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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Shia Rebuts Question 14: Is calling on someone tantamount to worshipping him and to polytheism? What has prompted this question to be posed is the outward meaning of some of the verses of the Qur’an, which seemingly prohibit invoking anyone other than Allah.

"وأن المسجد ببه فلا تدعو مع الله أحداً." “The places of worship belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allah.” [^1] "ولا تجع من دون الله ما لا ينفعك ولا يضّرك." “Nor invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor can do you any harm.” [^2] Referring to such verses, a group of people hold that calling on others and invoking dead sacred figures or righteous people as polytheism and an act of worshipping them.

Reply: In order to make clear the answer to this question, we ought to explain the meaning of the two terms, du‘a’ {supplication} and ‘ibadah {worship}: As a matter of fact, the word “ du‘a ” literally means “calling” and “invoking” while the term “ ‘ibadah ” means “worship”, and these two terms should not be considered synonymous.

That is, the word “call” or “invocation” does not always mean “worship” for the reasons that follow: First: The term “ da‘wah ” (a derivative of du‘a’ ) has been used in some Qur’anic verses but not in the sense of “ ‘ibadah ”. For example: "إني دعوت قومي ليلاً ونهاراً." “He (Nuh) said, ‘My Lord! Indeed I have summoned my people night and day’.” [^3] Can we say that what Nuh (Noah) ( ‘a ) meant is: “I have worshipped my people night and day”?

As such, it cannot be said that da‘wah and ‘ibadah are synonyms, or that to seek help from the Prophet or a righteous person is to worship him; for, da‘wah or nida’ {call} has more general meaning than worship. Second: Du‘a’ in these verses does not absolutely mean invocation; rather, it means a particular call which can be a constituent part of the word “worship”; for, this group of verses are about idol-worshippers who took their idols as gods.

No doubt idol-worshippers’s humility, supplication and imploration were dedicated to the idols they described as possessors of the right of intercession, forgiveness, etc. and recognized as independent possessors of the affairs in this world and the hereafter. It is obvious that under such conditions to turn to these creatures in supplication or request of any kind will be considered as worship and devotion.