Thus, everyone among our Muslim brethren who is afflicted with any of this must hasten to repent to the Lord of the worlds. There is no way to do so except through beneficial knowledge drawn from the Quran and the sunnah. It is disseminated throughout the books of our scholars—may Allah Most High have mercy on them—especially Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, his student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, and those who followed their approach and trod their path.

Nor should they be deterred from this by some whisperers who suggest to them that these acts of associationism are merely means of drawing near to Allah and forms of seeking nearness through intermediaries. Their case in this regard is like that of those concerning whom the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said that they deem some forbidden matters lawful by “calling them by another name.” (See the preceding hadiths 90 and 415.)

This is advice that I address to those of our misled Muslim brethren who are concerned for their Hereafter, before there comes a day on which the statement of the Lord of the worlds concerning some of His most distant servants is fulfilled:

“And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did and render them as scattered dust.”

1316 — “Glorify Allah one hundred times, for that will be equivalent for you to freeing one hundred slaves from among the descendants of Ishmael. Praise Allah one hundred times, and that will be equivalent to one hundred saddled and bridled horses that you provide in Allah’s cause. Proclaim Allah’s greatness one hundred times, and that will be equivalent to one hundred garlanded sacrificial camels that are accepted. And declare Allah’s oneness one hundred times”—Ibn Khalaf said: “I think he said”—“and it will fill what lies between heaven and earth. On that day, no one’s deed will be raised except that he brings the like of what you have brought.”

It was recorded by Ahmad (6/344) and al-Bayhaqi in Shuʿab al-Iman (1/379–380), through Saʿid ibn Sulayman, who said: Musa ibn Khalaf narrated to us; he said: ʿAsim ibn Bahdalah narrated to us, from Abu Salih, from Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib, who said: “The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—passed by me, and I said: ‘Messenger of Allah, I have grown old and weak’—or words to that effect—‘so prescribe for me a deed that I can perform while seated.’ He then mentioned it.”