What is Imam Ali’s perspective in respect to the Quran?

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In the eyes of Imam Ali (as), the Quran holds a tremendous position. Some of the qualities he has attributed to this divine book have been collected in Nahjul Balaghah. A brief list of the qualities he has mentioned in regards to the Quran have been summarized as: an advisor who never deceives, the best of guides, the one who speaks the truth, the strongest and most dependable source of refuge and support, a cure, the source of knowledge, the highest form of prosperity, that which gives life to and enlightens the heart, the best means of intercession, the most complete and comprehensive book, etc.

Imam Ali (as), the greatest disciple of the Quran and the Holy Prophet (pbuh), had continually mentioned in his speech, sermons, and letters (now collected in Nahjul Balaghah) the innumerable qualities of the Quran. Through these means, he informed the people of the values encompassed within it and encouraged them to understand the immense status of this divinely inspired book. His dedication to the message of the Quran can be observed up until the very last moments of his life. In his will he urges his descendants to sacrifice all that which they posses in the way of the Quran and its message. In that will he states: “(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of the Quran. No one should excel you in acting upon it.”[1]

The emphasis placed upon this divine book tells us how significant Imam Ali (as) considered it. In describing the Quran, the following qualities have been mentioned in the words of Imam Ali (as):

1. An advisor who never deceives: “And know that this Quran is an advisor that never deceives.”[2]

2. The best of guides: “(The Quran is) a leader who never misleads.”[3]

3. The one who speaks the truth: “(The Quran is) a narrator who never speaks a lie.”[4]

4. The strongest and most dependable source of refuge and support: “You should adhere to the Book of Allah because it is the strong rope, a clear light, a benefiting cure, a quenching for thirst, protection for the adherent and deliverance for the attached. It does not curve so as to need straightening and does not deflect so as to be corrected.”[5]

5. A cure: “Therefore, seek cure from it for your ailments and seek its assistance in your distress. It contains a cure for the biggest diseases, namely unbelief, hypocrisy, revolt, and misguidance.”[6]

6. The source of knowledge: “… (it contains) the springs of knowledge.”[7] In another sermon of Nahjul Balaghah, Imam Ali (as) speaks of the immeasurable amount of knowledge found in the Quran: “Allah has made it a quencher of the thirst of the learned, a bloom for the hearts of religious jurists, a highway for the ways of the righteous…”[8]

7. The highest form of prosperity: “You should also know that no one will need anything after (guidance from) the Quran and no one will be free from want before (guidance from) the Quran.”[9]

8. That which gives life to and brings joy to the heart: “It contains the blossoming of the heart…”[10]

9. The best means of intercession: “Know that it is an interceder and its intercession will be accepted. It is a speaker who is testified. For whomever the Quran intercedes on the Day of Judgment, its intercession for him would be accepted.”[11]

10. A book that is everlasting: “Then Allah sent to him the book as a light whose flames cannot be extinguished, a lamp whose gleam does not die, a sea whose depth cannot be sounded, a way whose direction does not mislead, a ray whose light does not darken, a separator (of good from evil) whose arguments do not weaken…”[12]

11. The comprehensiveness of the Quran: The Imam (as) mentions the following in regards to the comprehensiveness of the Quran: “But the Prophet left among you the same which other Prophets left among their peoples, because Prophets do not leave them unattended without a clear path and a standing ensign, namely the book of your Creator clarifying its permissions and prohibitions, its obligations and discretion, its repealing injunctions and the repealed ones, its permissible matters and compulsory ones, its particulars and the general ones, its lessons and illustrations, its long and short ones, its clear and obscure ones, detailing is abbreviations and clarifying is obscurities.”[13]

The Imam (as) also states: “In the Quran, you will discover news of those who came before you and those who will come after you, as well as the necessary rulings which you will need to live by.”[14]

In sermon 198 of Nahjul Balaghah, the Imam (as) has extensively discussed the immense value of the Quran. These eloquent and expressive words of Amir al-Mu’minin (as) effectively illustrate the Quran’s significance and the qualities it possesses, to the extent that any further explanation or commentary is rendered unnecessary.

What has been mentioned is a modest example of the qualities attributed to this divine book from the words of Amir al-Mu’minin (as), the second greatest muffasir (commentator) of the Holy Quran.

