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sunset, lest they resemble those who prostrate to it at those very moments. Likewise, he ﷺ forbade them to turn graves into places of worship, warning his community against what those people had done so that they would not imitate those who call upon the occupants of graves, take them as intercessors, seek their mediation, and present offerings through them—just as the Christians do. In this way he barred them from the very causes of the polytheism that had afflicted the people of Abraham, whether earthly or celestial, shutting every avenue that might lead to shirk (1).
(1) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya, Iqtida al-Sirat al-Mustaqim, 1/63: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade performing prayer at sunrise and at sunset, explaining that at those very moments the sun rises and sets between the horns of a shaytan and that the unbelievers prostrate to it then. It is clear that a believer intends to prostrate only to Allah, and most people are unaware that the sun is between the horns of a shaytan at those times or that the unbelievers are worshipping it. Nevertheless, the Prophet prohibited prayer in those periods to cut off every possible avenue of resemblance with them. The practical wisdom of this becomes apparent when we see that, among today’s pagan Sabeans who outwardly claim Islam, there are some who venerate the celestial bodies, address their requests to them, prostrate to them, and even slaughter animals for them … If, in these times, such conduct is found, then the warning becomes fully justified…"
غُرُوبِهَا لِئَلَّا يُشْبِهُوا مَنْ يَسْجُدُ لَهَا حِينَئِذٍ؟ ! .
وَكَذَلِكَ نَهَاهُمْ أَنْ يَتَّخِذُوا القُبُورَ مَسَاجِدَ، يحذِّرُ أُمَّتَهُ مَا فَعَلُوا، لِئَلَّا يُشْبِهُوا مَنْ يَدْعُو أَهْلَ القُبُور، وَيَجْعَلَهُمْ شُفَعَاءَ يَسْتَشْفِعُ بِهِمْ وَقُرْبَانًا يَتَقَرَّبُ بِهِمْ، كَمَا يَفْعَلُهُ النَّصَارَى، فَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ سَبَبِ الشِّرْكِ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي قَومِ إبْرَاهِيم عَنِ الشِّرْكِ الأَرْضِيِّ وَالسَّمَائِيِّ، سَدًّا لِذَرِيعَةِ الشِّرْكِ (١).
(١) قال شيخ الإسلام في اقتضاء الصراط المستقيم (١/ ٦٣): (فقد نهى النبي ﷺ عن الصلاة وقت طلوع الشمس ووقت الغروب، معللًا ذلك النهي بأنها تطلع وتغرب بين قرني شيطان، وأنه حينئذ يسجد لها الكفار، ومعلوم أن المؤمن لا يقصد السجود إلا لله تعالى، وأكثر الناس قد لا يعلمون، أن طلوعها وغروبها بين قرني شيطان، ولا أن الكفار يسجدون لها، ثم إنه ﷺ نهى عن الصلاة في هذا الوقت حسمًا لمادة المشابهة بكل طريق، ويظهر بعض فائدة ذلك: بأن من الصابئة المشركين اليوم ممن يظهر الإسلام يعظم الكواكب، ويزعم أنه يخاطبها بحوائجه، ويسجد لها وينحر ويذبح ... فإذا كان في هذه الأزمنة من يفعل مثل هذا تحققت =