Q:There is a man who observes Sawm (fasting), Salah (Prayer) and all the other Pillars of Islam, but in spite of that he calls upon other than Allah, for he beseeches or seeks to draw close to Allah (Tawassul) by means of Awliya’ (pious people) and seeks their help, and believes that they are able to bring benefit and repel harm. Tell us, may Allah reward you with good, do their children who believe in the Oneness of Allah and associate nothing with Him inherit from them? Also, what is the ruling on them?

A: If a person observes Sawm, Salah and all the Pillars of Islam, but seeks the help of the dead, the absent ones, the angels and so on, he is considered a Mushrik (those who associate others with Allah in worship). If he is advised, but he does not accept advice and persists in this behavior until he dies, then he has committed major Shirk that takes him out of the fold of Islam. Such people should not be washed for burial; should not have funeral prayers held for them; should not be buried in Muslim graveyards; forgiveness should not be asked for them; and their monotheist children, parents, or siblings should not inherit from them because they belong to different religions. (Part No. 1; Page No. 108) The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “A Muslim does not inherit from a disbeliever, nor a disbeliever from a Muslim.” Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.