May we be guided to the straight path through adherence of these teachings.

For further information, you may refer to the following sermons of Nahjul Balaghah: 110, 183, 169, 157, 158, 133, 176, and 198.

[1] Nahjul-Balaghah, letter 47.

[2] Sermon 176 “وَ اعْلَمُوا.أَنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ هُوَ النَّاصِحُ الَّذِی لَا یَغُشُّ”.

[3] Sermon 176 “وَ الْهَادِی الَّذِی لَا یُضِلُّ”.

[4] Sermon 176 “وَ الْمُحَدِّثُ الَّذِی لَا یَکْذِبُ”.

[5] Sermon 156.

[6] Sermon 176 “فَاسْتَشْفُوهُ مِنْ أَدْوَائِکُمْ وَ اسْتَعِینُوا بِهِ عَلَى لَأْوَائِکُمْ فَإِنَّ فِیهِ شِفَاءً مِنْ أَکْبَرِ الدَّاءِ وَ هُوَ الْکُفْرُ وَ النِّفَاقُ وَ الْغَیُّ وَ الضَّلَالُ”.

[7] Sermon 176 “و ینابیع العلم”.

[8] Sermon 198.

[9] Sermon 176 “و اعلموا انه لیس على احد بعد القرآن من فاقة و لا لاحد قبل القرآن من غنى”.

[10] Sermon 176 “فیه ربیع القلب”.

[11] Sermon 176 “وَ اعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ شَافِعٌ مُشَفَّعٌ وَ قَائِلٌ مُصَدَّقٌ وَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ شَفَعَ لَهُ الْقُرْآنُ یَوْمَ الْقِیَامَةِ ُفِّعَ فِیهِ”.

[12] Sermon 198.

[13] Sermon 1.

[14] Nahjul-Balaghah, short sayings, saying 313.

Debate of Imam Sadiq with “Abu Shakir”

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During the lifetime of Imam Ja’far Sadiq (AS), theological debates and discussions involving the Imam himself were carried out quite often. One of the most serious topics around which discussions and debates took place was the existence of God. Due, mainly, to the free atmosphere prevailing in Arabia, the discussions would often take place among members of the opposite groups. There is no doubt that these discussions ultimately ended up in the victory of the theists and monotheists and the defeat of the disbelievers. One of those who had lengthy debates with Imam Ja’far Sadiq, peace be upon him, was Abu Shakir Daysani.[i] What follows is a report on two dialogues between him and Imam Ja’far Sadiq (AS) regarding the existence of God, the Exalted:

[dropcap]1[/dropcap] Hesham bin Hakam narrates:
Abu Shakir told me that he had a question and he asked me to arrange a meeting with my teacher, Imam Ja’far Sadiq (AS) because he had a question which he had asked many scholars but he had not got a convincing answer.
Hesham asked Abu Shakir if he did not want him to know about his question. He said that might perhaps have an answer to his question which he might probably like but Abu Shakir insisted that he wanted to meet Imam Sadiq (AS) and ask him his question as well.
Hesham says that he arranged a meeting for him and he asked his question:
Abu Shakir said to the Imam (AS): “Would you allow me to say something and ask some questions?”
Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “What is your question?”
Abu Shakir al-Daysani asked Imam al-Sadiq (AS): “How can you prove that you have a Creator?”
Consequently, he (AS) responded: “I found myself not free from one of the two possibilities: either I have created myself, or someone else has created me. If I have created myself, then I am not free from one of two meanings: either I created myself while I was already existent, or I created myself while I was nonexistent. Hence, if I created myself, and I already existed, then I was self-sufficient of giving existence to myself. And if I was nonexistent, then you know that the nonexistent cannot bring about a thing. Therefore, the third meaning is proven that I have a Creator and that is Allah, the Lord of the Universe.”[ii]

