The Mushrikeen fought by the Prophet (peace be upon him) also acknowledged Allah's sole power and Lordship. They too claimed to seek intercession, not direct worship of the intermediaries.

The verses condemn anyone who takes as an intermediary, like angels and righteous people. The Quran condemns those who worshiped Jesus and Mary (peace be upon them):

Worship includes any act of devotion directed to other than Allah, such as prayer, sacrifice, and supplication. If you supplicate to a prophet or saint, you are directing worship to them.

We don't deny the Prophet's intercession. We affirm it, but all intercession belongs to Allah and requires His permission.

Since Allah only permits intercession for those upon Tawhid, the correct way is to ask Allah directly for the Prophet's intercession: "O Allah, do not deprive us of Muhammad's intercession."

Allah gave him the privilege, but He also forbade us from asking anyone besides Him:

Angels and others were also granted intercession. Do you ask them too? If not, your argument for asking the Prophet (peace be upon him) is invalid.

The pre-Islamic Arabs didn't believe the idols themselves created or provided. They sought closeness to Allah through them. This is exactly what modern associationists do with graves and saints.

Shirk is any devotion directed to other than Allah, whether to idols, angels, or righteous people. This is the same shirk the Quran condemned and the Prophet (peace be upon him) fought.

The scholars unanimously agree that disbelieving in any part of the Prophet's message is Kufr (disbelief), even if one believes in other parts. Rejecting Salat, Zakat, fasting, or the Resurrection is Kufr. Tawhid is the *most important* aspect of the message; compromising it is worse than rejecting these other obligations.

The Companions fought Banu Hanifah, who professed Islam, recited the Adhan, and prayed, but also claimed Musaylimah was a prophet. Raising anyone to a divine level, even a prophet or a companion, is Shirk.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) burned those who exaggerated their faith in him. The Companions unanimously agreed to destroy them. Belief in a created being as divine is worse than belief in a false prophet.

Similarly, the scholars unanimously declared the Fatimids (Banu 'Ubayd al Qaddah) as heretics, even though they claimed to be Muslim, prayed, and fasted. They deviated from the Shari'ah in lesser matters than Tawhid, yet were declared disbelievers.

Even a seemingly minor word of disbelief, spoken in jest, can render someone a disbeliever:

It's true they didn't act on their requests. But the *requests themselves* were Shirk. These incidents teach us that even knowledgeable Muslims can fall into Shirk inadvertently. We must be cautious and not be arrogant about our understanding of Tawhid.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also fought the Jews and made bondsmen of them, despite their saying "There is no God but Allah." The Companions fought Banu Hanifah, who also professed this. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) burned those who claimed to be Muslims but exaggerated their faith in him.

The Usamah incident teaches that we must pause and investigate if someone outwardly professes Islam, to ensure their sincerity. It doesn't mean we can never fight those who claim to be Muslim.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself said he would kill the Khawarij (schismatics), even though they were extremely pious. This shows that outward piety doesn't protect from punishment if one deviates from the Shari'ah.

Asking someone to intercede in matters they can influence is not forbidden. This is like asking a friend for help. What is forbidden is asking for intercession at graves, or in matters only Allah controls.

Asking the prophets on the Day of Judgment to ask Allah is legitimate *because it's within their granted capacity*. The Companions asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to pray for them during his life, but never at his grave. Asking the dead for anything only Allah can provide is Shirk.

Jibril offered help in something he was capable of doing, by Allah's permission. This is like a rich person offering help to a poor person. It's not the same as seeking intercession in matters of worship, which belongs only to Allah.

Knowledge of the unseen (Al-Ghaib) belongs exclusively to Allah. No created being, no matter how righteous, possesses complete knowledge of the unseen. Asking them for such knowledge is attributing a divine attribute to them, which is Shirk.

While respecting the righteous is commendable, there's a clear distinction between permissible respect and acts of worship. Actions like prostrating to graves, circumambulating them, making vows to the deceased, or sacrificing animals *in their name* are acts of worship that should only be directed to Allah. Turning a grave into a place of worship, beyond simple visitation and dua for the deceased, crosses the line into Shirk.

While seeking permissible means (waseelah) is allowed in Islam (e.g., making dua, doing good deeds), using created beings as intermediaries *in the sense of believing they have the power to convey prayers or influence Allah's decision* is Shirk. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing, and closer to us than our jugular vein. He doesn't need intermediaries to hear our prayers.

