In modern times, there is a prominent cleric of the Islamic religion that demanded from the Saudi regime to move the grave of Mohammed to an unknown place, because in his opinion, many of his fellow Muslims are stumbling with the sin of idolatry by the means of that grave.
The reader should be warned that the article about the idolatry issue around the grave comes from a left-wing secular web site and some readers might prefer to avoid the spiritual risks of visiting such a web site.
This revelation by the Saudi cleric is one of a number of confirmations to the accusation of Rabbeinu Nissim, also known as “The Ran” that not only the Christian sects that bow to dead saints have an idolatry problem, but at the very least, some sects of Islam have an idolatry problem. This issue will be dealt with more at length, G-d willing, later in the article.
Biographical Background on Rabbeinu Nissim
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissim_of_Gerona
Nissim ben Reuven (1320 – 9th of Shevat, 1376, Hebrew: נסים בן ראובן {Jewish years 5080-5136} of Girona, Catalonia was an influential talmudist and authority on Jewish law. He was one of the last of the great Spanish medieval talmudic scholars. He is also known as the RaN (ר”ן), the Hebrew acronym of his name…
He was considered the greatest Halachic authority of his generation, and queries were sent to him from throughout the Jewish diaspora…
In his analyses, {Rabbeinu} Nissim frequently refutes other rishonim; in his legal rulings however, he generally adopts their opinions in practice. He was “no friend of mysticism”, and even reproved Nahmanides {Ramban} for devoting too much time to the Kabbalah {see responsa of Rivash, siman 167}.
His best-known work is his commentary and explanation of {Rabbi} Isaac Alfasi’s “Sefer Ha-halachot”, which had, at that time, been adopted for practical decisions. He is very detailed and explicit where the subject is important from a practical point of view, but extremely brief when dealing with theory.
Rabbeinu Nissim’s Accusations against Islam Are Correct, Regardless of Whether One Accepts or Rejects Rambam’s Assertion That Islam is Monotheistic
To prove this point that Rambam’s statements about Islam are irrelevant I ask my readers to be patient and read the following introduction.
Rambam (Maimonides): It is Possible for a Gentile to be a Monotheist And Still be Defined as an Idolater
Yes! Maimonides rules in Hilkhot Avoda Zara (or in censored texts Avodat Kochavim), chapter 2, halakhah 1 The essence of the commandment [forbidding] the worship of false gods is not to serve any of the creations, not an angel, a sphere, or a star, none of the four fundamental elements, nor any entity created from them. Even if the person worshiping knows that Hashem is the [true] L-rd but serves the creation in the manner in which Enosh and the people of his generation worshiped [the stars] originally, he is considered to be an idol worshiper. The Torah warns us about this, saying [Deuteronomy 4:19]: “Lest you lift your eyes heavenward and see the sun, the moon, and the stars… [and bow down and worship them], the entities which Hashem your L-rd apportioned to all the nations.” This implies that you might inquire with “the eye of the heart” and it might appear to you that these entities control the world, having been apportioned by Hashem to all the nations to be alive, to exist, and not to cease existence, as is the pattern of [the other creations with] the world. Therefore, you might say that it is worthy to bow down to them and worship them. For this reason, {see: Deuteronomy 11:16} he commanded and said: “Be very careful that your heart not be tempted {to go astray and worship other gods}.” That is to say that the thoughts of your heart should not lead you astray to worship these and make them an intermediary between you and the Creator.
A More In Depth Explanation of the Enosh or Intermediary Worship Problem Mentioned By Rambam
In Chapter 1, halacha 1 in Hilkhot Avoda Zara Rambam (Maimonides) states: During the times of Enosh, mankind made a great mistake, and the wise men of that generation gave thoughtless counsel. Enosh himself was one of those who erred.
Their mistake was as follows: They said G-d created stars and spheres with which to direct the world. He placed them on high and treated them with honor, making them servants who minister before Him. They are fit to praise and glorify them and to treat them with honor. And [They perceived] this to be the will of G-d , blessed be He, that they exalt and honor those whom He exalted and honored, just as a king desires that the servants who stand before him be honored. Indeed, doing so is an expression of honor to the king.