[dropcap]2[/dropcap] One day Abu Shakir came to the Imam and said, “Prove to me the existence of God.” Imam (a.s) told him to be seated. At that time a boy passed by holding a hen’s egg. Imam (a.s) called him, and taking the egg from him kept it on his palm. Then he told Abu Shakir, “See, it is such a strong fort that has no doors. On its outside is a hard skin and below it is a thin membrane, inside which flow two seas of gold and silver. But neither can the yellow mix with the white nor the white can merge with the yellow. Neither can a repairer enter it nor a destroyer comes out of it. No one can even know whether the newborn would be a male or a female. Then all of a sudden it cracks and a beautiful chick emerges from it. Can your reason agree that all this happened without a designer or a maker?” Hearing this Abu Shakir bowed down his head and said, “I repent for my beliefs today and accept the religion of Islam.”[iii]
Although these two reports do not have so strong chain of narration, their contents are coherent and consistent with the fundamentals of Islamic beliefs and theology. Thus, they can be used to argue with. Indeed, the argument in the second narration somehow signifies the kind of knowledge which Daysani had no knowledge before it.

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[su_expand height=”20″ link_style=”dotted” more_icon=”icon: arrow-down” less_icon=”icon: arrow-up”][i] Vide: Kulayni, Muhammad bin Ya’qub, Al-Kafi, researched and corrected by Ghaffari, Ali Akbar, Akhundi, Muhammad, vol.1, p. 128, Dar al-Kotob al-Islamiyah, fourth edition, 1407 A.H; Ibn Shahr Ashub Mazandarani, Muhammad bin Ali, Mutashabeh al-Qur’an wa Mukhtalifehi, vol.1, p. 48, Qom, Beidar, first edition, 1410 A.H. [ii] Sheiky Saduq, Al-Tawhid, researched and corrected by Husseini, Hashem, p. 290, Qom, Islamic Publications Office, first edition, 1398 A.H. [iii] Al-Kafi, vol.1, p, 80; Tabarsi, Ahmad bin Ali, Al-Ehtijaj ‘Alaa al-Lejaj, researched and corrected by Khursan, Muhammad Baqir, vol.2, p. 333, Mashad, Murteza Publication, first edition, 1403 A.H.[/su_expand]

How does Someone Become a Muslim?

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The basic requirement to become a Muslim is to say, “Ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah,” which means, “I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Anyone who says this phrase joins the ranks of the Muslim nations. However, saying this only begins the long physical and spiritual journey to practice all aspects of Islam in life and become one of those whom the Qur’an terms “the faithful” (mu’min). Although this journey is long, its rewards are numerous for those who embark on it with sincere will and intentions.

Practicing Islam requires learning the Islamic ideas, teachings, and practices, and then adapting to them – a process that does require some sacrifice. The necessity of sacrifice, however, should not be a deterrent since the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) has said that whenever someone gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with something better.

Sincerity of belief also develops over time. When Prophet Muhammad (S) was first spreading the message of Islam, some people came to him and informed him that they were believers. In reply, Allah revealed:

“Tell them: You do not believe. Better say: ‘We submit’; for belief has not yet penetrated your hearts.”
(The Holy Quran, 49:14)

The first successor to the Holy Prophet, Imam ‘Ali (peace be upon him), has described the dynamic process of following Islam:

I am defining Islam as no one has defined it before me: Islam is submission, submission is conviction, conviction is affirmation, affirmation is acknowledgement, acknowledgement is performance of obligations, and the performance of obligations is good deeds.
(Nahj al-Balagha (The Peak of Eloquence), saying #125)

Who are the Muslims?

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young_muslimsMuslims are the followers of the religion of Islam, i.e. those who submit to the will of Allah as explained in the Qur’an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (S), the Messenger of Islam. The Muslim population today is about 1.2 billion and is spread over a vast range of races, nationalities, and cultures.

Approximately 18% of the Muslims live in the Arab world, but the majority live in Asia and Africa. The country that has the largest Muslim population is Indonesia, and significant Muslim minorities exist in Russia, China, and Europe as well as North and South America. The Muslim population of the United States is estimated to be around 6 million.

What is Islam?

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islam_is_peace_by_iraneman-d49zryl“Islam” means “submitting or surrendering one’s will to the will of Allah”.2 Mankind naturally submits to Allah; this instinct was born with him on the day of his creation. In reality, the entire universe – the stars, the planets, and the oceans – submits to the will of Allah through its ordered workings.

