Question to Imām Ibn Bāz (rahimahullāh): We witness in some of the Muslim lands that there are people who make Tawaf of graves out of ignorance. So what is the ruling concerning such people? Is it permissible to apply the term ‘mushrik’ to them?
Answer:
“The ruling concerning the one who supplicates to idols, seeks rescue and aid from them, and the likes of that, then, all praise is for Allah, this is manifest major disbelief (al-kufr al-akbar); except in the case where a person claims that he makes tawāf of the graves intending thereby the worship of Allah, just as one circumambulates the Kaʿbah, thinking that it is permissible to make tawāf around graves. In this case, he did not intend nearness to the occupants of the graves; rather, he intended nearness to Allah alone. So this person is considered an innovator (mubtadiʿ) and not a disbeliever, because tawāf of graves is an evil innovation, just like praying at them. All of that is from the means leading to disbelief.
However, what is predominant among the grave-worshippers is that they seek nearness to the occupants of the graves by making tawāf of them, just as they seek nearness to them by sacrificing for them and making vows to them. All of that is major shirk. Whoever dies upon that has died a disbeliever: he is neither washed, nor prayed over, nor buried in the graveyards of the Muslims. His affair in the Hereafter rests with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. If he was from those to whom the daʿwah [message of Tawheed] did not reach, then he takes the ruling of Ahl al-Fatrah (i.e., equivalent to those who did not receive the message).
That which proves this is what occurred regarding the mother of the Prophet ﷺ. She had not lived to witness the Prophethood and she was upon the religion of her people (the pagans of Quraish). The Prophet ﷺ sought permission from his Lord to seek forgiveness for her, but he was not given permission because she was upon the religion of Jāhiliyyah. Likewise for his father; the Prophet ﷺ said concerning him, when a man asked him about his father: ‘Indeed, my father and your father are in the Fire.’ The Prophet’s father died in the days of Jāhiliyyah upon the religion of his people, so his ruling upon him is that of the disbelievers.
However, the one to whom the da’wah did not reach in this worldly life, and who died ignorant of the truth, will be tested on the Day of Resurrection according to the most correct saying of the people of knowledge. If he is passes the test, he will enter Paradise; and if he disobeys when tested, he will enter the Fire.
And likewise are all the people known as ‘Ahlul-Fatrāt’ to whom the da’wah did not reach, just as Allah, the Most High, said:
وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولً
‘And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger.’ (Al-Isrā’: 15)
As for the one to whom the Qur’ān has reached, or the message of the Messenger ﷺ has reached, yet he does not respond, then the proof has been established against him, just as Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:
وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنْذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَ
‘And this Qur‘ān has been revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomsoever it reaches.’ (Al-An‘ām: 19) Meaning: whoever the Qur’ān reaches has been warned. And He, the Most High, said:
هَذَا بَلَاغٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنْذَرُوا بِهِ
‘This Qur’ān is a clear proclamation for mankind so that they may be warned thereby.’ (Ibrāhīm: 52)
So whoever the Qurʾān reaches and Islām reaches him, then he does not enter into it, he takes the ruling of the disbelievers. And it is authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
والذي نفسي بيده لا يسمع بي أحد من هذه الأمة يهودي ولا نصراني ثم يموت ولم يؤمن بالذي أرسلت به إلا كان من أهل النار
‘By the One in whose Hand is my soul, there is none from this nation, whether Jew or Christian, who hears of me, then dies without believing in that which I was sent with, except that he will be from the people of the Fire.’ Reported by Sahih Muslim. Thus, the Prophet ﷺ made a person’s hearing of his message and mission a proof established against him.
Therefore, what is understood: whoever openly manifests disbelief in the lands of Islām, then his ruling is the ruling of the disbelievers. As for whether he will be saved on the Day of Resurrection or not, then that affair rests with Allah, Glorified and Most High. If he was from those to whom the da’wah did not reach, and he never heard of the mission of the Messenger ﷺ, then he will be tested on the Day of Resurrection. A column of Fire will be sent to him, as has been reported in the hadīth of al-Aswad ibn Saree’, and it will be said to him [on the Day of Resurrection], ‘Enter the Fire.’ If he enters it, it will become cool and safe for him; but if he refuses, the Fire will envelop him and he will enter the Fire. We ask Allah for safety and well-being.
So in summary: whoever the da’wah did not reach, such as those in the remote regions of the world, or those who lived in periods between Messengers, or one to whom the message reached while he was insane and devoid of intellect, or senile and unable to comprehend, then these people and those similar to them are like the children of the polytheists who died while still young before adulthood. The children of the polytheists who did not reach the age of maturity, their affair is entirely with Allah. Allah knows best what they would have done, just as the Prophet ﷺ answered when he was asked concerning them. Allah’s knowledge regarding them will become manifest on the Day of Resurrection through their testing. So, whoever succeeds among them will enter Paradise, and whoever does not succeed will enter the Fire. There is no might nor power except with Allah.”
