Part 31

He also explained this place of shelter or refuge in his saying, "So whoever has camels should stick to his camels...“ [Reported by Muslim (Eng. transl. 4/1495-1496/no.6896)]. There also occurs in sahih Muslim (Eng. transl. 3/91 I/no.4190) from Jaabir, radiyallaahu 'anhu, that a woman from the tribe of Banoo Makhzoom stole something, so then she was brought to the Prophet and she sought refuge with Umm Salamah. He also reports in his sahih (Eng. transl. 4/ 1494/no.6996) from Umm Salamah, radiyallaahu 'anhaa, from the Prophet (Wi) that he said: "A man will seek refuge in the House and an army detachment will be sent against him..." However if it is the case that someone is seeking refuge from the evil of an oppressor, then it is obligatory to shelter him and grant him refuge as far as is possible. But if he seeks refuge in order to help him to commit something forbidden, or to flee away from an obligation, then it is forbidden to shelter him. The evidence for seeking deliverance and rescue (al-istighaathah) is the Saying of Allaah, the Most High: "When you sought aid and deliverance of your Lord and He responded to you" [81] [surah al-Anfaal (8):9]. ________________________________________________________ Al-istighaathah is to seek rescue and deliverance from severe difficulty and destruction, and is of various types: (i) Seeking deliverance and rescue from Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, is one of the most excellent and most perfect deeds, and it was the continual practice of the messengers and their followers. The evidence for it is what the Shaykh, rahimahullaah, mentioned, "When you sought aid and deliverance of your Lord and He responded to you that He was sending you a thousand angels in succession to assist you." [surah al-Anfaal (8):9] This occurred at the battle of Badr when the Prophet (#1) saw the mushriks numbering a thousand men, whist his companions were a few more than three hundred and ten. So he entered the palm grove calling earnestly upon his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, raising up his hands and facing the qiblah, and saying: "OAllaah fulfil that which You have promised me. O Allaah if this small group who are the people oflslaam are destroyed you will not be worshipped upon the earth." Then he continued calling upon his Lord earnestly, with his hands raised such that his cloak fell from his shoulders. So Aboo Bakr, radiyallaahu 'anhu, took up his cloak and cast it back upon his shoulders and embraced him from behind and said: "O Prophet of Allaah, your earnest supplication to your Lord will be sufficient for you since he will fulfil what He has promised you," so this Aayah was sent down. [Reported by Muslim (Eng. transl. 3/960/no.4360)] (ii) Seeking rescue and deliverance, either from the dead or from those who are living but are not present and able to give aid and rescue, then this is shirk. This is so because it will not be done except by one who believes that those people have some unseen control over the creation, and they have therefore attributed to them a share of the Lordship that is for Allaah, the Most High, alone. Allaah, the Most High, says, "Or is that which you falsely worship along with Allaah better than He Who responds to the one in distress when he calls Him; who removes the harm; and who makes you to succeed those who came before you?! Is there anything that is worshipped besides Allaah that can do these things for you?!