After this thought entered their hearts, they began to construct temples to the stars and offer sacrifices to them. They would praise and glorify them with words, and bow themselves before them, because by doing so, they would – according to their bad opinion – be fulfilling the will of the Creator.
This was the essence of the worship of foreign worship, and this was the rationale of those who worshiped them. They would not say that there is no other god except for this star.
This in accordance with what Yirmiyahu {Jeremiah} declared (10:7-8): “Who will not fear You, O King of the nations, for it befits You, for among all the wise men of the nations and among all their kingdom there is none like You. But with one thing they are brutish and foolish, the vanities for which they will be punished are but wood. That is to say, all know that you the Almighty are alone, but their mistake and foolishness is that they imagine that their vain practice is your will.
Halacha 2
After many years passed, there arose people – false prophets – who told [their nations] that G-d had commanded them to say: Serve this star – or all the stars – sacrifice to it, offer libations to it, build a temple for it and make an image of it so that all the nation – including the women, the children, and the rest of the uneducated people – could bow to it. He would inform them of a form that he had conceived, and tell them that this is the image of the particular star, claiming that this was revealed to him in a prophetic vision. In this manner, the people began to make images in temples, under trees, and on the tops of mountains and hills.
People would gather together and bow down to them and the [false prophets] would say: This image is the source of benefit or harm. It is appropriate to serve it and fear it. Their priests would tell them: This service will enable you to multiply and be successful. Do this and this, or do not do this or this.
Subsequently, other deceivers arose and declared that a specific star, sphere, or angel had spoken to them and commanded them: Serve me in this manner. He would then relate a mode of service [telling them:] Do this, do not do this.
Thus, these practices spread throughout the world. People would serve images with strange practices – one more distorted than the other – offer sacrifices to them, and bow down to them… (end of quote of Rambam)
Is There a Dispute About the Definition of Islam Between Rambam and Rabbeinu Nissim, “The Ran”? Did Rambam Really Intend to Give An Eternal “Kosher Certificate” to all Sects of Islam and for All Ages Regarding the Issue of Idolatry?
In the responsa of Rambam, siman 448 in a letter to R’ Ovadia the Convert, Rambam established: “And these Yishmaelites (Muslims) today all of them, including children and women have had idolatry cut off from their lips. And their mistake and stupidity is in other things that it is impossible to express them in print because of the rebels and wicked of Israel, but in the matter of the unity of G-d, let he be exalted, they do not have any mistakes”.
It is not clear from some of the commentaries to what extent was Rambam offering approval of Muslim beliefs and service of the Creator and to what extent did he have criticism. Whatever criticism he had, it was certainly significant enough to make him fear extreme danger by putting it in print. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Rabbi Yehuda Henkin have written that Rambam was offering complete approval on the issue of “foreign service” for Muslims or in Hebrew, “Avoda Zara” for all sects of Islam and for all times. Other prominent Rabbis, such as, the Rogatchover Gaon disagreed with this interpretation of Rambam and implied that Rambam knew about the intermediary problem but was hiding it because of danger. If you don’t want to explain Rambam like the Rogatchover, perhaps Rambam was hiding what Rabbi Moshe Feinstein talks about in Igrote Moshe, Yoreh Deah, Section 2, Siman 7, see there for details.
The Muslims Themselves Testify Nowadays That Some of Their Fellow Muslims Are Guilty of Idolatry
Regardless of the true interpretation of how Rambam viewed the reality of Muslims in his time and his region, the Muslims themselves testify that in modern times not everyone who calls himself a Muslim can be trusted on the idolatry issue. So while Rambam in his letter to R. Ovadia the convert, makes the debatable claim that no Muslim, who does the rituals of Mecca, that were once part of the idolatrous cults of Kemosh, Pe’or, and Markilos is in fact guilty of idolatry, I saw one Muslim apologist for Islam who rejects this. He states that in his time, some of the ignorant of the nation rub themselves on the “holy” Kaaba stone in Mecca in order to get benefit from it and are violating idolatry. But he asserts that those people are not obeying the rules as dictated by the religious clerics.
