RECITING THE SHAHADAH ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE WHO DIED UPON DISBELIEF
QUESTION:
Dear Respected Mufti Saheb,
All Praise is due to Allah the Almighty, peace and benedictions upon His Noble Messenger and our Prophet Muhammad r.
| What do the true Scholars or ‘Ulama-e-Haq say about the following personality who claims to be the leader of the Muslim mass, especially after uttering the following words. What does the pure Shari’ah state in this concern?
Kindly provide us with a comprehensive and authentic reply and also include the relevant citation of Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijma and Qiyaas-alA’immah Al-Arba’ah. Also make the Aqeedah of the Ahlus Sunnah clear by both its branches – Asha’irah and Matureediyah – as well. Zaid wrote the following: |
“Alhamdulillah, he passed away on a Thursday night during our Zikr at Masjidul-Quds. There was a reason why our Zikr took longer last night. We pray Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala has mercy on the soul of …….. [Mentioning a non-Muslims name] as he was a good man who had qualities of greatness. It reminds me of the time when the King of Abyssinia passed away and the Rasul r prayed for him. To …….. [Mentioning a non-Muslims name] we say on your behalf “La ilaaha illalahu Muhammadur Rasulullah”. Jumuah Mubarak.”
- Is the above mentioned statement Ja’iz (permissible), Makruh (disliked), Haraam (forbidden) or Kufr (disbelief)?
- Is Zaid worthy of being the Imam or leader of the believers?
- Does a Kafir, have similarity with the King of Abyssinia in terms of “belief system”?
- Do the statements above take one out of the folds of Ahlus Sunnah and Islam?
- Is it permissible to make the Du’a of mercy for him?
- Does reading the Kalimah on behalf of a Mushrik or Kafir make him a Mu’min?
- How is it to praise a Kafir through the Zikr of Allah Y as Zaid tried to utilize in the statements above?
Please shed some light on these issues, for the Ummah of Rasul-Allah r is being misled by these so-called Scholars and Imams. JazakAllahu Ahsan!
ANSWER:
We praise Allah I who sent Prophets u for the guidance of mankind. May Allah I bless and elevate the ranks of the Prophets and especially our Leader, Sayyiduna Muhammad r who made the distinction between belief and disbelief clear beyond doubt.
Allah I gave His beloved Prophet Muhammad r the Knowledge of the Unseen and the Prophet r warned us about the signs of the Final Hour. One of the signs of the Final Hour as described by the Prophet Muhammad r is narrated by Imam al-Bukhari t in his Saheeh:
“Allah Y will not take away knowledge by removing it from people (from their hearts). Rather He will take away knowledge by taking away the Scholars, then when there are no scholars left, the people will take the ignorant as their leaders. They will be asked questions and they will issue verdicts without knowledge, thus they will go astray and lead others astray.” [al-Bukhari: Book 1, Hadith #54]
Verily, the Prophet Muhammad r also said:
“Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. A man would be a believer in the morning and turn to disbelief in the evening, or he would be a believer in the evening and turn disbeliever in the morning, and would sell his Faith for worldly goods.” [Riyad as-Salihin – Book 1, Hadith #87]
Unfortunately, in today’s day and age every Tom, Dick and Harry claims to be a Scholar of Islam. Those who do not know anything about Arabic and the rules of exegesis are doing Tafseer of the Qur’an. Those who do not have any idea about Ahadith, the types of Ahadith and Asma ur-Rijal claim to be the Muhaddith of the era. May Allah I protect us from these so called Imams and Leaders and keep us steadfast on the path of the Ahl us-Sunnah, Ameen.
The Qur’an and Ahadith have clearly stated what Iman is and what Kufr is. There are glad tidings given to believers. At the same time the Kuffar and Mushrikeen, who have rejected Iman and Islam, are promised the HellFire.
Islam is the only religion accepted by Allah I and those who reject Islam and take some other religion have gone completely astray and Hell is their abode.
Allah I says in the Qur’an Majeed regarding Islam, believers, the Kuffaar and the Mushrikeen:
“Verily, only Islam is the Deen (Religion) before Allah.” [Surah ale-Imran, verse 19]
“This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you and have chosen Islam as religion for you.” [Surah al-Maida, verse 3]
“And whoso will desire for a religion other than Islam that shall never be accepted from him and in the next world he shall be among the losers.” [Surah ale-Imran, verse 85]
“No doubt, those who disbelieves and died as disbelievers on them is the curse of Allah and of Angels and of men combined.” [Surah al-Baqarah, verse161]
“O the Communicator of Unseen (Prophet)! Strive hard against the infidels and hypocrites and be strict against them, and their destination is Hell. And what an evil end it is.” [Surah at-Tahrim, verse 9]
“It will be commanded cast you, twain into Hell every ungrateful, obstinate.” [Surah Qaf, verse 24]
“Undoubtedly those who disbelieved and hindered from the way of Allah and then died as disbelievers, Allah shall never forgive them.” [Surah Muhammad, verse 34]
“O Communicator of the Hidden News (Prophet)! Fight against the infidels and the hypocrites and be strict to them, their destination is Hell and what an evil place of return.” [Surah at-Tauba, verse 73]
“Allah has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and infidels, the Fire of the Hell; wherein they will abide forever. That is sufficient for them, and the curse of Allah is upon them, and for them is the lasting torment.” [Surah at-Tauba, verse 68]
“Those who disbelieved and died as infidels, there shall never be accepted an earth full of gold from anyone of them, though he offers it in ransom for himself. There is painful torment for them, and they have no helpers.” [Surah ale-Imran, verse 91]
“And whomsoever Allah wishes to show the way, He opens his breast for Islam, and whomsoever wishes to lose his way, He makes his breast narrow, straitened well as if he is climbing up into the sky forced by some one else. And thus Allah inflicts punishment on those who believe not.” [Surah al-In’aam, verse 125]
“It is not worthy for the Prophet and the believers to ask forgiveness for the associators, even though they be relatives, after it has been made clear to them that they are men of Hell.” [Surah at-Tauba, verse 113]
The ‘Ulama-e-Mufassareen have written the following reasons why this verse was revealed:
- The Prophet Muhammad r wanted to pray for forgiveness for his uncle, Abu Talib (who refused to accept Islam at death bed). Allah I revealed this verse to stop Prophet Muhammad r from doing so.
