There is a reason why most of the muslim ummah has raised serious objections to the idea of creating shrines out of dead saints and going to ask them for help. Firstly, the Quran is clear that no one can help us other than Allah swt. Secondly, the Quran is clear that we are only to ask for help from Allah swt. Thirdly, Allah address the issue of the veneration of those buried in graves:
Nor are the dead and the living equal. Indeed, Allah ˹alone˺ makes whoever He wills hear, but you ˹O Prophet˺ can never make those in the graves hear ˹your call˺.
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍۢ مَّن فِى ٱلْقُبُورِ
35:22
Allah here makes it clear that we cannot make those in the graves hear us. Allah tells us this because Allah swt finds it relevant for our salvation (just as in every ayah in the Quran). Allah wants us to be free of all that keep us enslaved, and seeks to unshackle us from the burdens of man made religions and superstitions. Also, these practices could and would eventually lead to shirk, and many would say those actions are shirk in and of themselves.
The places of worship are ˹only˺ for Allah, so do not invoke anyone besides Him.
وَأَنَّ ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ أَحَدًۭا
72:18
Again, Allah swt makes it clear that we are not to invoke any other names or entities other than Allah swt in his places of worship. If you do that, you are not worshipping Allah swt. Then who are you worshipping? Allah swt in the Quran makes it clear that if you were to invoke anyone besides Allah it would be futile at best, damaging at worst:
If you call upon them, they cannot hear your calls. And if they were to hear, they could not respond to you. On the Day of Judgment they will disown your worship ˹of them˺. And no one can inform you ˹O Prophet˺ like the All-Knowledgeable.
35:14: إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا۟ دُعَآءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا۟ مَا ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لَكُمْ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ ۚ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍۢ
Here, Allah swt makes it clear that if you were to call upon anyone other than Allah swt, they would not be able to hear your calls, and even if they could hear your calls, and on the day of judgement they would do kufr on your religion, and disassociate from you.
Allah swt clearly states in the Quran that we have no helper (wali) or savior other than Allah swt, and to not make the mistake of seeking help from your prophet just like the Jews asked help from Moses:
Do you not know that the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs ˹only˺ to Allah, and you have no guardian or helper besides Allah?
Or do you ˹believers˺ intend to ask of your Messenger as Moses was asked before? But whoever trades belief for disbelief has truly strayed from the Right Way.
2:107-108: أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْـَٔلُوا۟ رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ ٱلْكُفْرَ بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
Here Allah is clear, in a general way, that Allah is your helper and wali, not the prophet.
And leave those who take this faith ˹of Islam˺ as mere play and amusement and are deluded by ˹their˺ worldly life. Yet remind them by this ˹Quran˺, so no one should be ruined for their misdeeds. They will have no protector or intercessor other than Allah. Even if they were to offer every ˹possible˺ ransom, none will be accepted from them. Those are the ones who will be ruined for their misdeeds. They will have a boiling drink and painful punishment for their disbelief.
6:70: وَذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًۭا وَلَهْوًۭا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَذَكِّرْ بِهِۦٓ أَن تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌۢ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِىٌّۭ وَلَا شَفِيعٌۭ وَإِن تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍۢ لَّا يُؤْخَذْ مِنْهَآ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُوا۟ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ ۖ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌۭ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍۢ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ
Allah here makes it clear that there are those that take their religion as mere play and amusement and are deluded by this worldly life. Perhaps this may remind you of those who engage in circus type rituals as part of their religion, even within the muslim faith. Allah swt states we should leave them. He then reminds them and us all that we have no wali or shafi other than Allah. Even if these people were to give up every random, nothing will be accepted from them. They will be ruined for their misdeeds. There may be those who will say this verse was revealed to non-muslims, but us muslims have new privileges. Allah in the next verse states:
Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “Should we invoke, other than Allah, those ˹idols˺ which cannot benefit or harm us, and turn back to disbelief after Allah has guided us? ˹If we do so, we will be˺ like those disoriented by devils in the wilderness, while their companions call them to guidance, ˹saying˺, ‘Come to us!’ Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Allah’s guidance is the ˹only˺ true guidance. And we are commanded to submit to the Lord of all worlds,
6:71: قُلْ أَنَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ كَٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَهْوَتْهُ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُۥٓ أَصْحَـٰبٌۭ يَدْعُونَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَى ٱئْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Here, Allah swt tells the prophet to tell us, that if we were invoke anyone or anything other than Allah swt which cannot benefit or harm us, then we would have turned back to disbelief after receiving the message. This path would lead us astray. One might say, that only applies to those other than Allah that cannot benefit or harm us, meanwhile our saints and/or idols can benefit and harm us. There are three arguments to show this interpretation is incorrect. Firstly, Allah swt in the Quran makes it clear that only Allah can benefit and harm us. Secondly, the entire Quran does not clearly state that any other entity can benefit and harm us. Lastly, this verse is telling the prophet to tell us that only Allah can guide us, thereby absolving himself from the object of worship, wali, or shafi status.
It is not appropriate for someone who Allah has blessed with the Scripture, wisdom, and prophethood to say to people, “Worship me instead of Allah.” Rather, he would say, “Be devoted to the worship of your Lord ˹alone˺—by virtue of what you read in the Scripture and what you teach.”
And he would never ask you to take angels and prophets as lords. Would he ask you to disbelieve after you have submitted?
3:79-80: مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًۭا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّـٰنِيِّـۧنَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ أَرْبَابًا ۗ أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
Here, Allah swt makes it clear that if we were to worship other than Allah, then we would be misguided. Worship is defined as invoking for help other than Allah swt, with the belief that these entities can help or hurt you. He drives the point home by telling us not to take angels or prophets as lords. For those that may say we do not take them as lords (“rub”), however the meaning or rub or lord means anyone you would take as your leader. Even a boss or a husband could be considered a rub. To get around this, muslims have replaced the term rub with other terms, however their function is still that of a rub.
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