Do not O’ believers ever treat graves as places of guaranteed supernatural intervention - Al Qur'an

The universe was created by One True God, which though inviable, existed to create, manage and make His subjects accountable. While many believed in His existence, many others did not. God sent countless prophets and messengers to make them follow the path He had defined for His subjects. Yet those who did not believe the prophets and messengers continued to worship their deities, mostly made by their own hands.

As for those who heeded to the Divine message and accepted the faith of One True God, many out of them still continue to follow the culture and traditions of their forefathers. They not only worshipped their graves, but also make their graves the focal point of enlightenment. They, though, are unaware that they are inadvertently are committing shirk. This is specially true in countries like India where majority of Muslims had reverted to Islam from idol worshipping. Since they found Islam too simple with no fanfare, they devised ways to add a tinge of entertainment while adding supernatural intervention. 

Let us see what Al Qur'an says about this critical and important deviation from Divine commandments:

The verse in context

In Surah Az-Zukhruf, verse 86 says: “Those whom they call upon beside Him have no power of intercession except that one may testify to the Truth by virtue of knowledge.”

What does this mean?  This verse is addressing a common belief among the pagans of Makkah, and even many reverts: they thought their idols or intermediaries could intercede with Allah on their behalf.

The Qur’an responds with two key points:

• No one has independent power to intercede.
• Any intercession that exists happens only by Allah’s permission, and only for those aligned with truth.

Thus the core idea behind this verse is: You cannot rely on created beings as spiritual shortcuts to Allah.

Explanation of the Verse by Eminent Muslim Scholars

• Ibn Kathir In his Tafsir, Ibn Kathir explains Surah Az-Zukhruf (43:86) by stating that the false deities (idols, angels, or human figures) worshipped alongside Allah have no power to intercede for anyone. Intercession is exclusively permitted for those who bore witness to the truth (Tawhid) consciously and with knowledge. Key Explanations of 43:86 by Ibn Kathir are as under:
• No Universal Intercession: Those worshipped besides Allah, such as angels or prophets, cannot intercede for the disbelievers who call upon them.
• Condition of Intercession: Intercession is limited to those who testify that "there is no god except Allah" (Tawhid) with knowledge and sincerity in their hearts.
• Judgment on False Beliefs: The verse refutes the claim that idols or false gods possess or wordily saints, specially the dead ones, inherent power to intercede for anyone, regardless of their actions.
• Contextual Usage Examples & Synonyms
• Usage Example (Disbelief in Intercession): The verse highlights that the polytheists' reliance on idols for intercession is completely futile and baseless, as these idols will have no authority.
• Usage Example (Submission to Allah): It reinforces that only true followers of monotheism (Tawhid) will benefit from intercession, as stated in the context of the Prophet's message.
• Power of intercession" relates to the authority to mediate with Allah."
• Witness to the truth" denotes those who acknowledge Tawhid.
• Note: For direct viewing of the Tafsir, you can refer to resources like Surah Quran or My Islam. Surah Az-Zukhruf Ayat 86 (43:86 Quran) With Tafsir - My Islam (1) Those whom the people have 
• Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, an eminent Muslim scholar from Pakistan had a fair idea of believers visiting graves and trying their supernatural intervention. His explanation of the verse directs at several meanings:
• (1) Those whom the people have made their deities in the world, will not at all be their intercessors before Allah. Those of them who were wicked, will themselves be presented as culprits there. However, those who had borne witness to the Truth by virtue of knowledge (and not unconsciously) will certainly be able to intercede for others.
• (2) Those who will be permitted to intercede, will be able to do so only for those who had testified to the Truth consciously (and not heedlessly). They will neither intercede of their own will, nor will have the permission to intercede for anyone who had gone and been led astray from the Truth in the world, or had been affirming the faith in Allah as the only Deity unconsciously as well as serving other deities at the same time
• (3) If a person says that those whom he has made gods necessarily possess the powers of intercession, and they wield such an influence with Allah that they can have anyone they like forgiven, irrespective of his beliefs and deeds, is totally wrong. No one enjoys such a position with Allah. If the one who claims that another has such powers of intercession, can testify to the truth of this matter by virtue of knowledge, one should have the courage to say so. But if one is not in a position to bear such a testimony, and one is certainly not, it would be sheer folly to invent such a creed on the basis of mere hearsay, or conjecture, and risk one's life hereafter relying only on an imaginary support.
• Two Important Principles He further explains that Incidentally, this verse also gives two important principles: 
• First, it shows that bearing a testimony to the truth without knowledge may be reliable in the world, but it is not so before Allah. In the world, whoever affirms the Faith verbally will be regarded as a Muslim and treated as such unless he openly commits an act expressly contradictory to belief. But as before Allah only such a one will be counted as a Muslim, who has uttered Lailaha ill-Allah consciously, with full understanding of what he is denying and what he is affirming according to his best knowledge.
• Secondly, it gives this principle of the law of evidence that knowledge is a pre-requisite of bearing the evidence. If the bearer of an evidence has no knowledge of the event to which he is bearing evidence, his evidence is meaningless. The same is borne out by a decision given by the Holy Prophet. He said to a witness: "If you saw what happened with your own eyes as you are seeing the sun, then you may bear the witness, otherwise not." (Ahkam al-Qur an by al Jassas).  "

