Crumbling Foundations.

In the Name of Allah,

All praise is due to Allah, the only one who is worthy of worship.

"And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him." (Quran 12;106)

In Tafsir ibn Kathir, the verse is explained as "There is another type of hidden Shirk that most people are unaware of. Hammad bin Salamah narrated that `Asim bin Abi An-Najud said that `Urwah said, "Hudhayfah visited an ill man and saw a rope tied around his arm, so he ripped it off while reciting (this verse)"

My mother asked me the other day, "What does Islam say about Loh - e - Quran?". First, I didn't understand, so she explained me that there is a printout which has all Huruf Muqta'at (letters comes in the begining of some surahs, but don't have any known meaning) in a pattern, and people hang them in their home. Instead of answering her, I gave her the principle of Tawheed.

If we believe in anything that can not be proven with our five senses and logical reasoning, it falls under believe in unseen. In Islam, all beliefs in unseen are forms of shirk, except what taught by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Moreover, believing pain killer will help with pain is permissible, but wearing a thread believing it will provide comfort is associating partners with Allah.

So, I asked her the purpose of that printout. She said that some believe it to bring increased income and blessings. I told her that if one hangs these letters as a reminder and read them like one would read Quran, there is nothing wrong with it. However, if we believe in it having some super natural power on just being there, then it becomes the form of shirk, because now we have put our trust on  something other then Allah. She seemed satisfied, and she is probably one of the few people I know who surrender to Allah when told his commands. May Allah give her entry into Jannah.

In fact, this disease is very widespread, and is very dangerous for the believers. I have fallen into it many times, by believing that the dua hanging in my car will serve any other purpose beside being a reminder to read that dua. Many of you may relate to that, and some of these beliefs have taken so deep roots in our lives that removing them would crumble our foundation of faith, but remove them we must. Foundations may crumble, but it will save us from the fire of hell.

For example, in my local masjid, there is a part of the Quran printed in micro letters and hanging 20 feet above the ground on the right wall. No one can read it, so the only purpose it can serve is to give people belief in unseen power it could have, which takes us away from the worship of Allah. Of course, no one even think about it because it is so subtle and minor, and some may even disagree with me. Remember that we worship Allah as were taught by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and we are unable to innovate new ways to worship Allah, and it is prohibited in the strict sense.

If any belief is authenticated to have come from the Prophet (PBUH), then there is no harm in following it. There are many methods like blowing in the hands and rubbing all over body after reading Quran, and reading Surah Fatiha over a sick person etc that comes to us from him (PBUH). Our faith in Allah is the key for our salvation, and we should purify it, and keep it safe from the shirk. These minor invalid beliefs open the door for major beliefs, and as long as a person is willing to accept unseen benefit from an Islamic relic, there is no limit to this slope and slip, slip, slip they go.

Once again, everything that is natural and can be explained is permissible for us to believe, on the merit that Allah revealed us this understanding through our senses. Belief in medicine curing with Allah's will, belief in car starting with Allah's will, and belief in fire harming with Allah's will, are all forms of worship, if we belief that Allah have put means for us in these which we can prove.

And, anything that is not explained by natural means, and their benefits are not tangible by all humans regardless of their faith, then believing in them is a matter of faith. Belief in bad omen, belief in Quranic verses' mere presence providing supernatural benefit, belief in horoscope, and belief in charms, are all forms of shirk, if not found in the Quran and the Sunnah.

What I see among believers today is that their foundations are crumbling, and they die one by one in believing these forms of shirk. Let us examine our beliefs, and challenge every action that is based on belief in unseen to verify if this is authentic or just a tradition. This is the least we can do.

"O' Allah, we seek refuge in You from knowingly committing shirk with You and we ask Your forgiveness for what we do not know about" (Ahmad and At-Tibrani)

If any of you like to understand further please contact me, or if you find anything here contradicting Islam, please let me know with evidences, as I am son of Adam, and mistakes are in my nature.

And Allah knows best.

JazakAllah Khairin

A struggling believer
AbuArman Adnan Jumani