From
that which has been established in the Sharee'ah
(prescribed law) is that mankind was - in the beginning - a single nation
upon 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." [2:213]
Ibn
Abbaas - radi-Allaahu '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."
[ Related by Ibn Jareer
at-Tabaree in his Tafseer
(4/275) and al-Haakim (2/546)]
Ibn
Urwah al-Hanbali (d.837H) said:
"This
saying refutes those historians from the People of the Book who claim that Qaabil
(Cain) and his sons were fire-worshippers."
[Al-Kawaakibud-Duraaree fee Tarteeb Musnadul-Imaam
Ahmad 'alaa Abwaabil-Bukhaaree (6/212/1)]
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 preceding ayah (verse)
falsifies this claim, as do the two following authentic ahadeeth:
Firstly: His sal-Allaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam's saying that he related from his Lord:
"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."
[Related by
Muslim (8/159) and Ahmad (4/162)]
Secondly: His sal-Allaahu 'alayhe
wa sallam's saying:
"Every child is born upon the Fitrah [natural
disposition towards Islaam] but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or
a Maigan. 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." [30:30]
[Related by al-Bukhaaree
(11/418) and Muslim (18/52)]
After
this clear explanation, it is of the utmost importance for the Muslim to know
how Shirk spread amongst the
believers, after they were Muwahideen
(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 Suwa', nor Yaghooth, nor Ya'ooq,
nor Nasr." [71:23]
It
has been related by a group from the Salaf
(Pious Predecessors), in many narration's, that these five deities were righteous
worshippers. However, when they died, Shaytaan 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 Surah 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."
[Related by al-Bukhaaree
(8/534)]
The
likes of this has also been related by Ibn Jareer, at-Tabaree and others,
from a number of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) - radi-Allaahu 'anhum .
In
ad-Durrul-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 (previous generation) had done and considered that
... to the extent that they took him as an ilaah
(deity) to be worshipped besides Allaah. He then said: This was the first
idol worshipped other than Allaah, and they called this idol Wadd."
[Related by Ibn Abee
Haatim]
Thus
the wisdom of Allaah - the Blessed, the
Most High - was fulfilled, when he sent Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe 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, 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.
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Wasalamualaikum
Warahmatulah Wabarakatuh
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