Majmoo’ Fatāwā Ibn Bāz 1/49 — Abu Khadeejah.
Arabic:
نشاهد في بعض البلاد الإسلامية أن هناك أناسًا يطوفون بالقبور عن جهل.. فما حكم هؤلاء، وهل يطلق على الواحد منهم مشرك؟
ج: حكم من دعا الأصنام واستغاث بها ونحو ذلك بحمد الله ظاهر وهو الكفر الأكبر إلا أن يدعي أنه طاف بالقبور بقصد عبادة الله، كما يطوف بالكعبة يظن أنه يجوز الطواف بالقبور ولم يقصد التقرب بذلك لأصحابها وإنما قصد التقرب إلى الله وحده، فهذا يعتبر مبتدعًا لا كافرا؛ لأن الطواف بالقبور بدعة منكرة، كالصلاة عندها، وكل ذلك من وسائل الكفر، ولكن الغالب على عباد القبور هو التقرب إلى أهلها بالطواف بها، كما يتقربون إليهم بالذبح لهم والنذر لهم، وكل ذلك شرك أكبر، من مات عليه مات كافرا لا يغسل ولا يصلى عليه ولا يدفن في مقابر المسلمين، وأمره إلى الله عز وجل في الآخرة إن كان ممن لم تبلغه الدعوة فله حكم أهل الفترة، ويدل على ذلك: ما جرى لأم النبي ﷺ فإنها ما كانت أدركت النبوة وكانت على دين قومها، واستأذن النبي ﷺ ربه أن يستغفر لها، فلم يؤذن له أن يستغفر لها؛ لأنها كانت على دين الجاهلية، وهكذا أبوه قال عنه ﷺ لما سأله سائل عن أبيه: إن أبي وأباك في النار وأبوه ﷺ مات في الجاهلية على دين قومه فصار حكمه حكم الكفار، لكن من لم تبلغه الدعوة في الدنيا، ومات على جهل بالحق يمتحن يوم القيامة في أصح أقوال أهل العلم فإن نجح دخل الجنة، وإن عصى دخل النار.
وهكذا جميع أهل الفترات الذين لم تبلغهم الدعوة، كما قال تعالى: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا [الإسراء:15].
أما من بلغه القرآن أو بعثة الرسول ﷺ فلم يستجب فقد قامت عليه الحجة، كما قال الله : وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنْذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَ [الأنعام:19] يعني: أن من بلغه القرآن فقد أنذر.
وقال تعالى: هَذَا بَلَاغٌ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنْذَرُوا بِهِ [إبراهيم:52] فمن بلغه القرآن وبلغه الإسلام، ثم لم يدخل فيه فله حكم الكفرة، وقد صح عن النبي ﷺ أنه قال: والذي نفسي بيده لا يسمع بي أحد من هذه الأمة يهودي ولا نصراني ثم يموت ولم يؤمن بالذي أرسلت به إلا كان من أهل النار خرجه مسلم في الصحيح. فجعل سماعه ببعثة النبي ﷺ حجة عليه.
والحاصل: أن من أظهر الكفر في ديار الإسلام حكمه حكم الكفرة، أما كونه يوم القيامة ينجو أو لا ينجو فهذا إلى الله سبحانه وتعالى، إن كان ممن لم تبلغه الدعوة ولم يسمع ببعثة الرسول ﷺ فإنه يمتحن يوم القيامة ويرسل إليه عنق من النار كما جاء في حديث الأسود بن سريع فيقال له: ادخل، فإن دخلها كان عليه بردًا وسلامًا، وإن أبى التف عليه العنق وصار إلى النار نسأل الله السلامة.
فالخلاصة: أن من لم تبلغه الدعوة كالذين في أطراف الدنيا أو في أوقات الفترات، أو كان بلغته وهو مجنون ذاهب العقل، أو هرم لا يعقل فهؤلاء وأشباههم مثل أولاد المشركين الذين ماتوا وهم صغار، فإن أولاد المشركين الذين لم يبلغوا الحلم كلهم أمرهم إلى الله، فالله يعلم بما كانوا عاملين، كما أجاب بذلك النبي ﷺ لمن سأله عنهم، ويظهر علمه فيهم سبحانه يوم القيامة بالامتحان، فمن نجح منهم دخل الجنة، ومن لم ينجح دخل النار، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله