By Shaykh Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee
A truly atharee (based upon authentic
narrations) historical account of how the
disease of Shirk was first released upon mankind
through the whisperings of Shaytaan.
I created all my servants upon the true Religion
(upon Tawheed, free 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.
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.” [Sooratul-Baqarah
2:213]
Ibn ’Abbaas – radiyallaahu ’anhu – said:
“Between Nooh (Noah) and Aadam 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) – rahimahullaah
– 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 atheists 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 hadeeth:
Firstly: His (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)
saying that he related from his Lord (Allaah):
“I created all my servants upon the true
Religion (upon Tawheed, free 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 (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?”
Aboo Hurayrah (radiyallaahu ’anhu) 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.” [Sooratur-Room
30:30] [6]
After this clear explanation, it is of the
utmost 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 his call except a few. Allaah
– the Mighty and Majestic – related this whole
incident in Soorah Nooh.
Ibn ’Abbaas relates: “Indeed these five names of
righteous men from the people of Nooh. When they
died Shaytaan 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) – radiyallaahu ’anhum.
In ad-Durral-Manthoor (6/269): ’Abdullaah Ibn
Humayd relates from Aboo Muttahar, who said:
Yazeed Ibnul-Muhallab was mentioned to Aboo
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. Aboo 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 ilaah
(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 Muhammad
(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 bee 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, there 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] Taken from Tahdheerus-Saajid min
Ittikhaadhil-Quboori Masaajid (p. 101-106) of
Shaykh al-Albaanee.
[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-Bukhaaree.” Imaam adh-Dhahabee also agreed.
[3] Al-Kawaakibud-Duraree fee Tarteeb
Musnadil-Imaam Ahmad ’alaa Abwaabil-Bukhaaree
(6/212/1), still in manuscript form.
[4] Related by Muslim (8/159) and Ahmad (4/162)
from ’Iyaad Ibn Himaar al-Mujaashi’ee
(radiyallaahu ’anhu).
[5] Translator’s Note: Ibnul-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 upon a 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 with
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-Duraree (6/112/2) of Ibn ’Urwah
al-Hanbalee, along with an isnaad which is
Hasan, up to Aboo 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 else’s. 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.
