I was reading up about the topic of shirk and for some reasons the topic of Alfas came to mind. So I ended up doing a quick google search to try to understand who Alfas really are, their jobs and where they stand in the ummah. Unfortunately, I was unable to find information related to who they are or what they do. Therefore, I will be defining Alfas based on my experiences and encounters with them.
So who exactly is an Alfa?
From my experience, Alfas are people who you go to when you have problems, seek guidance from, and sometimes even predict the unseen! Quite a lot of them speak in general terms, and give advices on future events. Sometimes they tell you to do specific things like give slaughter animals in charity, put salt on your doorsteps, etc. All of which are completely wrong from an Islamic prospective.
Let me start with discussing about going to Alfas when calamities strike.
The only reasons I was able to come up with as to why a person will visit an Alfa when crisis arise isI. Find out origin of the crises (ie who from my village or family is responsible for this calamity?)
II. Seeking solution/an end to the crisis -what can the Alfa do to make this problem go away? So for
example, you do not have a job-you go complain to an Alfa about it expecting that he would have a solution to it. So maybe he would tell you to read some verses of the Qur’an and you will automatically get a job.
III. Prayer- I understand that the problem is from Allah, but I need someone more righteous than me to pray for me.
The first two reasons are undoubtedly haram and involve disbelief in Allah. In fact, these things involve shirk, which takes one out of Islam. Going to someone with the belief that he has knowledge of the unseen is major shirk. It is similar to visiting fortunetellers or soothsayers, which is prohibited in our religion.
How can human like myself who has no knowledge of his own affairs have knowledge about the affairs of others?
When a person goes to a fortuneteller and asks him about something and believes what he says. This is disbelief in Allaah (kufr), because he is believing the fortuneteller’s claim to have knowledge of the unseen, and, believing a human’s being claim to have knowledge of the unseen constitutes disbelief. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghayb (Unseen) except Allaah”
[al-Naml 27:65].
The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) also said in the saheeh hadeeth: “Whoever goes to a fortuneteller and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).”
Secondly, the idea of believing that harm or benefit can come exclusively from someone else is wrong. Allah tells us in the Qur’an that no one will be able to cause benefit or harm except by his will. So why is there a need to feel that someone else is behind calamities? Or that someone is behind my success? For example, when searching for a job I make du’aa and work toward getting one. I don’t believe that an Alfa has a solution to my unemployment or that screaming Allah Akbar and putting salt in my doorstep will get me a job.
Why is it that when calamities strike people are quick to start pointing fingers? Didn’t Allah promise us in the Qur’an that we would be tested?
Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested? {29:2}
And then Allah says in Surah al-Baqarah
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, {2:155}
Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." {2:156}
Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. {2:157}
How many of us actually say " Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raaji'oon" when we faced by trials?
Now let us discuss the third reason, which is going to an Alfa for prayers.
As cited by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid from Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 212-Asking a person to make du’aa’ for you who you think will have his du’aa’s answered, either because of his righteousness or because he is going to a place where one hopes his du’aa’s will be answered, such as travelling or going for Hajj or ‘Umrah, etc., is OK in principle. Although, it is better and and more appropriate not to do so. This is because it was not the custom of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) to ask one another to make du’aa’ for themselves.
Du’aa is an act of worship and a means of getting closer to Allah, so why shut this door? One of the unique features of Islam is that it allows a direct connection between you and your maker. You don’t need anyone else to talk to your creator on your behalf! You can talk to him yourself and he will respond to you!
In Sura an- Namal verse 62 Allah says:
Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember. (27:62)
Again in surah al Ghaafir verse 60 Allah says (interpretation of the meaning)
“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’” [Ghaafir 40:60]
It was also narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who calls upon Allaah with words in which there is no sin or severing of family ties but Allaah will give him one of three things: either He will answer his prayer soon, or He will store it up for him in the Hereafter, or He will remove something bad from him that is equivalent to what he is asking for.” They said, “Then we should make a great amount of du’aa’.” He said, “Allaah is greater.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3573; classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi and others.
So what is preventing you from making supplications? What worries you? Your sins? Verily Allah forgives all sins.
“Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Zumar 39:53]
Lastly, if you happen to find out that you had fallen into shirk without knowledge, then what one needs to do is repent and renter Islam. The scholars differed as to whether Ghusl was required when a person becomes a Muslim. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that it was safer to perform ghusl.
Either ways the door of repentance is always open for you and me. The prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) who said: “Allaah will accept the repentance of His slave so long as the death rattle has not reached his throat.” (3537)
i.e., so long as the soul has not reached the throat. Every sin from which a man repents, Allaah will accept his repentance.
Jazakallahu Khiran for reading this long epistle
Sources
https://islamqa.info/en/1945
https://islamqa.info/en/9619
https://islamqa.info/en/85541
https://islamqa.info/en/32863
https://islamqa.info/en/81949
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