qualified for marriage with their women or men. Actually, this is a great mistake that involves abysmal ignorance, injustice to woman, and a practice that Allah and His Messenger have not allowed.
O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that (believer) who has At-Taqwâ [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqûn (the pious. See V.2:2)].
The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islâmic religion). Moreover, He says, The believers, men and women, are Auliyâ' (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another and So their Lord accepted of them (their supplication and answered them), "Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female. You are (members) one of another
There is no preference of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab, nor a white man over a black man, nor a black man over a white man, except (on basis of) Taqwa (piety). All men are from Adam and Adam is from dust.
Behold! the posterity of my fathers, that is, so and so, are not my protectors. My protector is Allah and the righteous believing people. (Agreed upon)
If someone with a satisfactory standard of faith and good conduct comes to you seeking marriage, then give him (your daughter or sister) in marriage. If you refuse, that will lead to spread of great corruption in the land. (Related by Al-Tirmidhy and others through a Hasan (good) chain of narrators).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) married Zaynab bint Jahsh Al-Asadiyyah to Zayd ibn Harithah, his servant, and married Fatimah bint Qays Al-Qurashiyyah to Usamah ibn Zayd while he and his father were freed slaves. In addition, Bilal ibn Rabah Al-Habashy (a slave from Abyssinia) married the sister of `Abdur-Rahman ibn `Awf al-Zuhriyyah al-Qurashiyyah (of Quraysh). Abu Hudhayfah ibn `Utbah ibn Rabi`ah al-Qurashiy also married the daughter of his brother Al-Walid to Salim, his servant, who was a freed slave of a woman from the Ansar (Helpers, inhabitants of Madinah who supported the Prophet).
Good statements are for good people (or good women for good men) and good people for good statements (or good men for good women)
Likewise, the Prophet (peace be upon him) married his two daughters, Ruqayyah and Um Kulthum to `Uthman and married Abu al-`As ibn ar-Rabi` to his daughter Zaynab, while both were from Banu `Abd Shams and not from Banu Hashim. Furthermore, `Aly gave his daughter Um Kulthum to `Umar ibn al-Khattab in marriage , while he was a `Adawy and not a Hashemite. Similarly, `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn `Uthman married Fatimah bint al-Husayn ibn `Ali though he was an Umayyad and not a Hashemite while Mus`ab ibn al-Zubayr married her sister, Sukaynah, though he was not a Hashemite but from Asad clan,
of Quraysh. Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad married Duba`ah Bint al-Zubayr ibn `Abdul-Muttalib, a Hashemite and cousin of the Prophet (peace be upon him), though al-Miqdad was a Kindiy and not a Hashemite. These multiple examples are intentionally quoted to illustrate the invalidity of the claim of some Hashemites of the prohibition of marrying a Hashemite woman to a non-Hashemite man or of the undesirability of it.
Rather, what should be considered in such a case is his (the man's) religious competence. What distanced Abu Talib and Abu Lahab was their disbelief in Islam, while what brought Salman al-Farisy, Suhayb ar-Rumiy and Bilal al-Habashy was certainly belief, righteousness, piety, adherence to the Shari`ah, and pursuit of the straight way.
The consequence of ignorance and invalid belief is locking up the Hashemite women and preventing them from or delaying their marriage. This in turn results in detrimental consequences of corruption, rendering women unproductive, or reducing procreation.
And marry those among you who are single (i.e. a man who has no wife and the woman who has no husband) and (also marry) the Sâlihûn (pious, fit and capable ones) of your (male) slaves and maid-servants (female slaves). If they be poor, Allâh will enrich them out of His Bounty. And Allâh is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knowing (about the state of the people).
Thus, Allah (Exalted be He) commanded marrying single people in general, so the command includes the rich and the poor, and all other categories of the Muslims. Since the Shari`ah has aroused interest in marriage and urged it, the Muslims must hasten to comply with the Command of Allah and the command of His Messenger
O young people! Whoever of you is able to marry, let him marry, for it helps one restrict his eyes or protect his honor [from illicit relations]. And if he cannot marry, let him observe fasting, for it is a shield against evil. (Agreed upon authentic hadith).
Therefore, the guardians should fear Allah as regards the women in their custody since they are a trust for which they are responsible and Allah (Exalted be He) will call them to account for this trust. Hence, they must hasten to marry their daughters, sisters, and sons, so that each would play his role in this life, and in turn corruption and crimes would be reduced.
It is well-known that preventing women from marriage or delaying their marriage is the reason behind the spread and circulation of moral crimes, which are among the means of destruction and devastation. So, slaves of Allah, fear Allah as regards yourselves and those under your guardianship, of daughters, sisters, and also regarding your fellow Muslims. May you all proceed to bring about good and happiness in
society, facilitate the ways of its multiplicity, and eliminate the causes of crime. You should all know that you will be called into account and rewarded for your deeds
So, by your Lord (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ), We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do.
And to Allâh belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done (i.e. punish them in Hell), and reward those who do good, with what is best (i.e. Paradise).
Thus, hasten to marry your daughters and sisters, following the example of your Prophet (peace be upon him) and of his honorable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and of those who assume their way and guidance. I also advise you to reduce the marriage preparations, and be frugal as regards marriage expenses. Do not demand a high amount of advanced Mahr (mandatory gift to a bride from her groom). Besides, try hard to choose righteous and pious husbands who are endowed with trustworthiness and chastity.
May Allah provide us all with understanding of the religion and perseverance in it. May He protect us, you and all the rest of the Muslims from the evils of our selves and from our wicked deeds! May He also guard us and you against misleading ordeals, appearent or hidden! We also ask Him to reform the rulers of the Muslims and bring about reform through them. Indeed, He is able to do this. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, his household, and his Companions.