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 Allah, to other than Allah) gradually
overcame them. The basis for this is the saying of Allah - the Most Blessed, the Most
high:
"Mankind was one Ummah, then Allah sent prophets bringing good news and
warnings."
(Surah Baqarah 2:213)
Ibn 'Abbas -
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 Allah sent prophets as bringers of good news
and as warners"(1)
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"(2)
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 `alaihi wasallam) ) saying that he related from his Lord (Allah) :
"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."(3)
Secondly:His (the prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) ) saying: " Every child is born upon the
Fitrah(4) 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: "Allah's
fitrah with which He created mankind. There is to be no change to the creation (Religion)
of Allah."(Surah ar-Rum 30:30)(5)
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 Allah - 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."
(Surah 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 Allah - the most high - and he whispered to them that this is what their
forefathers used to do!!!
So Allah sent to them Nooh (as),
commanding them to worship Allah alone. However none responded to hiscall except a few.
Allah - the mighty and majestic - related this whole incident in surah 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."(6)
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 Allah 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 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