Applying this to visiting graves or saints

In many Muslim societies, people visit graves of saints hoping for:

• Healing
• رزق (sustenance)
• Solving personal problems

We need to distinguish carefully between what is permissible and what is not:

• ✅ Permissible
• Visiting graves to remember death
• Making du‘ā to Allah at a قبرستان (graveyard)
• Respecting righteous people
• ❌ Problematic (from Qur’anic perspective)
• Asking the dead directly: “O saint, give me a child / solve my problem”
• Believing a saint controls outcomes or hears independently everywhere
• Treating graves as places of guaranteed supernatural intervention

Any ambiguity about ways of worship or redressing one's grievances is made clear in the 86th verse quoted above. That is Those besides Allah do not possess intercession on their own.

What do Hadith say?

Teachings of Muhammad strongly emphasize protecting pure monotheism (Tawḥīd). Some well-known themes from hadith:

• No exaggeration in honoring graves The Prophet warned not to turn graves into places of worship. He criticized earlier communities who took graves of prophets as worship sites.
• Du‘ā is directed to Allah alone A famous teaching: “When you ask, ask Allah; when you seek help, seek help from Allah.”
• Visiting graves is allowed—but for reflection He permitted grave visits to remind people of the Hereafter, not to seek favors from the dead.

A very pertinent example of asking the pious who are alive rather than those who are not After the Prophet’s death, the companions did not ask the Prophet directly. by visiting his grave. Rather on one occasion when there was drought in Makkah, Umar ibn al-Khattab, the caliph of the time, after the Prophet’s passing, ʿUmar said:

“O Allah, we used to ask our Prophet to supplicate to You for rain, and You would bless us with rain. Now we ask the uncle of our Prophet to supplicate to You, so grant us rain.”

Then he asked Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib to make duʿā’, and rain came. That clearly shows that after the Prophet’s death, the companions did not ask the Prophet directly. Instead, they asked a living righteous person (al-ʿAbbas) to make duʿā’ for them. This is often cited in discussions about tawassul (seeking means of closeness to God).

Why this issue persists today

The verses (43:33–35 and 43:86) connect here:

• Humans tend to seek tangible intermediaries
• Cultural traditions mix with religion
• Emotional needs (grief, desperation) lead people to visible figures (saints, shrines)

It’s less about rebellion and more about misplaced dependence

How to avoid “worldly deities” in practice

Not by harsh judgment, but by re-centering belief:

• Clarify intention Ask yourself: (1) Am I asking Allah directly?, (2) Or relying on someone/something else as a power?
• Understand الوسيلة (means) correctly
• Islam allows Asking a living person to make du‘ā for you
• But not Assigning divine-like powers to any human
• Strengthen direct connection with Allah
• Make du‘ā regularly yourself
• Learn His names and attributes
• Build reliance (tawakkul) without intermediaries
• Educate gently, not confrontationally In many places, practices are cultural. Reform works better through: Teaching,  patience and clarity, not condemnation

Bottom line

Verse 43:86 is a direct reminder: No created being—alive or dead—has independent authority to grant your needs or intercede. It redirects all dependence to Allah alone, while still allowing respect for righteous people—but without elevating them to a role that belongs only to God.