- The Prophet Muhammad r asked permission to visit his mother’s grave which was granted. Later when he asked for her forgiveness, Allah I revealed this verse and stopped him from doing so
- A few companions of the Prophet Muhammad r requested him to pray for their parent’s forgiveness, so this verse was revealed. [Tafseer Khazain ul-Irfan]
From the above Qur’anic verses it is very clear that a person who dies in the state of Kufr and Shirk will always remain in the Hell-Fire. Even after reading these ayahs if someone seeks forgiveness for a Kafir and Mushrik this mean he is rejecting the clear Qur’anic verses which is clear Kufr.
The ‘Ulama have stated that praying for the forgiveness of a Kafir is an act of disbelief. The Fiqh Book, al-Muheet ul-Burhani, states:
“It is prohibited to seek forgiveness for a Kafir, Allah I says: Ask your forgiveness for them or ask not. If you will ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will never forgive them. This is because that they have rejected Allah Y and His Messenger r. And Allah guides not the disobedient.” [Al Muheet ul-Buhani, 2/184] Imam Ahmad Rida t writes in his Fatawa:
“Supplicating for forgiveness for a Kafir and doing Fatiha is pure Kufr and rejection of the Qur’an.” [Fatawa Ridawiyyah, Vol. 21, pg. 32]
The Ahl us-Sunnah believe that the parents of the Messenger of Allah r were saved. The Holy Qur’an states: “It is not worthy for the Prophet and the believers to beg forgiveness for the polytheist even though they are relatives after it has been made clear to them that they are the inmates of Hell.” [Surah Tauba, 9:113] In Tafseer Noorul Irfan it is mentioned, under the commentary of this verse, “… When the Holy Prophet r sought permission from Allah Almighty to visit the grave of his mother Bibi Amina t it was granted, but he was prohibited from offering prayer of forgiveness when this verse was revealed. However this saying regarding his mother is incorrect because his mother was a believer. If she was an infidel permission to visit her grave would not have been given. Prohibition for prayer of forgiveness was made because she was totally sinless, while
forgiveness is sought for the sinful people.”
Imam Ahmad Rida t writes at another place from the authority of Gamz un-Uyoon:
“Who deems any act of the Kuffar good, he indeed committed Kufr.” [Fatawa Ridawiyyah, Vol. 14 , pg. 132]
So from the above Qur’anic verses, Ahadith and Fatawa, the answers to the questions posted are as followed:
- The statement made is Kufr. It is obligatory upon the person who said this statement and all the people who heard this and accepted it, to do Tajdeed-e-Iman (renewal of faith) and Tajdeed-e-Nikah (renewal of marriage) (if married).
- Zaid, who doesn’t even know the basics of Islamic belief, cannot be an Imam or the leader of the believers. Now with this clear blasphemy he no longer remains a Muslim so how can he be a leader of the Muslims?
- This statement clearly shows the ignorance of this so-called Muslim leader of Ahadith texts and commentaries. A disbeliever doesn’t have any similarity with the King of Abyssinia, an-Najjashi. He accepted Islam and the disbeliever died a non-Muslim.
Imam Ai’ni writes in his commentary of Saheeh ul-Bukhari:
“and he became Muslim on the hands of Ja’far bin abi Talib.” [Umdat ul-Qari, Vol. 8, pg. 27]
- Yes, the statements are so grave that it will make a person out of fold of Islam and the Ahl us-Sunnah.
- It is prohibited to make any sort of Du’a and prayers for disbelievers who are now dead
- This is sheer ignorance and nothing else. Just like you can’t bring the dead to life likewise you cannot make the disbelieving deceased into a believer by reading the Kalima (testimony of faith) on his behalf.
- It is Haraam and Kufr to praise a disbeliever through the Zikr of Allah I.
And Allah I and His Rasool r know best.
Servant of Ulema
Faqeer Qadiri Muhammed Kashif ul-Ansari al-Ridawi
Dar ul-Ifta Ihya Academy | Jamiah Hasnain
Bangalore.
Detrimental Statements 