Tradition and culture, while valuable, must always be subordinate to the Quran and Sunnah. If a practice contradicts the clear teachings of Islam, it must be abandoned, regardless of how long it has been practiced. The pre-Islamic Arabs also had traditions of Shirk, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to correct.

While good intentions are important, they don't negate the inherent Shirk in an action. If the *action itself* is an act of worship directed to other than Allah, it is Shirk, regardless of intention. Ignorance can be an excuse in some cases, but it doesn't change the objective reality of the act.

While Allah can grant miracles (karamat) to His righteous servants, these miracles do not justify directing worship to them. Miracles are from Allah, not from the saint themselves. Furthermore, what appears to be a "miracle" might be deception (istidraj) from Shaytan, especially if it occurs in a context of Shirk. We must evaluate events according to the Quran and Sunnah, not use perceived miracles to justify impermissible actions.

While respecting and learning from scholars is important, blind following (taqlid) without verifying their teachings against the Quran and Sunnah is dangerous. Scholars are human and can make mistakes. Our ultimate allegiance is to Allah and His Messenger, not to any individual or group. We are responsible for our own beliefs and actions.

The analogy of a ladder is flawed. Allah is not distant or inaccessible like a high place. He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing, and closer to us than our own jugular vein. The permissible Wasila in Islam is through one's own good deeds, making dua, and asking Allah by His beautiful names and attributes, not through believing that a deceased person has inherent power to convey prayers or influence Allah's decision.

Visiting graves to remember the afterlife and to make dua for the deceased is permissible and encouraged in Islam. However, the problem arises when the visit turns into acts of worship directed towards the deceased or the grave itself. This includes prostrating, circumambulating, making vows to the deceased, sacrificing animals *in their name*, or believing the place itself has inherent blessings independent of Allah.

The number of people practicing something, or their perceived piety, doesn't automatically make it correct. Truth is determined by the Quran and Sunnah, not by popularity or the actions of individuals. Throughout history, many people have engaged in Shirk, even those who considered themselves religious. The majority is not always on the right path.

True love and devotion to Allah are expressed by following His commands and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace be upon him), not by inventing new practices that contradict the principles of Tawhid. The best way to get closer to Allah is through sincere worship, obedience, and following the path He has prescribed.

While the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the righteous possess barakah, this barakah comes from Allah and is not a license to direct worship towards them. Seeking barakah should be done in permissible ways, such as following the Prophet's Sunnah, making dua to Allah, and performing good deeds. It does not involve seeking blessings from created beings in a way that attributes divine power to them.

There are different types of tawassul, some permissible and some impermissible. Making tawassul through one's own good deeds, through Allah's names and attributes, or by asking a living, righteous person to make dua for you is permissible. However, making tawassul through the jah (status) of the deceased, believing that their status alone guarantees the acceptance of prayers or that they can intercede independently of Allah's permission, is not permissible. The crucial point is that Allah is the only one who can grant requests, and He hears all prayers directly.

Intercession (*shafa'ah*) in the Quran is of two types: permissible and impermissible. The permissible intercession is that which occurs on the Day of Judgment *with Allah's permission* and for those whom He pleases. It is not something that can be demanded or assumed. The impermissible intercession is seeking intercession from created beings in matters that only Allah controls, or believing they have the independent ability to intercede.

While Allah loves His righteous servants (awliya), this does not mean they become intermediaries in worship or possess divine attributes. Love for the awliya should be expressed by following their example of righteousness and obedience to Allah, not by directing worship to them or believing they have power independent of Allah.

True spirituality and closeness to Allah come through sincere worship, obedience to His commands, following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and striving to purify one's heart and actions. Practices that contradict the clear teachings of Islam, even if they feel spiritual, can actually distance a person from Allah.

The line between honoring and worshipping can be very thin. If the acts of "honoring" involve prostration, circumambulation, vows, sacrifices, or supplications directed to the deceased, then it has crossed the line into worship. Honoring the righteous should be done within the boundaries set by the Quran and Sunnah, which clearly prohibit any form of worship directed to other than Allah.

Perceived positive results or "blessings" are not a reliable measure of the validity of a religious practice. Allah may test people with istidraj (giving them apparent blessings while they are on the wrong path) as a trial. True blessings are those that are in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah and lead to increased obedience to Allah.

No tariqa or mazhab can override the clear commands of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace be upon him). If a practice contradicts Tawhid, it is invalid, regardless of which tariqa or mazhab it is attributed to. True adherence to a tariqa or mazhab should be based on its conformity to the Quran and Sunnah, not on blind following.