Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Question 24: Is to swear by other than God regarded as a kind of polytheism?

Reply: The interpretation of the words“monotheism” {tawhid} and“polytheism” {shirk} must be in consistency with the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (S) because the Glorious Qur’an and the conduct of the Messenger of Allah (S) are the most valuable criteria for distinguishing the truth from falsehood as well as monotheism from polytheism.

Given this, every thought and behavior approved by the awakened and unbiased conscience should be assessed according to the touchstone of the logic of revelation and conduct of the Holy Prophet (S).

The following are solid proofs which the Qur’an and the Sunnah introduced about the permissibility of swearing by other than God:

1. In the eternal verses of the Glorious Qur’an we find examples of swearing by prolific creatures such as the“life of the Prophet” ,“soul of man” ,“pen” which are manifestations of writing,“sun” ,“moon” ,“star” ,“day and night” ,“heaven and earth” ,“time” , and“mountains and sea” . We shall cite some of these verses:

a.

“لعمرك إنهم لفي شكرتهم يعمهون ”

“By your life, they were bewildered in their drunkenness.” 1

b.

﴿ وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا٭ وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا٭ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّاهَا٭ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا٭ وَالسَّمَاء وَمَا بَنَاهَا٭ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا٭ وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا٭ فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا ﴾

“By the sun and her forenoon splendor, by the moon when he follows her, by the day when it reveals her, by the night when it covers her, by the sky and Him who built it, by the earth and Him who spread it, by the soul and Him who fashioned it, and inspired it with {discernment between} its virtues and vices.” 2

c.

وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

“By the star when it sets.” 3

d.

ن وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسْطُرُونَ

“Nun. By the Pen and what they write.” 4

e.

وَالْعَصْرِ {1}

إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ {2}

“By Time! Indeed man is at a loss.” 5

f.

وَالْفَجْرِ {1}

وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ {2}

“By the Dawn, by the ten nights.” 6

g.

﴿ وَالطُّورِ٭ وَكِتَابٍ مَّسْطُورٍ٭ فِي رَقٍّ مَّنشُورٍ٭ وَالْبَيْتِ الْمَعْمُورِ٭ وَالسَّقْفِ الْمَرْفُوعِ٭ وَالْبَحْرِ الْمَسْجُورِ ﴾

“By the Mount {Sinai}, by the Book inscribed on an unrolled parchment; by the House greatly frequented; by the vault raised high, by the surging sea.” 7

Similarly, swearing by the manifestations of the world of creation can also be noticed in Surahs Mursalat (77), an-Nazi‘at (79), al-Buruj (85), at-Tariq (86), al-Balad (90), ad-Duha (93), and at-Tin (95).

There is no doubt that if swearing by other than God is tantamount to polytheism and associating partners to God, the Holy Qur’an which is the charter of monotheism and unity of God would not have resorted to it, and if such a way of swearing is exclusive to God, the verses of the Qur’an would have warned people from doing so lest they should commit mistakes.

2. All Muslims of the world regard the Holy Prophet (S) as their model and consider his conduct and behavior as the criterion for distinguishing right from wrong.

Muslim scholars and compilers of Sahihs and Musnads have mentioned so many instances of the Holy Prophet’s (S) swearing by other than God.

In his Musnad, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the chief of the Hanbalis, thus narrates from the Messenger of Allah (S):

“فلعمري لأن تتكلم بمعروف تنهى عن منكر خير من أن تسكت ”

“By my life! If you would enjoin good and forbid evil, it will be better than keeping silent.” 8

In his Sahih, which the Ahl as-Sunnah consider one of the six authentic compilations of hadith, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj states:

“جاء رجل إلى النبيّ صلى الله عليه وأله وسلم فقال: يا رسول الله أيّ الصدقة أعظم أجراً؟ فقال: أما وأبيك لتنبانه أن تصدق وأنت صحيح شحيح تخشى الفقر وتأمل البقاء ”

There came a person to the Prophet (S) and asked the Messenger of Allah:“Which charity is the most rewarding?” He said:“By your father, it is the charity which you give in a state when you are healthy and close-fisted, haunted by fear of poverty, and hoping to live (as rich).” 9

How can those who consider a great part of global Muslims as polytheists because they believe that it is permissible to swear by other than God justify this explicit act of the Prophet (S) (i.e., swearing by a person’s father)?