Modern science calls this phenomenon “the laws of nature,” but these laws of nature, from an Islamic perspective, are not just any laws of nature but the laws of Allah for nature. Human beings, as creatures of Allah who are in need of Him throughout their entire lives, must also surrender their wills and desires to the will of the Almighty, the Creator.

Submitting to Allah does not mean humiliating the individual self or denying the human intellect; rather, it means trusting in the knowledge, wisdom, and fairness of the Creator. People voluntarily give over their lives to others almost every day; for example, passengers embarking on an airplane place their lives in the hands of the pilot because of the pilot’s knowledge, experience, and assumed goodwill.

Similarly, friends trust friends, and if a wise, knowledgeable, rational, and good-intentioned friend invites another to go into the middle of the desert in the middle of a dark night, that person would follow because he knows that his friend would not endanger his life. The decision to trust a person with more knowledge is logical, and so people do not abandon their own intellects by trusting in the wisdom of God.

“Islam” has other meanings, one of which is “to have peace.” Allah has said in the Holy Qur’an:

“He is Allah – there is no God but Him – the King, the Holy One, and the Peace.” (59:23)

“And Allah invites to the abode of peace.” (10:25)

By its connotations of peace and safety, “Islam” indicates that the religion of Islam is free from any deficiencies or defects. As a religion, Islam is perfect because it was ordained by Allah and not invented by humankind.

Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) was the first person that God commanded to use the words “Islam” and “Muslim”3:

“It [Islamic monotheism] is the religion of your father Abraham. He [Allah] has named you Muslims both before and in this [Qur’an].” (22:78)

“Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim (submissive to Allah) and was not one of the polytheists.” (3:67)

Not only Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) but also all the sincere, truthful people after him called their religion “Islam.” Prophet Joseph (peace be upon him) says in the chapter of the Qur’an named “Joseph”:

My Lord! You have given me authority and taught me the interpretation of things. O Creator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim, submitting to Your will, and join me with the righteous. (12:101)

Thus Allah declares in the Qur’an:

“Truly the religion before Allah is Islam.” (3:19)

What is the Viewpoints of Islam and Christianity Regarding Allah?

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russia-christianity-islam-kurban-313.si_The distinguishing feature of Islam is its insistence on absolute monotheism and the forbidding of anything, at all, to be associated with God. This includes the refusal of the idea that Jesus (peace be upon him), the Messenger of God, was God. Allah says in the Qur’an:

Surely they have disbelieved who say that Allah is the Messiah [Jesus], the son of Mary. But the Messiah said, “O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Truly, whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and Fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. Surely, they have disbelieved who say, “Allah is the third of three,” for there is no God but Allah Who is one. And if they do not cease what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among them…. The Messiah, the son of Mary, was nothing other than a messenger; many were the messengers who passed before him. His mother was a woman of truth…. (5:72-75)

Muslims believe that neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament had mentioned in any way that Jesus was the son of God. According to a contemporary American scholar, Barbara Brown:

The doctrine of divinity states that Jesus is the Son of God, the Word of God made flesh. Even though Jesus himself never claimed to be divine, Paul gave him this attribute for one reason – to gain converts among the Gentiles.

The Gentiles were pagans who were used to worshipping gods that had wonderful legends and myths behind them. Several of the pagan deities of the time such as Mithras, Adonis, Attis, and Osiris were all the offspring of a supreme ruling god, and each had died a violent death at a young age, coming back to life a short time later in order to save their people.

Paul took this into account, giving the pagans something similar in Christianity. He attributed divinity to Jesus, saying he was the Son of God, the Supreme, and that he too had died for their sins. In doing so, Paul compromised the teaching of Jesus with pagan beliefs in order to make Christianity more acceptable to the Gentiles.

The term “son of God” was not something new. However, it had been used in the Old Testament to refer to David (Saul 2:7) and his son Solomon (I Chronicles 22:100) and to refer to Adam (Luke 3:38) in the New Testament. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, detailed in Matthew 5, Jesus tells his listeners, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

In all cases, the term “son of God” was not meant to be applied literally but to signify love and affection from God to the righteous. “Son of God” means a special closeness to God, not to be of God. After all, people are sons of God, and Allah is the creator of all life.2

Christians who lived during the time of Jesus (peace be upon him) believed that he was the divine messenger to them, bringing them the words of God and guiding them. However, after the ascension of Jesus to heaven, Saint Paul, who was deeply influenced by Roman paganism, wanted his preaching of Christianity to be more appealing to the Gentiles, so he compromised the teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him) by adopting certain pagan ideas and interpolating them into Christianity. Thus, the idea of the trinity spread even though it was not part of the original teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him).

