Ruling on having fear or hope regarding the dead at their shrines and graves

Our Shaykh, the ‘Allaamah, the Sincere Adviser, Abu ‘Abdirrahman Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajoori – may Allaah preserve him

Question:

There are amongst us some general folks who fear the dead at their shrines, and if one of the commoners passes by the graves of those whom they call a “wali” and find on it wood or other than it then they don’t remove it, and if they see anyone removing anything from it they shout at them saying “don’t take it, this belongs to the Wali, he is going to do such and such to you.” Whats the ruling on this.?

Answer:

The belief that the wali can harm that person is Shirk (associating partners with Allah) due to the statement of Allah the most high

Surah Az-Zumar, Verse 38:

قُلْ أَفَرَأَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ هَلْ هُنَّ كَاشِفَاتُ ضُرِّهِ أَوْ أَرَادَنِي بِرَحْمَةٍ هَلْ هُنَّ مُمْسِكَاتُ رَحْمَتِهِ

Say: “Tell me then, the things that you invoke besides Allah, if Allah intended some harm for me, could they remove His harm, or if He (Allah) intended some mercy for me, could they withhold His Mercy?” And his statement the most High.

Surah Al-Anaam, Verse 17:

“وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ“

“And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things.”

And it’s not permissible to affirm for that deceased individual in his grave to be a wali of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, what makes them so sure that the deceased is from the wali of Allah or a wali of Shaaytan?

That which is binding upon those people and others like them is repentance from this false creed.

Translated by Abu Nu’aym Abduraheem Bin Muhummed Ali