3. Apart from the Book of God and the Sunnah of the Prophet (S), the conduct of the close Companions of the Messenger of Allah (S) also proves the permissibility of swearing by other than God.

In many parts of his sublime speeches, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a) swear by his life when he says:

“ولعمري ليضعفن لكم التّيه من بعدي أضعافأً ”

“By my life! After me your wandering about shall be multiplied.” 10

In another place, he (‘a) says:

“ولعمري لإن لم تنزع غيّك وشقاقك لتعرفنّهم عن قليل يطلبونك ”

“By my life, if you do not refrain from hypocrisy, avarice and your rebellious activities, they will soon be known to you.” 11

All these traditions and reports show clearly that no ijtihad or exigency can be valid, and no other argument can denigrate the position of God in the Glorious Qur’an, the conduct of the Holy Prophet (S) or the conduct his close companions like the Commander of the Faithful (‘Ali) (‘a) if it accuses them of polytheism and associating partners with God.

Conclusion

From the aggregate of the stated proofs, it is evident that from the perspective of the Book of God, the Sunnah of the Prophet (‘a) and conduct of the believers the legitimacy of swearing by other than God is an indisputable principle, and it has no contradiction with monotheism and the unity of God.

Therefore, if the outward meaning of the traditions opposes that which has been confirmed by decisive proofs, it must be justified and interpreted according to this indisputable principle which is derived from the Qur’an and traditions.

Some people cite an ambiguous tradition which is as follows:

إن رسول الله سمع عمر وهو يقول: وأبي فقال إن الله ينهاكم أن تحلفنا بأبائكم ومن كان حالفاً فليحلف بالله أو يسكت

Verily, the Messenger of Allah (S) heard ‘Umar swearing by his father. Upon hearing this he said: “Verily, God has prohibited you from swearing by your father, and when one wants to swear one should either swear to God or keep silent.” 12

Although this hadith cannot challenge the Qur’anic verses and explicit traditions that consider swearing by other than God as permissible, it must, for the sake of reconciling it and the mentioned verses and tradition, be said that the Prophet’s prohibition of ‘Umar’s swearing by his father and forbidding similar people from swearing by their fathers is attributed to the fact that their fathers were idolaters and polytheists. And an infidel or idol-worshipping person is too unworthy to be an object of swearing.

Notes

1. Surah al-Hijr 15:72.

2. Surah ash-Shams 91:1-8.

3. Surah an-Najm 53:1.

4. Surah al-Qalam 68:1.

5. Surah al-‘Asr 103:1-2.

6. Surah al-Fajr 89:1-2.

7. Surah at-Tur 52:1-6.

8. Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol. 5, pp. 224-225, a hadith by Bashir ibn Khasasiyyah as-Sadusi.

9. Sahih Muslim (Egypt), part 3, “Kitab az-Zakah,” “Bab Bayan an Afdal as-Sadaqah, Sadaqah as-Sahih ash-Shahih,” pp. 93-94.

Abdul-Hamid Siddiqui (trans.), Sahih Muslim (English Translation), vol. 1, chap. 29, hadith 2251.

10. Nahj al-Balaghah (Muhammad ‘Abduh), Sermon 161.

11. Nahj al-Balaghah (Muhammad ‘Abduh), Letter 9. For more information about other cases, see Sermons 168, 182 and 187, and Letters 6 and 54.

12. Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 10, p. 29; Sunan an-Nisa’i, vol. 7, pp. 4-5.

Question 25: Is to resort to the divine saints {awliya’} for mediation {tawassul} regarded as polytheism {shirk} and tantamount to innovation in religion {bid‘ah}?

Reply: Tawassul means to resort to a sacred being for mediation with God.

Ibn Manzur thus says in Lisan al-‘Arab:

“توسل إليه بكذا تقرب إليه بحرمة أصرةٍ تعطفه عليه ”

“If you resort to others for mediation; that is, respect and honor them, they will treat you tenderly.” 1

The Glorious Qur’an states:

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَابْتَغُواْ إِلَيهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴾

“O you who have faith! Be wary of Allah, and seek the means of recourse to Him, and wage jihad in His way, so that you may be felicitous.” 2

In his Sihah al-Lughah, Jawhari describes“wasilah” {means} in this manner:

“الوسيلة ما يتقرّب به إلى الغير ”

“Wasilah {means} is something through which one seeks nearness to another.”

