Question:
What is the ruling for a person who is involved in acts of Shirk? Will this person be allowed a share in inheritance?
Answer:
All praises are for Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) alone.
The foundation of Aqeedah e Tawheed is believing in the Oneness of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and asking Him alone. It is the belief with certainty that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) is the only One to respond to our needs.
The following are considered acts of Shirk:
- Visiting Shrines and doing Sajdah on the graves. This also includes praying to the dead and asking them to fulfill their needs. It also includes the belief that these dead people are going to act as intercessors for their needs.
- Using amulets and trinkets (Taweez) for protection
- Consuming all edibles or giving anything as a sacrifice under any other’s name besides Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ).
- Visiting a fortune teller or a palmist for finding out what the future holds
All of the above mentioned acts are undoubtedly considered acts of shirk.
Thus, if a person has been born in a Muslim home, has read and understood the kalimah and also acts upon it. Yet, he engages in one of or several of the above stated acts of shirk, he cannot be flatly labelled as a Mushrik.
What this means is that he is to be given evidences that prove that the above acts are certainly of shirk in nature and are undoubtedly fall under that category of the greater sins (gunah – e kabeerah). A person who is of these beliefs and continues to persist in it will be called a Mushrik.
If the evidences are given to this person that lead him to the understanding of shirk, yet he chooses to persist on these acts, then he maybe termed as a Mushrik.
The person is still allowed to inherit from the inheritance.
ھذا ماعندی واللہ اعلم بالصواب
This is as per my knowledge and Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) knows best.