Why did Allah send Different Prophets and Different Religions?

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-22930 (1)The way of Allah is one, and because the final messenger, Prophet Muhammad (S), has come, there should be no dispute as to what is the right way to follow. However, throughout history, different messengers with slightly different messages were sent to different peoples because the religious needs of humanity were growing and developing just as the human race was itself growing and developing, and also because different civilizations needed different types of guidance. Nevertheless, the source and basic message behind them was the same – namely, Allah the Exalted and Glorious.

Allah sent Moses (peace be upon him) with the Torah as a light and guidance for the Children of Israel (the Jews) along with many other prophets such as David, Solomon, and so on (peace be upon them). 1,500 years after Moses, Allah sent Jesus (peace be upon him), the son of Mary (peace be upon her), confirming the Torah and bringing the Gospel which has also been likened to guidance and light. Finally, 600 years after Jesus (peace be upon him), Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (S) with the Qur’an to confirm all the messages before him and to complete the revelation of religion to mankind.

Since all the Judeo-Christian-Islamic prophets were sent sequentially, the question arises as to why Judaism, Christianity, and Islam now exist as separate religions. The answer is that the followers of these religions, particularly Judaism and Christianity, corrupted the original teachings given to them and ended up making sects of their own rather than following the pure word of God. But as the Qur’an says:

For each of you, We have made a Law and a clear way. If Allah had willed, He would have made you one nation but that He may test you in what He has given you. So strive as a race in good deeds. Your return is to Allah; then He will inform you about that which you used to differ. (5:48)

What is the cure for doubts and obsession in beliefs?

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Question

I am hereditarily suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. I have been to different specialists and psychiatrists but to no avail. I am interested in believing in God and the Prophet (S) and avoiding sins. I am making every effort to know God and to get rid of this disease which no one knows except those who suffer from it. My efforts have led to nowhere. That is the reason I have begun to face doubts and have realized that the Imam of Time (AS) or what you term as the sun behind the cloud does not exist in the concrete external world. I want to join bad friends who I have distanced myself from for the past many years; like my friends, I too would like to look at girls and women out in the street because I am now convinced that there is no truth in what has been said to me; if there was truth in them, I would have found it.

Answer

As you have stated in your message, you are suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder, is a mental disorder where people feel the need to check things repeatedly, have certain thoughts repeatedly, or feel they need to perform certain routines repeatedly. There is no doubt that most of your psychological and mental problems emanate from the same mental disorder. In the first step, and in order for you to get rid of this problem, you should make efforts to treat your problem. You must know that the scrupulous feelings are the Shaitan’s plot which you should not pay heed to. In order for you to get rid of the diseases which is called obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and similar conditions, you should take action to purify yourself and purge your soul in line with self-reconstruction. You should do away with the feeling by attaching importance to fulfilling your duties on time, reciting the Quran, offering prayers in their prescribed prime time and staying away from haram things. Be sure that you will get rid of this disease.1 Everything is in your own hand to get rid of it. No one else can help you, if you yourself do not decide to do away with the problem. You should not get disappointed and you should make your mind firm to fight the temptations and obsessive feelings. The only way to get rid is to be inattentive and heedless towards the incoming thoughts.2 In addition, it is necessary to know that diseases, poverty and many worldly problems and epidemic events are somehow divine test. In reality, the world is an abode in which one is examined. You should also know that in the time of difficulty and hardship, the Shaitan can create disappointment in you and make you more impatient thus damaging your faith in God.
If one suffers from a certain diseases or his prayers are not answered or he does not get rid of his problems, that does not imply that God does not exist. He cannot deny Prophet (S) and his pure family including the last divine savior, the Awaited Imam, Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance, simply because his wishes are not granted.
There are many people who considered severe diseases and extreme difficulties as divine test and tribulation believing that they provided them with an opportunity to get closer to Allah and attain more perfection. Although there have been many people whose incurable illnesses have got cured through du’a and invocation, you must know that if a du’a has to be fulfilled, certain conditions must be met.