Therefore, a valuable being to which we resort for mediation may be meritorious deeds and sincere worship of God which bring us near to the Lord of the worlds, or a prolific person who enjoys a special station and esteem in the sight of God, the Exalted.

Types of tawassul

Tawassul can be divided into three types:

1. Tawassul by performing righteous deeds, as stated by Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti who expounds on the noble verse,

“وابتغوا إليه الوسيلة .”

“And seek the means of recourse to Him”:

عن قتادة في قوله تعالى: “وابتغوا إليه الوسلية” قال: تقربوا إلى الله بطاعته والعمل بما يرضيه ”

“Qatadah said concerning the verse, “And seek the means of recourse to Him”: Seeking nearness to God by obeying Him and doing that which pleases Him.” 3

2. Tawassul through the supplication of meritorious servants (of God), as the Holy Qur’an recounts in the tongue of the brothers of Yusuf (Joseph) (‘a):

﴿ قَالُواْ يَا أَبَانَا اسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ٭ قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّيَ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴾

“They said, ‘Father! Plead {with Allah} for forgiveness of our sins! We have indeed been erring’. He said, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you; indeed He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful’.” 4

It is evident from the quoted verse that the sons of Ya‘qub (Jacob) (‘a) had sought the means of recourse to Him through supplication, regarding this act as means of attaining forgiveness. Besides, Hadrat Ya‘qub (‘a) did not refuse their offer but promised to pray for the forgiveness of their sins.

3. Tawassul through spiritually dignified personages who enjoy special station and honor in the sight of God with the aim of seeking divine proximity.

Now, we shall review the proofs of hadiths and behavior of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (S) and great figures of Islam:

1. Ahmad ibn Hanbal thus narrates in his Musnad on the authority of ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf:

“إن رجلا ضرير البصر أتى النبيّ صلى الله عليه وأله وسلم فقال: ادع الله أن يعافيني ، قال: إن شئت دعوت لك وإن شئت أخرت ذاك فهو خير ، فقال: أدعه. فأمره أن يتوضأ فيحسن وضوئه فيصلّي ركعتين ويدعو بهذا الدعاء: اللهم إني أسألك وأتوجه إليك بنبيّك محمد نبيّ الرحمة يا محمد إني توجهت بك إلى ربي في حاجتي هذه ، فتقضى لي اللهم شفعه فيّ ”

A blind man came to the Prophet (S) and said: “Pray for me and ask God to cure me.” Upon hearing this he said: “I will pray for you if you want and if you like I will postpone it and the latter is better.” The blind man said: “Will you?” The Holy Prophet commanded him to perform ablution as perfectly as possible, to say two rak‘ahs {cycles} of prayer and then supplicate with these words: “O God! I beseech You and turn to You through Muhammad the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad! I turn to my Lord through you to grant this request. O God! Let him be my intercessor.” 5

Indeed, this hadith is considered acceptable by all muhaddithun so much so that after narrating the quoted hadith Hakim al-Nayshaburi describes it in his Mustadrak as an authentic{sahih} hadith while Ibn Majah who narrates it on the authority of Abu Ishaq says:“This tradition is authentic.” In the book, Abwab al-Ad‘iyyah, Tirmidhi confirms the authenticity of this tradition. Also Muhammad Nasib ar-Rafa‘i says in At-Tawassul ila Haqiqah at-Tawassul:

“لا شك أن هذا الحديث صحيح ومشهور وقد ثبت فيه بلا شك ولا ريب ارداد بصر الأعمى بدعاء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وأله وسلم له ”

“There is no doubt that this hadith is authentic and known… and it proves that through the supplication of the Messenger of Allah (S) the blind man has regained his sight.” 6

This tradition clearly shows that tawassul through the Holy Prophet (S), with the aim of fulfilling one’s need, is permissible. In fact, the Messenger of Allah (S) commanded the blind man to pray in such manner and to supplicate the Lord of the worlds by seeking mediation to God through the Prophet (S). This is the same type of tawassul as that of divine people and those who have proximity to God.

2. Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Bukhari thus says in his Sahih:

“إن عمر بن الخطاب رضى الله عنه كان إذا قحطوا إستسقى بالعباس بن عبد المطلب فقال: اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبيّنا فتسقينا وإنا نتوسل إليك بعم نبيّنا فاسقنا. فقال: فيسقون ”

Every time there was draught, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab would pray for rain seeking mediation through ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (uncle of the Prophet) and say: “O God! We used to seek access to You through our Prophet and You would shower us and now, we seek access to You through the uncle of our Prophet to shower us. And they would be granted their need.” 7

3. The issue of tawassul through the saints of God was such common and prevalent that the Muslims of the early period of Islam used to refer to the Prophet (S) as the mediator between them and God.

Sawad ibn Qarib recited a poem before the Holy Prophet (S) and he thus said:

وأشهد أن لا رب غيره وأنك مأمون على كل غالب وأنك أدنى المرسلين وسيلة إلى الله يا بن الأكرمين الأطائب

And I bear witness that there is no god but Him and that you are indeed entrusted with all the hidden,

And (I bear witness) that among the messengers, you - O son of the honorable and pure ones - are the nearest means {wasilah} to God.8

Albeit the Holy Prophet (S) heard this poem from Suwad ibn Qarib, he neither stopped him from reciting it nor accused him of polytheism{shirk} and innovation in religious beliefs{bid‘ah} .

In the two lines we quote below, Imam ash-Shafi‘i also points to this fact:

أل النبيّ ذريعتي

هم إليه وسيلتي

أرجو بهم أعطي غداً

بيدي اليمين صحيفتي

The progeny of the Prophet are my means {wasilah} to God.

I hope that I will for their sake be given my account-book in my right hand.9

Although the transmitted traditions regarding the permissibility of tawassul through divine people are plenty, the traditions which we have mentioned testify to the permissibility of tawassul and its consistency with the Sunnah of the Prophet (S), and the conduct of the Companions and great Muslim scholars, and they need no further comment.

What have been stated proves the groundlessness of the claim of those who say that tawassul through the nearest ones to God is an act of polytheism and innovation in religion.

Notes

1. Lisan al-‘Arab, vol. 11, p. 724.

2. Surah al-Ma’idah 5:35.

3. Ad-Durr al-Manthur (Beirut), vol. 2, p. 280, under the stated verse.

4. Surah Yusuf 12:97-98.

5. Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol. 4, “Part: Narrations of ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf,” p. 138; Mustadrak al-Hakim (Beirut), vol. 1, “Kitab Salah at-Tatawwa‘,” p. 313; Sunan Ibn Majah (Dar Ahya’ al-Kutub al-‘Arabiyyah), vol. 1, p. 441; At-Taj, vol. 1, p. 286; Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti, Al-Jami‘ as-Saghir, p. 59; Ibn Taymiyyah, At-Tawassul wa’l-Wasilah (Beirut), p. 98.

6. At-Tawasul ila Haqiqah at-Tawassul (Beirut), p. 158.

7. Sahih al-Bukhari (Egypt), vol. 2, “Kitab al-Jum‘ah,” “Bab al-Istisqa’,” p. 27.

8. Sayyid Ahmad ibn Zayni ad-Dahlan, Ad-Durar as-Sunniyyah, p. 29, quoting from Tabrani.

9. Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, As-Sawa‘iq al-Muhriqah (Cairo), p. 178.

Question 26: Is celebrating the birthday of the saints {awliya’} of God a kind of polytheism and innovation {bid‘ah}?

Reply: Although honoring the memory of meritorious servants of God by celebrating their birthday is an indisputable issue from the perspective of learned men, in a bid to remove any kind of doubt in this regard, we shall examine the proofs supporting its legitimacy.

Holding ceremonies is a means of expressing love

The Holy Qur’an invites the Muslims to love the Holy Prophet (S) and his Ahl al-Bayt (‘a):

﴿ قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ ﴾

“Say, I do not ask of you any reward for it except the affection for {my} relatives.” 1

There is no doubt that holding a ceremony in commemoration of divine saints is a manifestation of the people’s love and affection to them, an act which is confirmed by the Holy Qur’an.

Holding ceremonies is a way of paying tribute to the Prophet (S)

The Qur’an considers the act of honoring the station of the Messenger of Allah (S) and helping him as a criterion for uprightness and felicity.

