Would that Most of the People Know Concerning Shirk that Which the Hoopoe Bird Knew

 

الحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين، أما بعد

 

Shaikh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Hasan bin Muhammad bin ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahumullaah) stated:

 

“He, The Most High, informed concerning the Hoopoe bird of Sulaimaan, that it denounced shirk (associating partners with Allaah), and yet it is a bird from the general classification of birds. He, The Most High, said:

 

فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ * إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ * وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ * أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ

 

((But he [the hoopoe] stayed not long, he [came and] said: “I have grasped [in knowledge] that which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba [Sheba] with certain news. Indeed I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given of all things, and she has a great throne. I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allaah, and Satan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from the way [of truth] so they are not guided. So they do not prostrate to Allaah, who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal.”)) (An-Naml: 22-25)

 

So the Hoopoe reported to Sulaimaan (‘alaihis salaam) of that which he had seen them doing from making prostration to other than Allaah, and prostration is a form of the varying forms of worship. So would that most of the people know concerning shirk that which the Hoopoe knew – so as to denounce it, and know of sincerity – so as to adhere to it, and with Allaah lies ability and success.

So Glory be to Him, Who infuses Tawheed into the heart of whoever He wishes from His creation, and He sends astray whoever He wishes from them, by way of His Knowledge and His Wisdom and His Justice.”

 

 

(Taken from: Ad-Durar as-Sanniyyah  vol 2 p.276-277)