The Origins of Shirk [1] |
Shaykh Muhammad Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaanee
rahimahullaah |
|
From that which has been established in
the Sharee'ah (prescribed law) is that mankind was - in the beginning - a
single nation upn true Tawheed, then Shirk (directing any part or form of
worship, or anything else that is solely the right of Allaah, to other than
Allaah) gradually overcame them. The basis for this is the saying of Allaah -
the Most Blessed, the Most High:
"Mankind was one Ummah, then Allaah sent prophets
bringing good news and warnings."
(Soorah Baqarah 2:213)
Ibn 'Abbaas - radiallaahu 'anhu - said: "Between Nooh (Noah) and Adam were ten generations,
all of them were upon Sharee'ah (law) of the truth, then they differed. So
Allaah sent prophets as bringers of good news and as warners." [2]
Ibn 'Urwah al-Hanbalee (d.837 H) said: "This saying refutes those historians from the
People of the Book who claim that Qaabil (Cain) and his sons were
fire-worshippers." [3]
I say: In it is also a refutation of some
of the philosophers and athists who claim that the (natural) basis of man is
Shirk, and that Tawheed evolved in man! The preceeding aayah (verse) falsifies
this claim, as do the two following authentic hadith:
Firstly: His (the prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam) saying that he related from his Lord (Allaah) : "I created all my servants upon the true Religion
(upon Tawheed, fre from Shirk). Then the devils came to them and led them
astray from their true Religion. They made unlawful to people that which I had
made lawful for them, and they commanded them to associate in worship with Me,
that which I had sent down no authority." [4]
Secondly: His (the prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam) saying: "Every child is
born upon the Fitrah [5] but his parents make him a jew or a christian or a
magian. It is like the way an animal gives birth to a natural offspring. have
you noticed any born mutilated, before you mutilate them."
Abu Hurayrah said: Recite if you wish: "Allaah's fitrah with which He created mankind.
There is to be no change to the creation (Religion) of Allaah."
(Soorah ar-Rum 30:30) [6]
After this clear explanation, it is of the
upmost importance for the Muslim to know how Shirk spread amongst the
believers, after they were muwahhideen (people upon Tawheed). Concerning the
saying of Allaah - the most perfect - about the people of Nooh:
"And they have said : You shall not forsake your
gods, nor shall you forsake Wadd, nor Suwaa', nor Yaghooth, nor Ya'ooq, nor
Nasr." (Soorah Nooh 71:23)
It has been related by a group from the
Salaf (Pious Predecessors), in many narrations, that these five deities were
righteous worshippers. However, when they died, Shaytaan (Satan) whispered into
their people to retreat and sit at their graves. Then Shaytaan whispered to
those who came after them that they should take them as idols, beautifying to
them the idea that you will be reminded of them and thereby follow them in
righteous conduct. Then Shaytaan suggested to the third generation that they
should worship these idols besides Allaah - the most high - and he whispered to
them that this is what their forefathers used to do!!!
So Allaah sent to them Nooh
alayhis-salaam, commanding them to worship Allaah alone. However none responded
to hiscall except a few. Allaah - the mighty and majestic - related this whole
incident in Soorah Nooh Ibn 'Abbas relates: "Indeed
these five names of righteous men from the people of Nooh. When they died
Shataan whispered to their people to make statues of them and to place these
statues in their places of gathering as a reminder of them, so they did this.
