Refuting the Ṣūfīs’ Claim That Shirk No Longer Exists in the Arabian Peninsula
Question:
The Ṣūfīs say that there is no such thing as Shirk because the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Shayṭān has despaired of being worshipped in the Arabian Peninsula.’
We request clarification.”
Answer :
The Scholars have spoken about this ḥadīth and explained that the meaning of Shayṭān having despaired is in consideration of what he saw of the establishment of Tawḥīd during that era and the establishment of Tawḥīd among that generation.
Thus, he despaired of being worshipped after that in the Arabian Peninsula.
This is a statement from the Prophet ﷺ informing us of the condition of Shayṭān: when he saw Tawḥīd spreading and saw the Companions upon Tawḥīd, he despaired of being worshipped thereafter in the Arabian Peninsula. This is one of the meanings.
“Indeed, Shayṭān has despaired of being worshipped by those who pray in the Arabian Peninsula.”
It has also been said that the definite article in “those who pray” refers to a particular group, meaning those who prayed from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. Shayṭān despaired of being worshipped by them.
And indeed, he did not attain worship or Shirk after Tawḥīd had been established in the Arabian Peninsula and goodness had been established in the Arabian Peninsula among that generation. Shirk did not occur after that among them, so he despaired of being worshipped by those who prayed in the Arabian Peninsula.
This does not mean that Shirk does not exist, for the Prophet ﷺ informed us that the buttocks of the women of [Tribe] Daus would sway around a grave as they circumambulated it.
This is clear evidence of the existence of Shirk.
Likewise, reality itself disproves this statement by which they intend to divert the evidence from its meaning, or by which they seek to use this evidence as proof, although it contains no evidence for them. Rather, it is to be understood according to what has preceded regarding some of the meanings mentioned by the people of knowledge.
Indeed, reality demonstrates that people continue to seek rescue from those from whom it is impermissible to seek rescue, from those who are incapable of providing what is being sought from them.
People continue to supplicate to other than Allāh with supplications of Shirk.
People continue to slaughter for other than Allāh, Glorified and Exalted is He, and make vows to other than Allāh, Majestic and Most High is He.
All of this is Shirk, and the evidences have come concerning it.
I mean some people; I do not mean all people.
Some people continue to slaughter for other than Allāh, make vows to other than Allāh, and supplicate to other than Allāh.
Among them are those who call upon Al-Miḥḍār, invoking his name, “Swift Rescuer!”
I hear people calling out like this. What do you call this?
And what is this that you do with ʿAydarūs? “O ʿAydarūs!”
And what the Rāfiḍah do with Al-Ḥasan and Al-Ḥussein, and what they do with ʿAlī.
And you do this with the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, along with other manifestations of Shirk with Allāh, Glorified and Exalted is He, which have become widespread.
This is merely throwing sand into the eyes of the heedless. They want to conceal their Shirk by using a ḥadīth such as this, while they have no proof in it.
For Shirk has become apparent among them and among others from the people of Shirk, and refuge is sought with Allāh.
And the people of innovation, the Ṣūfīs, their methodology, as you know, is founded upon acts of Shirk.
Once, As-Saqqāf came here. He came from Jordan, a man called As-Saqqāf.
They circulated an old video. I do not know who filmed them and exposed them in that video which we saw.
At that time, I was at the beginning of my steadfastness, and Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Safīn, whenever they were mentioned, would remind them of that video.
He came to those graves and said:
“We have come to you…”
And what else?
“Do not turn us away disappointed. We have come to you as visitors, so do not turn us away disappointed.”
What is this? Is this Tawheed or Shirk, O brothers?
This is Shirk, O people!
But they do not even know what Shirk is in the first place. They do not know Shirk. They think that this is Tawḥīd and not Shirk.
This Shirk is plainly evident, and it is extremely explicit Shirk!
“We have come to you as visitors, so do not turn us away disappointed.”
And he cries at the graves.
By Allāh, he cries bitterly, hoping that those dead people will respond to him, while he seeks rescue from them and supplicates to them, and refuge is sought with Allāh, asking that he not return from them disappointed.
Dead people! They have become remains. They have become decayed bones.
Poor people! They need someone to supplicate for them, not someone to supplicate to them.
This deceased person, if he was righteous, needs someone to supplicate for him, not that he should be supplicated to besides Allāh, Glorified and Exalted is He.
So they want to repel the Shirk that exists among them by using a ḥadīth such as this, saying that Shayṭān despaired.
Yes, he despaired of being worshipped in the Arabian Peninsula when he saw that society turning towards Tawḥīd, the society of the Companions.
So despair entered him, and the Prophet ﷺ informed us of the despair that occurred to him.
It does not mean absolute despair.
Rather, at that time, he thought that he would never be worshipped in the Arabian Peninsula.
After that, circumstances changed, that generation passed away, ignorant generations came, and what occurred of Shirk with Allāh, Glorified and Exalted is He, occurred.
And now, what takes place during the visitation to Hūdah, is it Tawḥīd or Shirk?
By Allāh, they commit acts of Shirk there. Whoever has gone there has seen them. Whoever has gone there has seen the clear acts of Shirk.
And this is what we used to see when we were young here.
We used to see it at a place farther away. What did they call that grave? That grave over there, the one here.
They used to circumambulate it and throw fishing nets over it.
Ibn Qamrī.
Excellent!
What was his name, O Ṣoofee?
Ibn Qamrī!
Answer this!
This Ibn Qamrī, whom we used to visit when we were young: when fish became scarce in the sea, they would go, take their fishing nets, and cast them over that grave, hoping that the catch from the sea would increase.
Lā ilāha illā Allāh!
What do you call this?
And your going to that Sayyid, O Ṣoofees!
Your going to that Sayyid who makes those charms and amulets for you, and then the next day you find the sea abundant with fish!
Now, is that from Allāh, Glorified and Exalted is He?
That man with the hair, I have forgotten his name.
Is this Tawḥīd or Shirk?
And refuge is sought with Allāh!
How many of your disgraceful practices could we enumerate?
These are only the ones we ourselves know in our own land, let alone what takes place in Tarīm and elsewhere, and what others know about them.
As for you, Shayṭān is pleased with you! Shayṭān has not despaired of you!
Shayṭān is happy with you and those like you!
Shayṭān has despaired of the people of Tawheed worshipping him in the Arabian Peninsula.
———
Answered by: Shaykh Abū Bilāl al-Ḥaḍramī (May Allāh preserve him)
Source : https://t.me/abubilalhami/15301
Translated by: Abū Zakariyyah Ṣādiq