﴿ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُواْ النُّورَ الَّذِيَ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴾

“Those who believe in him, honor him, and help him and follow the light that has been sent down with him, they are the felicitous.” 2

It is so evident from the quoted verse that honoring the Messenger of Allah (S) is a wholesome and acceptable act from the viewpoint of Islam, and holding a ceremony, which refreshes the splendorous memory of the Prophet (S) and hails his lofty station is something which pleases God. This verse mentions four attributes of the righteous:

a. Faith:فالذین آمنو به ”Those who believe in him” ;

b. Following his light:واتبعو النور الذی انزل معه “And follow the light that has been sent down with him” ;

c. Helping him:وَنَصَرُوهُ “And help him” ; and

d. Honoring the station of the Prophet (S):وَعَزَّرُوهُ “And honor him” .

Therefore, honoring and paying homage to the Prophet (S) alongside faith, assisting him and following his orders, is an expedient affair, and commemorating the Holy Prophet (S) corresponds to“honoring him” .

Holding of ceremonies is the same as following and obeying God

God hails the Holy Prophet (S) in the Glorious Qur’an, and states:

ورفعنا لك ذكرك

“Did We not exalt your name?” 3

This noble verse shows clearly that God wishes that the splendor and magnificence of the Prophet (S) prevail in the world and He Himself hails him in the verses of the Qur’an.

Following our heavenly book, we also hail the lofty station of that model of perfection and virtue by holding splendorous ceremonies. In doing so, we express an extent of our loyalty and obedience to the Lord of the worlds.

It is obvious that the aim of the Muslims’ holding such ceremonies is nothing but exalting the Holy Prophet (S).

Sending down revelation is not less significant than sending down table-spread {ma’idah}

The Glorious Qur’an thus quotes a prophet of God, ‘Isa (Jesus) (‘a) as saying:

﴿ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَآئِدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاء تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيداً لِّأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا وَآيَةً مِّنكَ وَارْزُقْنَا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ ﴾

“Said Jesus son of Mary, ‘O Allah! Our Lord! Send down to us a table from the sky, to be a festival for us, for the first ones and the last ones among us and as a sign from You, and provide for us; for You are the best of providers’.” 4

Hadrat ‘Isa (‘a) requests a heavenly table-spread from God to celebrate the day of its coming down.

Now, when a revered prophet like Jesus (‘a) celebrates the day of sending down the heavenly table-spread, which brings physical enjoyment to people, can we say that Muslims’ celebration of the day of sending down divine revelation or the birthday of the Holy Prophet (S), who is the savior of mankind and the cause of human societies’ survival, an act of polytheism{shirk} or innovation in religion{bid‘ah} ?!

The Muslims’ Practice

The followers of Islam have been holding such ceremony for a long time with the aim of refreshing the memory of the Holy Prophet (S).

In Tarikh al-Khamis, Husayn ibn Muhammad ad-Diyar Bakri thus writes:

The Muslims of the world always hold ceremonies during the month of birth of the Prophet, hold banquets, give charity during the nights, express merriment, multiply their good deeds, and take to reciting poems on his birth, and making known his all-encompassing blessings and graces to all.5

The things we have mentioned verify the general ruling of the permissibility and merit of commemorating eminent sacred personages which is consistent with the viewpoint of the Qur’an and the practice of Muslims, and the groundlessness of the supposition that holding ceremonies in commemoration of the beloved of God is bid‘ah; for, bid‘ah is something, the particular or general permissibility of which is not inferred from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, whereas the general judgment of the mentioned issue can be noticed in the Qur’anic verses and perennial practice of the Muslims.

In the same vein, holding such ceremonies is intended to express honor and respect to the meritorious servants of God with the belief in their servitude to and neediness of the Lord of the worlds.

Therefore, the said practice is completely compatible with the principle of monotheism and unity of God.

As such, it is evident that the claim of those who say that holding ceremonies in commemoration of eminent sacred people is tantamount to committing polytheism and associating others with God is baseless and unfounded.

Notes

1. Surah ash-Shura 42:23.

2. Surah al-A‘raf 7:157.

3. Surah al-Inshirah 94:4.

4. Surah al-Ma’idah 5:114.

5. Husayn ibn Muhammad ad-Diyar Bakri, Tarikh al-Khamis (Beirut), vol. 1, p. 223.