they set up (for worship) aught (partners besides Him) all they did would be in vain." (Surat-al-An'am, 6:88).

Dear reader, ascription of partners to Allah may appear in various shapes. The Muslim religious scholars have written many exhaustive and lengthy books on the subject, but I would like to show to you briefly some observations about what is prevalent among the Muslims of the present era.

Some people worship saints and pious men besides Allah though they know that worshipping should be for Allah only, but they think that those saints and pious men will bring them nearer to Allah and will intercede for them with Him. That is one type of Shirk (i.e. polytheism) and the proof is the Statement of Allah, the Elevated:

"They (i.e. Jews and Christians) have taken as lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah) their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah, Mary's Son, when they were bidden to worship only One God (Alldh). None has the right to be worshipped except Him. Be He glorified from all they ascribe as partners unto Him." (Surat-at-Tauba, 9:31).

Once while Allah's Apostle was reciting the above Verse, 'Adi bin Hatim said, "O Allah's Apostle! They do not worship them (i.e. rabbis and monks)." Allah's Apostle said, "They certainly do. They (i.e. rabbis and monks) made legal things illegal, and illegal things legal, and they (i.e. Jews and Christians) followed them; and by doing so they really worshipped them:" (Narrated by Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Jarir).

In Surat-Yunus, Allah says,

"They worship besides Allah that which neither hurts them nor profits them and they say: These are our intercessors with Allah. Say: Would you inform Allah of (something) that He does not know in the Heavens or in the Earth? Praised be He and. High Exalted above all that you ascribe (unto Him.)" (10:18).

Dear reader, in the same way, the worship of the graves of saints and pious men, is a type of Shirk. What is meant by worshipping them is to invoke them, or make offerings to them, or vow to them, and the like. They believe that if one does not do so, one will not achieve one's goal.

Dear reader, belief in Allah means to believe that only Allah has the possession of everything and can dispose of everything and if any person thinks that an unseen or dead pious man or a saint or a prophet besides Allah can do anything for him, he is really associating partners unto Allah.