Advice for the Muslim

hadîths and the true words of the ’ulamâ’ of Ahl as-Sunna while
heretical ideas are sprinkled in between them. Rasûlullâh (sall-
Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam) ordered us to ask the ones in
graves for help. But this writer calls those who do so “polytheists”
and forbids the order in this hadîth. He calls Rasûlullâh’s order
“polytheism.”
18 - One page 168, he writes:
“It is claimed that awliyâ’, dead or alive, miraculously help
whomever they wish. People implore and ask help from them
when they are in distress. They go to their graves and want to be
relieved of their troubles. They think that the dead will work
karâma. They call the dead with such names as abdâl, nuqabâ’,
awtâd, nujâbâ’, the seventies, the fourties, the sevens, the fours,
qubt and ghawth. Ibn al-Jawzî and Ibn Taimiyya proved that it
was false. It means to oppose the Qur’ân. The Qur’ân refutes the
idea that awliyâ’, alive or dead, can do anything. Allah is the
Maker of everything. Others cannot do anything. Many âyats
state that there is no feeling or activity in the dead. The dead
cannot do anything for themselves and never for others. Allah
informed that souls are near Him. But, as for these zindîqs, they
say, ‘Souls do freely whatever they wish.’ Their claim that they
work karâma is a lie, too. Allah grants karâma to the walî whom
He wills. It is not with the walî’s wish. It is uglier to ask them for
help when one is in distress. Prophets, angels or awliyâ’ cannot
do anyting bad or good to anybody. It is permissible to ask living
people for material things. But no one else but Allah is to be
entreated for immaterial, invisible things. It is polytheism for sick
people or for those who are in danger of being drowned or the
poor to ask prophets, souls, awliya’ or some other creatures for
help. Calling these ‘karâmât’ is like idolaters’ naming marvels.
Allah’s awliyâ’ are not so.”
On page 299, he says:
“If someone says that he is a walî and knows what is hidden,
he is the walî of Satan, not of Allah. Karâma is something which
Allah produces in the hands of His pious servants who can attain
it by praying or ’ibâda. The walî’s power or will does not affect it.
Awliyâ’ do not say that they are awliyâ’. They fear Allah. As-
Sahâba and Tâbi’ûn were the highest awliyâ’. Yet, they did not
say that they knew the ghaib. They used to weep out of fear of
Allah. Tamîm ad-Dârî would not sleep because he feared Hell
much. The Sûrat ar-Ra’d explains how awliyâ’ are. Such
mutasawwifs can be called awliyâ’.”
– 82 –