Those who revere saints, specially the dead ones. may find this post difficult to digest as their ancestors have hammered such misguided beliefs in them and they find difficult to find a way out. for such weak believers, the examples of reverts of the western world should be an eye opener who have read and understood Islam and depending and having faith on Allah alone without any intermediaries. Unless the born Muslims read AL Qur'an and its translation from unbiased and neutral resources, they are bound to remain misguided and will continue to commit shirk, though unknowingly and inadvertently.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

This verse is part of Selected Verses from Sürah (43) Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of Gold / luxury)  already published.

You may also refer to our exclusive reference pages: 

• Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
• Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
• Selected Verses from the Qur'an. 

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing. The purpose of this post is to create awareness about who to worship and how to avoid chances of being led to shirk. It does not in any way condemn or refute the beliefs of those who think otherwise.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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When greeted upon, greet back in a better worded greeting

Whenever two persons meet, they always greet each other with some form of verbal or bodily gestures. The act of greeting has been in vogue since ages, perhaps since the dawn of mankind in the world. The form of greeting differ from culture to culture both in form and social intimacy. Generally the gestural greetings include a handshake, a salutation by waving hands. The verbal greetings are normally restricted from saying a hello to good mornings (or to be replaced by the time of the day) or good bye when parting.

When it comes to Muslims, same-sex people do not greet each other the same as do opposite sex. While same-sex people (men or women) will shake hands, kiss on the cheek and even hug multiple times, a man and woman greeting each other in public will not go further than bowing a little with right hand on the chest or at best a handshake.  

As for the verbal greetings, the Arabic greetings: As-salamu alaykum ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ (peace be upon you) is more comprehensive form of salutation than a mere hello or good morning, whereby a Muslim prays for the peace of his Muslim brother or sister. This salutation is often returned with Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ - that is'and peace be upon you'. 

This has been customer since the advent of Islam and Muslims even today, whether they know Arabic or not, use these salutations worldwide. This practice is in line with the verse 86 of Surah 4. An Nisa (The Women) as quoted herein under:

وَاِذَا حُيِّيۡتُمۡ بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوۡا بِاَحۡسَنَ مِنۡهَاۤ اَوۡ رُدُّوۡهَا​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ حَسِيۡبًا‏ 

(4:86) When you are greeted with a salutation then return it with a better one, or at least the same.114 Surely Allah takes good count of everything.

As mentioned before, the salutation came into being for Muslims to be courteous not only to each other but also to the non Muslims as well as a gesture of goodwill. The Muslims were specially exhorted to be very civil and polite to the non-Muslims because at that time their relations were strained on account of the conflict between them. In that state of tension, they were forewarned to be on their guard against incivility and impoliteness. They were, therefore, taught to be equally civil and polite to them when they greeted them respectfully. Nay, they should be even more civil and polite than their opponents.

Harsh behavior and harsh words do no good to anyone but they are specially unsuited to the work of those missionaries of Allah's Message, who have dedicated themselves to one day invite the world to the Truth and exerted themselves to reform the ways of the people. Such ill behavior may satisfy one's vanity, but it does great harm to one's mission.

However, readers may notice that while the believers are instructed to return the salutations in the same words as greeted upon, they are encouraged to use better words for a return greeting rather than a custom made reply. Generally the salutation is returned back with Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuh  وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ - that is ' And peace be upon you, as well as the mercy of God and his blessings'.

The addition to the return greetings could be composed by the one being greeted in a manner to add more blessings for the one who initiated the greetings.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, an eminent Muslim scholar of the timeexplains: The actual words are: وَاِذَا حُيِّيْتُمْ بِتَحِيَّةٍ. The real meaning of حَيَّاهُ تَحِيَّةٍ is to pray for someone’s life. The supplicative expression حَيَّاكَ اللّٰهُ originates from them. It means: “May God prolong your life.” Since the word salām and other supplicative words of similar meaning have this connotation or are close to it, they are included in the general meaning of تَحِيَّة. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 2, 356)

Thus all Muslims must make it a habit to reciprocate a salutation of greeting with a better worded response so as to show one's willingness to be at peace with his greeter. In face such greetings should be more profusely be used when interacting with the non Muslims for it gives away the intrinsic message of peace to everyone. If such gestures are made to promote peace both within and without with a whole hearted approach, we may be able to add our share for promotion of peace and well being of the mankind.

Eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explains the above quoted verses as under:

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the  Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible to make you accept it forcibly, And if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, You will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so  that they are able to discuss issues with Non Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages: Understanding Al Qur'an and Important DOs and DON'Ts from Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Prayer of Prophet Yaqoob (Jacob, AS)

The patience and unflinching faith and trust in Allah of Prophet Yaqoob (Jacob, may peace be upon him) [Yaqub ibn Ishaaq ibn Ibrahim (Arabic: يَعْقُوب ابْنُ إِسْحَٰق ابْنُ إِبْرَاهِيم, literally: "Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham"] is unparallel in the history of prophets. He lived all his life in grief on the loss of his beloved son Prophet Yusuf (Josef, may peace be upon him) till his eyes became blind by continuous crying. Yet he never lost his faith in Allah and was confident of Allah's mercy and knew one day he would be united with him.

His sons, who had in fact thrown their half brother Yusuf in a well and came telling their father that he has been eaten away by a wolf, would often tell him: "By Allah! You will continue to remember Joseph until you will either consume yourself with grief, or will die."

To this the ever patient and faithful father replied ( as it appears in 86th verse of Surah 12. Yusuf):

قَالَ اِنَّمَاۤ اَشۡكُوۡا بَثِّـىۡ وَحُزۡنِىۡۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ وَاَعۡلَمُ مِنَ اللّٰهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ 

(12:86) He said: "I will address my sorrow and grief only to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know.

This only is befitting for a true believer. He expresses his sorrow and grief before God alone because all his hopes are pinned on Him and he knows that these pleadings will finally stir the mercy of God.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

Namely, that "judgment as to what is to happen rests with none but God", and that "all who have trust [in His existence] must place their trust in Him alone" (verse {67}): the twin ideas which underlie the whole of this surah, and which Jacob now seeks to impress upon his sons. In addition to this, his remembrance of Joseph's prophetic dream (verse {4}) and his own conviction at the time that his beloved son would be elected by God for His special grace (verse {6}), fills Jacob with renewed hope that Joseph is still alive (Razi and Ibn Kathir): and this explains the directives which he gives his sons in the next sentence.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

Jacob's plaint to Allah is about himself, not about Allah's doings. He bewails the distraction of his mind and his occasional breaking out of those bounds of patience which he had set for himself.

He knew of Allah's merciful and beneficent dealings with man in a way his shallow sons did not. And his perfect faith in Allah also told him that all would be well. He never gave up hope for Joseph, as his directions in the next verse show. They may be supposed to have been spoken after a little silence of grief and thought. That silence I have indicated in punctuation by three dots.

Qur'an Wiki:

This is indeed a cruel thing to say (the assertion of his sons to forget Yusuf). They are reproaching him for remembering Joseph and feeling sadness at his loss. They tell him that if he continues in such a state, his sorrow will soon deprive him of all his strength or he will die in despair. Joseph is certain not to return.

 

Their father tells them to leave him alone, because he is only pinning his hopes in his  Lord.  He  makes  no  complaint  to  anyone.  His  relationship  with  his  Lord  is different from theirs, and he knows of Him what they do not know: “It is only to God that I complain and express my grief. For I know of God what you do not know.” (Verse 86) These words describe in a most vivid way the true feelings of a firm believer concerning the truth of the Godhead. That truth itself is also brought up here in sharp relief.

Listen to short explanation of this verse from eminent Muslim scholar and exegesis Nauman Ali Khan:

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah help us follow the footsteps of His beloved prophets and help us instill in us that highest degree of faith and patience when we are being tested and are passing through hard times. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Read detailed background in Part IV of exegesis of Surah Yusuf.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More