"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 Allah.
He then said :" This was the first idol worshipped other than Allah, and they called
this idol Wadd"(7)
Thus the wisdom of Allah - the Blessed, the Most High - was fufilled, when he sent
Muhammed (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) 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 Allah - 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 Allah alone - the Blessed, the Most
High.
Notes
(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 Islam. 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
Allah - the Most High -
"Allah's fitrah with which He created mankind."
is Islam
(6) Related by Al-Bukhaaree (11/418) and Muslim (18/52)
(7) Realted 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
The Origins of Shirk