Advice for the Muslim

you ask who created them,” in the 61st and 87th âyats of Sûrat al-
’Ankabût and Sûrat az-Zuhruf, respectively. They say that the
idolaters were polytheistic disbelievers not because they believed
as such but because they spoke as quoted in the third âyat of Sûrat
az-Zumar: “Those who make friends with those other than Allah
say, ‘They help us approach [Allâhu ta’âlâ] by interceding for us
with Allâhu ta’âlâ.’ ” They claim that Muslims who ask at the
graves of prophets and awliyâ’ for intercession and help become
polytheists by saying such.
It is very unsound, foolish and ridiculous of Ibn ’Abd al-
Wahhâb to liken Muslims to disbelievers and polytheists in the
light of this âyat. Because, disbelievers worship idols so that idols
may intercede for them; they leave aside Allâhu ta’âlâ and ask only
idols to give them their wishes, whereas we Muslims worship
neither prophets nor awliyâ’ but expect everything only from
Allâhu ta’âlâ. We wish awliyâ’ to be a wâsita or wasîla for us.
Disbelievers believe that idols intercede for whatever they wish
and make Allâhu ta’âlâ create everything they want. Whereas,
Muslims ask intercession and help of awliyâ’ whom they know as
the beloved servants of Allâhu ta’âlâ, because Allâhu ta’âlâ has
revealed in the Qur’ân al-karîm that He will permit His beloved
servants to intercede and will accept their intercession and prayers
and because Muslims believe this good news stated in the Qur’ân
al-karîm. There is no analogy between disbelievers’ worshipping
idols and Muslims’ asking help of awliyâ’. Muslims and disbelievers
are human beings in appearance; they are similar in being human
beings, but Muslims are Allâhu ta’âlâ’s friends and will remain in
Paradise eternally, whereas disbelievers are Allâhu ta’âlâ’s
enemies and will remain eternally in Hell. Their superficial
resemblance does not prove that they will always remain the same.
Those who entreat idols who are Allâhu ta’âlâ’s enemies and those
who entreat Allâhu ta’âlâ’s beloved servants may look alike in
appearance, but entreating idols leads one to Hell and entreating
awliyâ’ causes Allâhu ta’âlâ to forgive and show Mercy. The hadîth
ash-sharîf, “Allahu ta’âlâ’s Mercy descends where His beloved
servants are mentioned,” too, indicates that Allâhu ta’âlâ will show
Mercy and forgive when prophets (’alaihimu ’s-salawâtu wa’ttaslîmât)
and awliyâ’ are entreated. [1]
Muslims believe that prophets and awliyâ’ are not to be
[1] See the last paragraph of article 30.
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