1. Vow of dedicating a chador to a shrine
Question: What do the blessed ‘Ulama [Islamic scholars] state regarding the following matter: If someone has made the vow of dedicating a chador [sheet] to the shrine of a Wali of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, is it Wajib [compulsory] to fulfil it?
بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
The vow of dedicating a chador to the shrine of a pious saint is not a Shar’i vow because there isn’t any such type of deed Wajib in Shari’ah. Therefore, it is not Wajib to fulfil it. However, it is better to spread [i.e. dedicate] a chador on the shrines of pious saints with the intention of attaining blessings.
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم
Written by: Muhammad Haashim Khan Al-Attari Al-Madani
2. Keeping a corpse in a cold chamber
Question: What do the blessed ‘Ulama state regarding the following matter: Sometimes, a close relative lives abroad, so the corpse is kept in a cold storage for the relative to see the face [of the deceased], and sometimes an unidentified corpse or the corpse of a murdered person is kept in a cold storage; in all these cases, what is the Islamic ruling on keeping the corpse in a cold storage?
Note: Information regarding an unidentified corpse and a murdered person is that, if an unidentified corpse is buried without keeping it in a cold chamber, no one is accounted for it; in fact, one can bury it. Likewise, the family members of a murdered person have the choice that if they wish, they may bury the deceased without keeping the corpse in a cold chamber.
بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
In any of the cases mentioned in the question, it is not permissible to keep the corpse in a cold chamber. Its details are as follows: Anything which causes pain to a living person also causes pain to a deceased person, and as it is not permissible to cause pain to a living person without a Shar’i reason, in the same way, it is not permissible to cause pain to a deceased person without a Shar’i reason. If a living person is kept in a cold chamber for a little while, he feels intense pain as the temperature over there is below the freezing point; therefore, a deceased person also feels pain due to it. Moreover, showing the face of a deceased person to a close relative, and other such reasons are not the valid reasons for which it becomes permissible to cause pain to a deceased person.
The pain caused by keeping a corpse in a cold chamber is far more than the pain caused by excreting on a grave and by walking on it, so it will more strictly be impermissible. Moreover, this act results in the delay in Tajheez and Tadfeen [burial] of a deceased person without a reason, which is forbidden.
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم
Answered by: Muhammad Irfan Madani
Approved by: Muhammad Haashim Khan Al-Attari Al-Madani
3. Seeking help from other than Allah (Ghayrullah)
Question: What do the blessed ‘Ulama and Muftis [Islamic jurists] state regarding the following matter: Is it Shirk [polytheism] to recite the following couplets as in these couplets, help has been sought from Ghayrullah?
اِمداد کُن اِمداد کُن اَز بَندِ غَم آزاد کُن
دَر دِین و دُنیا شاد کُن یا غوثِ اَعظم دَستگِیر
بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
According to Shari’ah, it is permissible to recite the couplets mentioned in the question. In these couplets, there is no Shirk at all. In the Quran and Hadees, there are proofs of the permissibility of seeking help from the pious servants of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has stated in the Holy Quran:
اِنَّمَا وَلِیُّكُمُ اللّٰهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهٗ وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوا الَّذِیْنَ یُقِیْمُوْنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَ یُؤْتُوْنَ الزَّكٰوةَ وَ هُمْ رٰكِعُوْنَ(۵۵)
[i.e., O Muslims!] You have no friends except Allah, and His Messenger and the believers; that they establish Salah, and give Zakah and remain bowed down in the Majestic Court of Allah.
(Part 6, Surah Al-Ma`idah, Ayah 55)
In the explanation of the Ayah ‘وَ لَا تَدۡعُ مَعَ اللّٰہِ اِلٰـہًا اٰخَرَ ۘ’, ‘Allamah Ahmad Bin Muhammad As-Saawi رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه (who passed away in 1241 Hijri) has stated in Tafseer Saawi:
المراد بالدعاء العبادۃ وحینئذ فلیس فی الآیة دلیل علی ما زعمە الخوارج من ان الطلب من الغیر حیا او میتا شرک فإنہ جھل مرکب لان سوال الغیر من حیث اجراء اللہ النفع او الضرر علی یدہ قد یکون واجبا لانە من التمسک بالاسباب ولا ینکر الاسباب الا جحود او جھول
Translation: In the Ayah, “calling upon” means “worshipping”; therefore, there isn’t any proof in this Ayah for those Khawarij [heretics] who say that it is Shirk to ask Ghayrullah for something, whether they are alive or have passed away. This stupid statement of Khawarij is sheer ignorance because it is sometimes even Wajib [compulsory] to ask Ghayrullah [for something], having the belief that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ gives benefit and loss through them; as it [i.e. asking in this way] is from the category of “seeking Asbab” [the means of something], and no one but only a denier or an ignorant person will deny Asbab. (Tafseer Saawi, vol. 4, pp. 1550)
The permissibility of seeking help from a Ghayrullah is also proved from the blessed Ahadees of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas رَضِىَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُمَا that Rasoolullah صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated: ‘اطلبوا الخیر والحوائج من حسان الوجوہ’ translation: Seek goodness and needs from the beautiful-faced ones. (Al-Mu’jam-ul-Kabeer, vol. 11, pp. 81, Hadees 11110)
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abaan [ابان] Bin Saaleh رَضِىَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُ that the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated: ‘إذا نفرت دابة أحدکم أو بعیرہ بفلاۃ من الأرض لا یری بھا أحدا، فلیقل: أعینونی عباد اللہ ، فإنہ سیعان’ translation: When an animal or a camel of any one of you runs away in a deserted place where he sees no one (who may help him), he should say, ‘O the servants of Allah! Help me’. So he will certainly be helped. (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 6, pp. 103)
It is stated in the Fatawa of Imam Shaykh-ul-Islam Shahaab Ramli Ansari رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه:
سئل عما یقع من العامة من قولھم عند الشدائد یا شیخ فلان و نحو ذٰلك من الاستغاثة بالانبیاء والمرسلین والصالحین وھل للمشائخ اغاثة بعد موتھم ام لا؟ فاجاب بما نصە ان الاستغاثة بالانبیاء والمرسلین والاولیاء والعلماء الصالحین جائزۃ وللانبیاء والرسل والاولیاء والصالحین اغاثة بعد موتھم
I.e. He was asked a question that the general public seek help from Ambiya, Mursaleen, Awliya and Saliheen in difficult times, and say, Ya Shaykh so and so (Ya Rasoolallah, Ya ‘Ali, Ya Shaykh Abdal Qaadir Jeelani), and other similar words; is it permissible or not? Moreover, do Awliya help after their blessed demise as well, or not? He answered that it is certainly permissible to seek help from Ambiya, Mursaleen, Awliya and ‘Ulama; and they help [others] after their blessed demise as well. (Fatawa Ramli, vol. 4, pp. 382)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم
Written by: Muhammad Haashim Khan Al-Attari Al-Madani
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