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[1] Adapted from question 866.
[2] Adapted from Index: 2158

Source: IslamQuest

Which one of the Prophets are still alive?

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Allamah Tabatabai (RA) interpreting the verse 65 of Surah al-Kahf “Then they found one from among Our servants whom We had granted mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Ourselves“1 appertained to Prophet Moses (AS) and Prophet Khidr (AS) quotes narrations from a number of Sunni and Shia sources about some prophets being alive.
Among the narrations he has quoted is a tradition from Jalaluddin in his Al-Durr al-Manthur which is narrated from Shahin from Khasif that says:

أربعة من الأنبیاء أحیاء
اثنان فی السماء: عیسى و إدریس؛ و اثنان فی الأرض الخضر و إلیاس
فأما الخضر فإنه فی البحر و أما صاحبه فإنه فی البر2
Four of the prophets are alive two of whom are in the heavens: Jesus and Edris, and two of them are in the land: Khidr and Elias, Ilyas (Elias). As for Khidr, he is in the sea but his companion is in the land.”3

It should be noted that this narration is also available in Shia sources but it has been narrated from Sunni sources.4

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[1] «فَوَجَدا عَبْداً مِنْ عِبادِنا آتَیناهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِنا وَ عَلَّمْناهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْماً»
[2] Suyuti, Jalaluddin, al-Durr al-Manthur fi Tafsir al-Ma’thur, vol.4, p. 239, Ayatollah Mar’ashi Najafi Library, Qom, 1404 A.H.
[3] Tabatabai, Sayyid Muhammad Hussein, Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, vol.13, p. 353, Islamic Publications Office, Qom, fifth edition, 1417.
[4] Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, Behar al-Anwar, vol13, p. 402, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, Beirut, second dition, 1403 A.H; Ibn Tavus, Ali bin Musa, Sa’ad al-Saud Lil-Nofus Mandhud, p. 163 – 164, Dar al-Dhakhaer, Qom, first edition (date missing).
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Source: IslamQuest

Twelve significant points that you should know about intercession/12

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Twelve-significant-points--about-intercessionResembling Polytheists

In the glorious Qur’an, God considers the polytheists of the time of the Prophet (s) polytheist because they ask Shafa’a from other than God, “They worship besides Allah that which neither causes them any harm, nor brings them any benefit, and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.'” (10:18)

Answer: There is no doubt that polytheists of the time of the Prophet (s) considered the rights to make Shafa’a for their idols and gods, but this verse implies that they worshiped idols and also considered the rights to make Shafa’a for them and thus believing in their Shafa’a together with worshiping them led to their criticism.

Polytheists considered unconditional rights to make Shafa’a for their idols which God never had given them such position. Also, they believed in their divinity and worshiped them; while if one believes in someone’s rights to make Shafa’a God has given him and that using such rights is by the permission of God, then there would be no problem. On the other hand, no Muslim considers the position of divinity for intercessors to worship them so that his act resembles the acts of the polytheists.

It is obvious that only showing respect and kissing Zarih in holy shrines without believing in divinity would not be considered as worship; for if it was considered so, then respecting and kissing the hands of parents would also be considered as worshiping them.

Another point is that idols made of stone and wood had no permission for making any harm or benefit and it was only the claim of idol-worshipers who believed in the effects of those stone and wood and their beliefs are different from the effects believed to exist in the Shafa’a of the intercessors by the permission of God.[Qur’an 10:18]

In this verse, God addresses the idol-worshipers that, “you believe in positions for idols I have not given to them. Do you want to give news to God about what (idols’ effects) He does not have news about?” and this is different with asking the friends of God for Shafa’a.

This verse has not mentioned anything about asking for Shafa’a; rather it addresses believing in the Shafa’a of idols, “they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.'” (10:18) and it has not said, “they say, make intercession for us before Allah.'”

Therefore, if Wahhabi’s reasoning is right, then believing in Shafa’a would be totally polytheistic and this includes Wahhabis as well, because they believe in Shafa’a in general.