IS ISTIGHATHA SHIRK? WHY?

[Taqavi]

Is Istighatha (Seeking Help) Shirk? Why?

 

Seeking help (Istighatha: asking for assistance during sorrow, grief, pain, and hardship[1]) from the Saints of Allah, Prophets, and Imams (AS) is not considered Shirk. The nature of this act is "turning to intermediaries authorized by Allah," not worshipping them as independent entities. The main reasons for this are:

1. Emphasis in the Quran on "Allah’s Permission":

The Holy Quran explicitly states that the miracles and extraordinary deeds of chosen servants occur only "BY ALLAH’S PERMISSION" (B'IZNILLAH). For example, Jesus (AS) healed the blind and lepers and resurrected the dead, yet he explicitly clarified that he performed these acts by Allah’s permission. [2]

This qualifier indicates that the ultimate effective power belongs to Allah alone, and the Saints are merely channels of grace and instruments for the realization of divine will. Therefore, when we ask of them in this manner ("by Allah’s permission"), we have, in fact, affirmed Monotheism. [3]

2. The Quranic and Historical Pattern:

In the Quran itself, seeking help and intercession from righteous servants is considered a natural and legitimate act. A prominent example is the request of Joseph’s (AS) brothers from their father Jacob (AS), using the phrase "O our father, ask forgiveness for us".[4]

This verse demonstrates that seeking spiritual aid and intercession from pious humans is not only not Shirk, but is also accepted within the religion of Islam.

Additionally, narrations such as the request for healing from the Holy Prophet (SAW) by a blind person indicate the legitimacy of this act in religious sources. [5]

3. Correct Understanding of the Unity of Actions and the System of Causes:

Monotheism is not limited to the Unity of Allah’s Essence; it also includes "Unity in Lordship and Creativity," meaning there is no effective agent in the universe except by Allah’s allowance. [6] Allah has created the world such that matters are realized through "causes" (intermediaries). Just as the growth of a plant depends on sunlight and rain (but they are not the creators of the plant, rather they are causes), in spiritual matters, forgiveness and salvation require causes such as repentance, righteous deeds, and the intercession of Allah’s Saints. Intercession is a form of "legislative causality" for salvation, which does not contradict Monotheism, as both are realized by Allah’s permission. [7]

The main challenge in the discussion of Istighatha (seeking help) is the confusion between the "Causer of Causes" and the "causes." Critics of Istighatha assume that any attention to other than Allah amounts to ignoring Allah’s power. However, in a profound theological view, the universe is a system that Allah has willed to be managed through causes (material or spiritual). [8]

4. Trustworthy Power and Obedience to the Divine Command:

Imam Ali (AS), in response to a question regarding the independence of human power, stated that human power and ability are a divine trust that Allah grants to or withdraws from His servants. [9] The Saints of Allah are also executors and trustees of these trusts. Thus, their intercession is a manifestation of obedience to the Divine Command and a utilization of the capacity Allah has established for them.

5. The Doctrinal Boundary Between Istighatha and Shirk:

The fine line between Shirk and Istighatha lies in the "worldview" and "inner belief" of the person seeking help. This boundary is drawn based on two different assumptions:

Shirk-like State (Attributing Independence):

If a person seeks help from a Prophet or a Saint of Allah while believing that said revered personality possesses power that is "intrinsic," "independent," and "parallel to Allah," capable of altering destiny without Allah’s permission, this act is Shirk. This perspective is the very essence of pre-Islamic Shirk, which regarded idols as partners of Allah and attributed independent efficacy to other than Allah.

Monotheistic State (Proximity and Obedience):

In this assumption, which is the main viewpoint of the School of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), Istighatha means turning to "causes of proximity." In this view, the Saint of Allah is like a mirror that reflects Allah’s light. Just as we need oxygen and water (material causes) to survive, while simultaneously acknowledging Allah as the "Giver of Life," in spiritual matters, we seek refuge in those to whom Allah has granted a special status. This means we do not attribute "power parallel to Allah" to that intermediary; rather, we attribute "power within the continuum of Allah’s power" to them. In other words, seeking help from the Saints is seeking help from Allah’s Will, which has crystallized in their beings. [10]

Conclusion:

Therefore, the doctrinal boundary between the two lies in the "intention and inner belief." If Istighatha is performed with the intention of "attributing independence" to other than Allah, it is an exit from the circle of Monotheism. However, if Istighatha is a request for mediation from someone whom Allah has made "beloved and close," it is not only not Shirk, but it represents the highest degrees of belief in the world’s Lordly system; [11] because the one seeking help, through this act, confesses that Allah manages the world based on a system in which certain servants hold a special position for intercession and support. In reality, seeking help through intermediaries is an honor to the very system that Allah Himself has delineated.

 

 

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[1] . Istighatha and its Jurisprudential Status, Qadari, Mohammad-Taher, p. 21.

[2] . Aal-E-Imran: 49 «وَ أُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَ الْأَبْرَصَ وَ أُحْيِ الْمَوْتى‌ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ »

[3] . Wahhabism at a Crossroad, Makarim Shirazi, Naser, p. 89.

[4] . Yusuf: 97 «یا أَبانا اسْتَغْفِرْ لَنا»

[5] . Musnad Ahmad, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 28, p. 480.

[6] . Al-Hikmah al-Muta'aliyah fi al-Asfar al-Aqliyyah al-Arba'ah, Mulla Sadra, Vol. 2, p. 216 « قد اشتهر من الفلاسفة الأقدمين أن المؤثر في الوجود مطلقا هو الواجب تعالى و الفيض كله من عنده...».

[7] . Payam-e-Quran (Message of the Quran), Makarim Shirazi, Naser, Vol. 6, p. 408.

[8] . Sharh al-Kafi, Mazandarani, Mulla Salih, Vol. 5, p. 168 « أبى اللّه أن يجري الأشياء إلّا بأسباب...».

[9] . Bihar al-Anwar, Allamah Majlisi, Vol. 5, p. 75.

[10] . Sharh Dua al-Sahar, Khomeini, Sayyid Ruhollah, p. 104 «و هو الأول و الآخر و الظاهر و الباطن، كذلك الأفعال و الحركات و التأثيرات كلها منه في مظاهر الخلق. فالحق فاعل بفعل العبد و قوةُ العبد ظهور قوة الحق».

[11] . Tawassul: Monotheism or Shirk?, Makarim Shirazi, Naser, p. 13.