Alawites
Astronaut Walking on the Moon which is Worshiped by Alawites
Quote from http://thepolitic.org/born-from-the-stars-the-alawites-in-syria/ The Alawi are a small and controversial sect of Shia Islam to which the Assad family belongs. This sect rejects the call to prayer and the pilgrimage to Mecca, two practices most Muslims consider pillars of Islam. Additionally, Alawi contains elements of Zoroastrianism (an originally Iranian religion that incorporates teachings of the Prophet Zoroaster) and Christianity. The foundation of Alawi Islam is that every human was once a star and thus each person is a part of nature. Although the Alawites believe in the Islamic God … they worship the sun and the moon because they see themselves as one with nature.
The Muslim Alawite Sect of Syria that is Connected to Syrian Dictator Assad (even though Assad Seems to Be a Secularist) Are Idol Worshipers Without Question First a quote from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alawites about them.
Beliefs
Alawites have been described as “secretive” and their beliefs have been described as “secret” (Yaron Friedman, for example, in his scholarly work on the sect, has written that the Alawi religious material quoted in his book came only from “public libraries and printed books” since the “sacred writings” of the Alawi “are kept secret”; some tenets of the faith are kept secret from most Alawi and known only to a select few, they have therefore been described as a mystical sect.
Alawite beliefs have never been confirmed by their modern religious authorities. Alawites tend to conceal their beliefs (taqiyya) due to historical persecution.
Theology and practices
Alawis are self-described Shia Muslims, and have been called Shia by other sources including the highly influential Lebanese Shia cleric Musa al-Sadr of Lebanon, and Iranian religious and political leader Ruhollah Khomeini. Although Alawites consider themselves to be Muslims, Sunni Muslims generally dispute this due to theological differences. However, The Sunni Grand Mufti of JerusalemHaj Amin al-Husseini issued a fatwa recognizing them as part of the Muslim community in the interest of Arab nationalism.
Sufism – The Magid of Rabbi Yosef Karo criticized Rabbi Karo for going after the Idols Because Rabbi Karo Visited a Sufi House of Worship, called a Tekke
The Magid of Rabbi Yosef Karo (author of the Shulchan Aruch) criticized Rabbi Karo for entering into a Sufi House of Worship, called a Tekke and accused Rabbi Karo of going after the idols by entering that place (see Magid Meisharim to Bechukotai).
Since at least 2016, ISIS militants have targeted Sufis, whose devotions include the veneration of saints, often at their tombs. The extremist group has systematically razed the tombs of Sufi saints and blown up their shrines. About a year ago, ISIS began carrying out mass executions of Sufi worshippers during prayer…
Their particular animus toward the Sufi practice involves the tradition of visiting the graves of holy figures. The act of praying to saints and worshipping at their tombs is an example of what extremists refer to as “shirk,” or polytheism, according to Brill’s Encyclopedia of Islam.
“Shirk literally means association. It is the act of associating God with other entities,” said Jacob Olidort, a scholar of Islam, a foreign-policy adviser to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and the author of several reports for the Brookings Institution on these and other concepts. “What they take the Sufis to task principally for is the intercession, the use of other media, to access God, rather than going directly.”
Alexander Knysh, the author of two studies of Sufism and a professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, agreed.
“They believe Sufi shrines are the most egregious expression of that shirk,” he said. “You are turning to a mediator, who is inserting himself between the believer and God, and in this way it becomes a kind of idol.”
Tawassul – The Doctrine Used by Shiites and Some Sunni Muslims to Justify Praying to Intermediaries
One should note that out of the testimony of one Muslim group against the other, it emerges that not only much of the Sufi sect uses intermediaries, but there are others too.
