NULLIFIERS OF ISLAAM -08

By

A. Haroun (Abu Imran)

*Placing Intermediaries Between Oneself And Allaah; Or Making Supplications To Them, Seeking Their Intercession and Relying On Them

As for what the scholars have explained, having intermediaries may be divided into three:

The first is the case of intermediaries that serve as medium of conveying the message of Allaah to his creatures. Believng in such intermediaries like the messengers and Angels of Allaah is mandatory upon all muslims and to disbelieve in them or their message is kufr. There are indeed those who believe they have reached some high levels in worship that they need not obey the dictates of Allaah's messenger and such they say they do not need Allaah's messengers as intermediaries, this is disbelief! May Allaah protect us from it.

The second category are intermediaries that people take, praying to them for their needs, hoping that they will intercede on their behalf on the day of qiyaamah and relying on them (tawakkul)! This is a form of shirk and muslims should distance themselves from such. Allaah says:

"...But those who take for protectors other than Allah (say): "We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah." Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not those who are liars and disbelievers" (Q 39:3).

They claim that they do not worship these intermediaries but only seek by them to be closer to Allaah. They believe these intermediaries will help convey their needs to Allaah because they consider them pious, even when Allaah said "..call on me, I will respond..." (Q 40:60) without saying call on me through intermediaries! There is no doubt this is shirk, since supplications, and tawakkul are acts of worship, directing them to other than Allaah is shirk.

The third category are those who do keep intermediaries, but do not rely on them, seek intercession from them or suplicate to them. They only seek to get  closer to Allaah through them or use their piety as means to get their request from Allaah answered, this is an innovation! This is because there is no authentic text that proves that Allaah requires an intermediary to hear our requests or for us to get closer to him. 

As for requests, Imam At-tirmidhiy (رحمه الله) reported that Umar Bin Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) said: "I heard Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) say: ‘If you all relied on Allaah with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision as He gives it to birds who set out hungry in the morning and return with full belly at dusk’'

If it is closeness that the creature seeks, then there is a report in the Saheeh of Imaam Bukhari, from among the ahadeeth the prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) relates directly from his lord, Allaah says "nothing brings my slave  closer to me more than (his doing) those things I have made compulsory upon him. A slave does not continue to engage in non-obligatory acts (نوافل) except that I love him...."!

One way people are deceived to take intermediaries is that they are told they are burdened by sins so they are impure to stand before Allaah, hence the need for an intermediary. There is no doubt that sins can prevent prayers from being answered, but rather than seek for intermediaries, why not seek for ways to desist from sins, engage in obligatory and non-obligatory acts and by so gain the love of Allaah? Little wonder why people who believe in intermediaries are usually very careless about their deen! May Allaah protect us from misguidance.

Allaah says

“And who is more astray than one who calls on [invokes] besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection and who are (in fact)unaware of their calls [invocations] to them. And when mankind is gathered [on the Day of Resurrection], they [false deities] will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping” (Q 46:5-6).

May Allaah make our feet firm in Islaam and protect us from misguidance. 

TO BE CONTINUED IN SHA ALLAAH....