[GeorgeEckland]

As Salamu Alaykum

To accuse traditional Sunnis of grave worship is basically making takfir of us. I'm sure you heard the hadith of calling a Muslim a kafir, so If I were you I would watch what I say. Yusuf Estes is a Salafi so his videos are irrelevant.

See what I mean, bro Sunni from Iraq?

First of all, theres a difference between تكفير العين takfir al ain , and takfir al naw' تكفير النوع . Thats why in the first video it mentions Sheikh Muhammad Ibn AbdulWahab, not making takfeer ain on anyone of those who do tawaf around graves even and worshipping them, although the action is kufr, they arent automatically considered kafir. Because takfir is a very dangerous serious issue. Conditions have to be met, and nullifiers must be non existant. يجب ان تتحقق شروط وتنتفي الموانع and this isnt for any layman to decide, and should be left for Sheikhs with knowledge of Islam who understand how serious it is.

Making dua to the dead as being in the Middle between a person and Allah, isnt "traditional Sunni Islam".

In Saheeh Al Bukhari "Narrated Anas:

Whenever drought threatened them, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-Abbas bin 'Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, "O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah ! Bless us with rain." And so it would rain. "

ويعبدون من دول الله ما لا يضرهم ولا ينفعهم ويقولون "هؤلاء شفعاؤنا عند الله" They worship besides Allah what doesnt not harm them or benefit them and say "these are our intercessors with Allah".

also in another verse وما نعبدهم الا ليقربونا الى الله زلفى so they didnt really say they were creators.

Also { وَقالُوا لا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلا سُواعاً وَلا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْراً (23) وَقَدْ أَضَلُّوا كَثِيراً وَلا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلاَّ ضَلالاً (24)

71:23 And said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr.

What are these names? Wadd Suwa etc? They were good people, and they later on became worshipped after their death.

Building on graves and worshipping them isnt limited to Shias, many others who claim to be Sunnis do the same.

'A'isha reported: Umm Habiba and Umm Salama made a mention before the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) of a church which they had seen in Abyssinia and which had pictures in it. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When a pious person amongst them (among the religious groups) dies they build a place of worship on his grave, and then decorate it with such pictures. They would be the worst of creatures on the Day of judgment in the sight of Allah.

Sound familiar?

Whats ironic, is many who build on graves and worship them and call on Ali raa for help, forget this hadeeth.

Abu'l-Hayyaj al-Asadi told that 'Ali (b. Abu Talib) said to him: Should I not send you on the same mission as Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent me? Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without levelling It.

) حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ ، أَنَّ عَلِيًّا ، قَالَ لِأَبِي الْهَيَّاجِ الْأَسَدِيّ : أَبْعَثُكَ عَلَى مَا بَعَثَنِي بِهِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، " أَنْ لَا تَدَعَ قَبْرًا مُشْرِفًا إِلَّا سَوَّيْتَهُ ، وَلَا تِمْثَالًا إِلَّا طَمَسْتَهُ "

You will find some saying "I am Sunni! Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanafi, Hanbali! yet does similar things. None of the four Imams endorsed such practiced, and they were all against them.

For more see ahlalhdeeth dot com /vbe/


Second, and more important, saying Ya Ali madad, Ya Hussain Madad, Ya Jilani Madad, Ya badawi help cure my wife etc, has nothing to do with "traditional Sunnis". If nobody does that, nobody will say anything.

However, if the ones in the video called "Ya Jilani" or "Ya *put name here*" instead of Hussain, it wouldnt make it "traditional Sunni", more like traditional act of shirk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-jsrfCjkzg


Same thing with some who who claim to be "traditional Sunnis" yet make sujood to their sheikhs, saying this is respect, and not worship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk_vS5qn32A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoB8I...eature=related


Resorting to name-calling for rejection of such actions is certainly not Islamic. Sheikh Muhammad Ibn AbdulWahab didnt bring this as a new thing, it has always been wrong even before he was born.

Even those with Ash'ari Aqeedah عقيدة الاشاعرة and disagree with us on issues of Tawheed of the attributes of Allah توحيد الاسماء والصفات , do not claim that the sheikh brought this.

Sujood to sheikhs, making dua to pious people instead of going directly to Allah, are actions that are hard to defend. So deragetory name-calling becomes the way some approach the issue.

You sound young, and masha'Allah left Shiasm. So I think your Fitrah will clearly make "why such things are wrong" very clear, insha'Allah. May Allah bless you and give us all guidence.