However, none from amongst them worshipped these statues, until when they died
and the purpose of the statues was forgotten. Then (the next generation) began
to worship them."[7]
The likes of this has also been related by
Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree and others, from a number of the salaf (Pious
Predecessors) - radiallaahu 'anhum. In ad-Durral-Manthoor (6/269): 'Abdullaah ibn
Humaid relates from Abu Muttahar, who said: Yazeed ibn al-Muhallab was
mentioned to Abu Ja'far al-Baaqir (d.11H), so he said: He was killed at the
place where another besides Allaah was first worshipped. Then he mentioned Wadd
and said: "Wadd was a Muslim man who was loved by his people. When he
died, the people began to gather around his grave in the land of Baabil
(Babel), lamenting and mourning. So when Iblees (Satan) saw them mourning and
lamenting over him, he took the form of a man and came to them, saying : I see
that you are mourning and lamenting over him. So why don't you make a picture
of him (i.e. a statue) and place it in your places of gatherings so that you
maybe reminded of him. So they said: Yes, and they made a picture of him and
put in their place of gathering; which reminded them of him. When Iblees saw
how they were (excessively) remembering him, he said : "Why doesn't every
man amongst you make a similar picture to keep in your own houses, so that you
can be (constantly) reminded of him." So they all said "yes". So
each household made a picture of him, which they adored and venerated and which
constantly reminded them of him. Abu Ja'far said: "Those from the later
generation saw what the (pevious generation) had done and considered that........to
the extent that they took him as an ilah (diety) to be worshipped besides
Allaah. He then said :" This was the first idol worshipped other than
Allaah, and they called this idol Wadd"[8]
Thus the wisdom of Allaah - the Blessed,
the Most High - was fufilled, when he sent Muhammed sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam as the final prophet and made his Sharee'ah the completion of all
divinely Prescribed Laws, in that He prohibited all means and avenues by which
people may fall into Shirk - which is the greatest of sins. For this reason,
building shrines over graves and intending to specifically travel to them,
taking them as places of festivity and gathering and swearing an oath by the
inmate of a grave; have all been prohibited. All of these lead to excessiveness
and lead to the worship of other than Allaah - the Most High.
This being the case even more so in an age
in which knowledge is diminishing, ignorance is increasing, thre are few
sincere advisors ( to the truth) and shaytaan is co-operating with men and jinn
to misguide mankind and to take them away from the worship of Allaah alone -
the Blessed, the Most High.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Tahdheerus-Saajid min
Ittikhaadhil-Quboori Masaajid (pp.101-106)
2. Related by Ibn Jareer
at-Tabaree in his tafseer (4/275) and al-Haakim (2/546) who said: "It is
authentic according to the criterion of al-Bukhari." Adh-Dhahabee also
agreed.
3.
Al-Khawaakibud-Duraaree fee Tarteeb Musnadul-Imaam Ahmad'alaa
Abwaabil-Bukhaaree (6/212/1), still in manuscript form.
4. Related by Muslim
(8/159) and Ahmad (4/162) from 'Iyaadh ibn Himaar al-Mujaashi'ee radiallaahu
'anhu
5. [From the Editors]
Ibn-al-Atheer said in an-Nihaayah (3/457): "Al-Fitr: means to begin and
create, and al-Fitrah is the condition resulting from it. The meaning is that
mankind were born upona disposition and a nature which is ready to accept the
true Religion. So if he were to be left upon this, then he would continue upon
it. However, those who deviate from this do so due to following human
weaknesses and blind following of others....." Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar said
in Al-Fath (3/248): "The people differ concerning what is meant by
al-Fitrah and the most famous saying is that it means Islaam. Ibn 'abdul-Barr
said: That is what was well known with most of the salaf (pious predecessors),
and the scholars of tafseer are agreed that what is meant by the saying of
Allaah - the Most High - "Allaah's fitrah wiht which He created
mankind." is Islaam
6. Related by
Al-Bukhaaree (11/418) and Muslim (18/52)
7. Related by al-Bukhaaree
(8/534)
8. Related by Ibn Abee
Haatim also, as is in al-Kawaakibud-Duraaree (6/112/2) of Ibn 'Urwah
al-Hanbalee, along with an isnaad which is Hasan, up to Abu Muttahar. However,
no biography could be found for him, neither in ad-Dawlaabee's al-Kunaa wal-Asmaa,
nor Muslim's al-Kunaa, nor any one elses. And the hidden defect here is that he
is from the Shee'ah, but his biography is not included in at-Toosee's al-Kunaa
-- from the index of Shee'ah narrators.