Aslam

Praise be to Allah.This is a great evil and a reprehensible bid’ah (innovation)

which should be avoided. It is not permissible to take part in it or

to eat the food that is offered on these occasions, because the Messenger

of Allaah (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with

them) of the Ahl al-Bayt and others did not do that. The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates

something in this matter of ours (Islam) which is not part of it will

have it rejected” (saheeh, agreed upon). And he

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action

that is not a part of this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected”

(narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh,

and narrated by al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his Saheeh,

mu’allaq majzoom). And

there are many ahaadeeth with similar meanings.

With regard to seeking the help of the dead and the

Ahl al-Bayt, this is a form of major shirk, according to the consensus

of the scholars, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And

whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allaah, any other ilaah (god),

of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely,

Al‑Kaafiroon (the disbelievers in Allaah and in the Oneness of

Allaah, polytheists, pagans, idolaters) will not be successful”[al-Mu’minoon

23:117]

“And the mosques are for Allaah

(Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allaah”[al-Jinn 72:18]

“And who is more astray than one who calls

on (invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the Day

of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations)

to them?

And

when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false

deities) will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping

[al-Ahqaaf 46:5-6]

“He

merges the night into the day (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the

night is added to the hours of the day), and He merges the day into

the night (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the day is added to the

hours of the night). And He has subjected the sun and the moon, each

runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allaah, your Lord; His

is the kingdom. And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him,

own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone).

If you invoke (or call upon) them,

they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could

not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection,

they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad)

like Him Who is the All‑Knower (of everything)[Faatir 35:13-14]

And there are many aayaat with similar meanings.

The Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ (supplication) is

a form of worship.” (Narrated by the four authors of Sunan

with a saheeh isnaad). And Muslim narrated in his Saheeh,

from Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with

him) that the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “He is cursed who offers sacrifices

to anyone other than Allaah.”

What

is obligatory upon all of the Shi’ah and on everyone else is to worship

Allaah alone in sincerity, and to beware of calling upon anyone other

than Allaah for help, or of praying to the dead or absent, whether they

are from the Ahl al-Bayt or otherwise.

It is also obligatory to avoid praying to or seeking the

help of inanimate objects such as idols, stars, etc., on the basis of

the same shar’i evidence (daleel) that we have mentioned above.

The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, of the Sahaabah

and others, are unanimously agreed upon this matter.

Secondly: what is the ruling on the sacrifices which are

offered in those places on these occasions? What is the ruling on the

drinks that are distributed in the streets and to the general public?

The answer to this question is the same as the answer to

the first question, which is that it is a reprehensible bid’ah and it

is not permissible to take part in it, or to eat the meat of these sacrifices,

or to drink any of these drinks. If the sacrifices have been made to

anyone other than Allaah, from among the Ahl al-Bayt or anyone else,

this is major shirk, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say

(O Muhammad): ‘Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living,

and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn

and all that exists).

He has no partner. And of this

I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims’”

[al-An’aam 6:162-163]

“Verily, We

have granted you (O Muhammad) Al‑Kawthar (a river in Paradise).

Therefore turn in prayer to your

Lord and sacrifice (to Him only).

[al-Kawthar 108:1-2]

And there are many aayaat and ahaadeeth with similar meanings.

We

ask Allaah to help us and you and all the Muslims to do all that He

loves and is pleasing to Him, and to grant us and you and all of our

brothers refuge from misleading temptations, for He is Ever Near and

Ready to respond.