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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Beseeching For Help (istighathah) Chapter 4: Smoothing out the Wrinkles Though beseeching the prophets, the saints and the martyrs for help and assistance is quite appropriate and is proved both by Qur’ān and the sunnah , some of its denigrators have castigated it as an act of disbelief on the basis of self-concocted reasons.

In this chapter we propose to review these objections one by one and rebut them on the basis of proofs furnished by the Qur’ān and the traditions. First objection: Appeal for help is in itself an act of worship In order to declare appeal for help to someone other than Allāh as a form of disbelief, they, first of all, identify it with worship. Since it is an act of disbelief to worship anyone except Allāh, therefore, to appeal to someone except Allāh for help and assistance is a kind of disbelief.

They put forward a battery of arguments to prove their contention: Rather, who is the one who grants the supplication of a person in distress when he calls Him and relieves the trouble?[1] And those whom these (polytheists) worship besides Allāh can create nothing and have themselves been created. (They) are dead, lifeless, and they do not know (even this much) as when (people) will be raised up. [2] And those you invoke besides Him, their power is even lesser than the skin of a date-stone.

Even if you invoke them, they will not be able to listen to your call, and if (as a supposition) they do listen, they cannot answer your call and on the Day of Judgement they will deny your partnership, and will not tell you any news like the One Who is acquainted with all things. [3] And who is more astray than the one who invokes, besides God, such (gods) as will not answer him to the Day of Judgement and who in fact are unconscious of their call.

[4] That (person) calls on such deities, besides God, as can neither hurt nor profit him.[5] Nor worship besides Allāh any (idols): such will neither profit you nor hurt you. Then if you did so, you will certainly be among those who do wrong. And if God hurts you, there is none except Him who can remove it.[6] He worships him whose hurt is nearer than his profit.[7] They rely on these Qur’ānic verses and assert that anyone who invokes any other person besides Allāh should be condemned.

They argue on this basis that invoking help and seeking assistance is reserved only for Allāh. Therefore, any appeal for help to anyone else besides him is a form of disbelief.