Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salaam Alaikum.

Is it wrong to ask others to pray (supplicate) for us? Point being, when we have direct access to Allah (SWT) why should we ask others or have intermediaries. Some people even say it tantamounts to shirk. However Allah (SWT) has said in Quran to pray for the Prophet (PBUH) and Prophet (PBUH) himself asked us to pray for him. It was Prophet (PBUH) who taught us Durood and Durood is nothing but a supplication for the Prophet (PBUH). Could you throw some light on this!

JazakAllah Khair.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can one supplicate for others?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 186: And if My servants ask you, O Prophet, concerning Me, tell them that I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant, when he calls on Me. So let them respond to My call and believe in Me. (Convey this to them), perhaps they may be guided aright!

One should indeed supplicate the Merciful Lord oneself in awe, in hope and in absolute humility; but there is no harm if one asks his believing brothers around him to also make supplication to the Lord for him. This would increase the love amongst the brotherhood, and only when one truly loves and is the true well-wisher of his brother, he would invoke the Merciful for his brother.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6588 Narrated by Abud Darda

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘There is no believing servant who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence) that the Angels do not say: “The same be for you too.”’

In the Glorious Quran itself, Allah Subhanah relates how the brothers of Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) asked their father, Hadrat Yaqoob (a.s.) to supplicate Allah Subhanah to forgive their sins.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verses 96-98:

96 Then when the bearer of the good news came he cast (the shirt) over his (Yaqoob’s a.s.) face and he forthwith regained clear sight. He (Yaqoob a.s.) said: "Did I not say to you `I Know from Allah that which ye know not?' "

97 They (his sons) said: "O our father! Ask for us forgiveness for our sins, for we were truly at fault."

98 He (Yaqoob a.s.) said: "Soon will I ask my Lord for forgiveness for you: for He is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Merciful."

But to call upon or invoke someone who is not in direct communication with him, and to think that any other than Allah Subhanah can hear our invocations in the unseen, or to believe that a person dead in the graves can respond to our invocations, etc. would be tantamount to the heinous abomination of ‘shirk’. Allah Alone is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing; if one shares any of Allah Subhanah’s exclusive Attributes with any other thing or being in creation, it would tantamount to the heinous and unforgivable crime of ‘shirk’!

The thinking or belief behind those who commit ‘shirk’ is almost always that they are such sinners in the sight of their Lord that the Merciful will never accept their supplications unless and until they come through an intermediary!! Or their belief is that some people are so close to Allah Subhanah that they have the ability to get almost anything from the Majestic Lord; and Allah can never refuse if the request is from them!!

The inevitable result of such false beliefs is that the person does not obey, serve, and trust The Merciful Lord; but starts doing things to serve these supposed ‘intermediaries’; and thus falls into the trap of ‘shirk’ (invoking or associating others with Allah Subhanah) laid out by the Shaitaan!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verse 2-3: So worship Allah Alone, making your religion His exclusively. Beware! Religion is the exclusive Right of Allah. As for those who have taken other ‘auliyas’ (guardians) with Allah (and justify their this conduct by saying): “We serve them only that they may bring us closer to Allah.” Allah will surely judge between them concerning all that in which they differ. Allah does not show guidance to any liar and denier of the Truth.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verse 18: These people serve beside Allah those which can neither harm nor benefit them, and say, “These are our ‘shofa’a’ (intercessors) with Allah!” (O Mohammed), tell them, “Do you wish to inform Allah of that thing which He knows not in the heavens, or in the earth?” He is absolutely free from, and exalted above the ‘shirk’ that they commit.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan