Q1) Is it shirk to believe that any ghayr-Allah has the power to fulfill any desire or need of everyone at anytime from anywhere without any means? And afterwards one just says that “I believe the real doer is Allah”.
Q2) Is it shirk to believe that ghayr-Allah can give children or cause rain or take and give life or give/stop rizq of everyone from anywhere at anytime without any means if he wills too? And afterwards one just says that “I believe the real doer is Allah”.
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah
1. At its core we believe that nothing can happen without the tawfeeq (enablement) from Allah. To believe that any Makhluq (creation) has an inherent ability to fulfil someone’s desire or need is associating a partner with Allah.
That being said, Allah still establishes a system in place. Your question does not address these details, so I will suffice by saying that those actions which Allah enables for creation to fulfil are attributed to the creation by way of physical actions. However, the inherent enablement is still from Allah Ta’ala
- A mother gives birth to a child, but the enablement towards birthing a child is from none other but Allah.
- One takes a Tylenol for the headache and the pain goes away. Tylonol was the means Allah used to relieve the pain. So, we will not say that Tylonol is the force behind relieving the pain, that will be Allah.
Similarly, asking or making du’a to non-Allah, the way we make du’a to Allah is absolutely haram. This includes making direct du’a to the pious Awliya.
“And do not invoke, other than Allah, what neither benefits you nor harms you, for, if you do so, then you will surely be one of the unjust.” (Sura Yunus:106)
In essence there are matters which are only sought from Allah. (Forgiveness, Acceptance, Jannah, Jahannam etc.)
And then there are those matters which can be asked from creation (cook food, work for you, sell you items etc). However, even in such needs, Nabi ﷺ has inculcated that our sight should be upon Allah and then Allah provides a means for them.
2. As mentioned above, none has the power to do anything except Allah. Hence beseeching someone or calling someone with belief that they have a power to give children is shirk (associating them with Allah).
Surely, it is Allah with whom rests the knowledge of the Hour; and He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No one knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no one knows in which land he will die. Surely, Allah is All Knowing, All Aware. (Surah Luqman : 34)
In order to get something from Allah, one needs to call upon Allah (Isti’ana, Istighatha or Istid’a), and these can be done by the person himself, or one could request someone pious to make du’a for them.
All this is incapsulated in one hadeeth of Arba’oon al Nawawi by way of Sunan Tirmidhi.
On the authority of Abu Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
One day I was behind the Prophet ﷺ [riding on the same mount] and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: *Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth. Another narration, other than that of Tirmidhi, reads: Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease.
Even when Nabi ﷺ himself was sought for the lack of rain, He went out with Sahaba to a plane and made du’a to Allah (Salat al Istisqa) and rain poured as he ended his supplication.
Sayiduna Abbad bin Tamim rd. narrated from his uncle:
“The Messenger of Allah went out with the people to seek rain. So he led them in prayer for two Rak’ah, reciting aloud in them, turning his upper wrap around, raising his hands, requesting rain, and facing the Qiblah.” (Tirmidhi #556)
Other locations too when request for rain was done, a du’a from Nabi ﷺ was accompanied
Sayiduna Anas rd. narrated:
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ I was delivering the Khutba (sermon) on a Friday when the people stood up, shouted and said, “O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ! There is no rain (drought), the trees have dried and the livestock are destroyed; Please pray to Allah for rain.” So Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said twice, “O Allah! Bless us with rain.” By Allah, there was no trace of cloud in the sky and suddenly the sky became overcast with clouds and it started raining. The Prophet ﷺ came down the pulpit and offered the prayer. When he came back from the prayer (to his house) it was raining and it rained continuously till the next Friday. When the Prophet started delivering the Friday Khutba (sermon), the people started shouting and said to him, “The houses have collapsed and the roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah to withhold the rain.” So the Prophet ﷺ smiled and said, “O Allah! Round about us and not on us.” So the sky became clear over Medina but it kept on raining over the outskirts (of Medina) and not a single drop of rain fell over Median. I looked towards the sky which was as bright and clear as a crown. (Bukhari #1021)
One can understand that no action is attributed to the creation. Allah is the khaliq of every action. And He alone should be called upon for du’a.
Wallahu A’lam
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi