BENEFIT 495: Ruling on Acts of Shirk Committed out of Ignorance

Question: If a person dies while committing acts of shirk with Allah, but was unaware that such acts constitute shirk— for example, burning incense at the graves of saints seeking nearness to Allah—is this considered major shirk? Similarly, is hanging charms (tamā’im) or placing salt at the doors considered acts of shirk? And will a person who practiced these things abide eternally in the Hellfire? If such acts were committed out of ignorance, will Allah hold him accountable if he dies without repenting, due to his lack of knowledge? ✅ Answered by Sheikh Abū Yūsuf Najeeb Ash-Shar’abi (may Allāh preserve him If a person dies upon the beliefs of the grave-worshippers—such as directing acts of worship to those buried therein besides Allāh—and was never informed in his lifetime that this is shirk, then the title of Islam does not apply to him in this world. As for his fate in the Hereafter, it rests with Allāh Almighty. He is considered among Ahl Al-fatrah (those who did not receive the message clearly) and will be tested on the Day of Resurrection: he will be commanded to enter the Fire. If he complies, it will be coolness and safety for him; if he refuses, he will be dragged into it, as reported in the ḥadīths of Al-Aswad ibn Sarīʿ and Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with them). If, however, his actions were limited only to burning incense at graves—out of ignorance—believing it to be a means of drawing nearer to Allāh, without directing worship to those within the graves, then he has committed a reprehensible innovation, but he is not deemed a disbeliever by this act alone. As for the issue of amulets: -> If they consist of magical or idolatrous talismans, and the carrier believes in sorcerers, approves of their deeds, and affirms them—then he falls under their ruling. -> If they consist solely of Qur’anic Āyāt, Prophetic supplications, or permissible invocations, this practice remains impermissible for several reasons: • It undermines the proper reverence of one of Allāh’s symbols. Allāh says: “Whoever honours the symbols of Allāh, it is truly from the piety of hearts.” [Al-Ḥajj: 32] • It subjects the Qur'ān to potential disrespect. • It opens the door to hanging prohibited and polytheistic amulets, since many people cannot distinguish between them. As for placing salt at doors in the belief that it repels harm from sorcery, the evil eye, or jinn: -> If one believes that the salt itself repels such harm, this constitutes major shirk, expelling a person from Islam. -> If one believes it is merely a causal means, then this is minor shirk, because he has made something a cause which Allah has not made a cause. However, the use of salt mixed with water over which Qur’anic recitation has been performed—sprinkling it in the house with the intention of ruqyah—carries no objection. Those who commit acts of shirk differ in severity: -> If the shirk is clear and major, and a person dies upon it after the evidence has been established against him, then he is among the people of Hellfire, abiding therein forever—may Allāh protect us. -> If the evidence was not established against him in this world, then he is considered from the Ahl Al-fatrah, as mentioned earlier. -> If the matter relates to unclear practices, and was done out of ignorance, then he is excused. -> And with even greater reason, minor shirk, which does not expel from the fold of Islam, falls under the excuse of ignorance. Source: https://t.me/qweasdzxcmnblkjpoik/5459