The sect of the Wahhabis who rule Saudi Arabia accuse other Orthodox Sunni Groups as well as Shiite Islam of worshiping the Creator through intermediaries. That is to say making requests to dead saints of the religion. They accuse orthodox Sunnis of committing shirk (polytheism) when asking the Creator for something using an intermediary, such as, a pious human being in his grave. When a Muslim visits the Prophet Muhammad’s (s) grave and calls on the Prophet, “Oh Prophet,” (Ya Rasulullah), the Wahhabis accuse such a person of worshiping the Prophet. The Wahhabis believe that such people are worshiping creation alongside the Creator, and are therefore guilty of polytheism – attributing partners in worship of the Divine. Shiites in addition to direct prayer to the Creator, seek the blessings and intercession of Imam Ali and other Shia Imams in intercessory prayers.
What Justification Was Used By the Author to Study Non-Jewish Sources to Determine the Status of Muslims
Dvarim {Deuteronomy} 18:9 “When you have come to the land that G-d your L-rd is giving you, you shall not learn to do like the abominations of those nations”.
Rashi comments:you shall not learn to do [like the abominations of those nations]: But you learn [their practices] to understand [them] and to teach [them], i.e. to understand how degenerate their actions are, and to teach your children, “Do not do such and such, because this is a heathen custom!” – [Sifrei ; San. 68a]
This Elaborate Introduction Was Necessary Because Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Rabbi Yehuda Henkin Simply dismissed The opinion of Rabbeinu Nissim, “The Ran” as not having his facts straight about Islam
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef the former spiritual head of the Israeli “Shas Party” (who was a popular and well-respected Sephardic Posek) as well as Rabbi Henkin did not say they did elaborate research on Islam and found that no branch of Islam was guilty of idolatry. They just said Rambam who died about 8 centuries ago knew Islam better than Rabbeinu Nissim (who died about 7 centuries ago and lived in another region of the world) and Rambam gave them his stamp of approval on the idolatry issue. This lack of research into today’s reality in my viewpoint is irresponsible, because they know very well, that the majority of Jews in places like the USA have adopted incorrect ideas about G-d (for example, the Reform and Conservative movements, Spinoza heretics, Jewish Agnostics, the LGBT synagogue movement, etc. See also: An Article Against The Attempt To Deify The Rebbe Of Lubavitch, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson ). To assume that Islam never went through any changes without research since the time of the Rambam in contrast to what they know happened to Judaism is irresponsible wishful thinking. In addition, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef did not seem to understand why Rabbi Nachshon Gaon who was prominent centuries after the death of Mohammed, but before the time of the Rambam did consider Muslims to be guilty of Avoda Zara (see Sefer Ha’Eshkol {Albeck} Hilchot Yayin Nesech, page 150b). Nor was he aware that the Rabbi of the Rabbi of Rambam, the “Ri Migash” also held them to be guilty of Avoda Zara and so too the Meiri ( to Tractate Avoda Zara pages 57 and 64b) and so too the uncensored Kuzari, quoted by Rashbatz in Magen Avot.
The Details of Rabbeinu Nissim’s Idolatry Complaint Concerning Islam and the Catholics
Now I will quote Rabbeinu Nissim’s opinion about Islam and also about Catholic Christianity which he calls by the nickname Cuthites in order to hide his criticism of the Catholic Christian fanatics that ruled in his region. The words of Rabbeinu Nissim are brought as a commentary to the Talmud, tractate Sanhedrin, page 61 in the wake of a discussion between Abeyei and Rava about the prohibition to bow to the wicked man, Haman (of the biblical book of Esther) that made himself into a deity. And this is a translated quotation of the Talmud.
For it was taught in a Braita: you should not bow to them. To them you shall not bow, but you bow to a person like you. You might think {this leniency} is even true when the individual is worshiped like Haman, therefore scripture adds, “and you shall not worship them” (Shemot – Exodus – Chapter 20:5).
“The Ran” (Rabbeinu Nissim) raised a question on that discussion. Is the leniency to bow to a man like you, to honor a person, relevant both for a living person and a dead person or perhaps just to a living person? “The Ran” answers that the leniency to bow to a man (who is not worshiped like Haman was worshiped) is only relevant to honor a person that is still alive. “The Ran” states in his commentary to Sanhedrin 61b, “It is implied to me that all that do an act of worship to any form in order to get some benefit, behold that person is giving Divinity and Dominion to this thing over this matter and therefore is worshiping it and it is a matter of idolatry, so this appears to me”. “The Ran” then discusses the debate between Abeyei and Rava, how severe is the sin of bowing to someone who is worshiped like Haman?
“The Ran” concludes that both Abeyei and Rava agree that even when there is great danger to refuse orders to bow to Haman who was worshiped as a Deity, Halacha {Jewish Law} indeed demands that a Jew gives up his life rather than bow. However, Abeyei and Rava disagree to what extent do we punish a person who made the wrong choice and bowed to a person like Haman. “The Ran” ruled in this case, we adopt the lenient position of Rava and we would not punish this type of sinner in court, nor demand a sacrifice, if the sinner made a mistake about what Halacha demands.
Rabbeinu Nissim then adds that what emerges out of this discussion is that the saints of the Cuthites {Catholics and other saint worshiping denominations} and also the maniac of the Muslims, even though they don’t make the error of turning them into Deities, however, since they bow before them a bowing of Divine service, they have the law of idolatry applied to them for every matter of prohibition of idolatry, for they do not bow “פניהם” { before them or alt. translation, bow their faces} only to show respect, for there is no respect of the type called “Hiddur” for the dead, rather their service is like a matter of serving a Deity.
Riaz Disagrees With The Viewpoint of “The Ran” and also Identifies the Saints of the Cuthites
From the words of Riaz (a nickname for Rabbi Yishaya son of Eliya De’Trani who died about 40 years before “The Ran” was born) who argued against the viewpoint of “The Ran” – we get a better idea who are the saints of the Cuthites and what issue was bothering “The Ran”. Riaz in Kuntros Haraayot to tractate Sanhedrin 63b informs us that when the Catholics had a case in court that involved an oath they would swear by the names of the disciples of the founder of Christianity. These dead disciples were not viewed as actual deities, but bowing and a religious service were nevertheless done to these Christian saints. Riaz contended this can be defined as a neutral act and not an act of idolatry. “The Ran” disagreed and contended that religious bowing to dead men is idolatry.
It is not clear to the author, according to the outlook of Riaz, what additional conditions need to be in place in order to define an act of bowing to dead humans as idolatry. It is possible that those who agree with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s liberal view on visiting mosques will try to justify their position by claiming the Riaz is on their side.
In any case based on “The Ran”, Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg, in his work Tzitz Eliezer 14:91 as well as Rabbi Shlomo Min Hahar banned Jews from praying or even visiting mosques. However, they did not seem to “hit the nail on its head” (see Tzitz Eliezer 18:47), regarding what was the issue that was bothering “The Ran”. “The Ran” was accusing those that bow down to the Catholic Saints or the Maniac of the Muslims of bowing down to an intercessor, which is a form of Avoda Zara (foreign worship).
Rabbi Yekutiel Y. Halberstam Admor of Sanz Klausenburg was another prominent Rabbi of the last generation who took a strong stance against visiting mosques but his line of reasoning was not really based on “The Ran”.
All 3 of these Rabbis even went so far as opposing visits to Maarat Hamachpela, the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron because they defined it as a Mosque. However, in another article I plan, G-d willing to show why Maarat Hamachpela is an exception to the rule.
Rambam Who Banned Visiting Catholic Churches and Similar Sects (see for example his commentary to Mishna Avoda Zara 1:4) As Places of Idolatry, Nevertheless Prayed in the Maarat Hamachpela. In His Days the Tomb was made into a Christian Church, By the Crusaders, Thus Proving that Maarat Hamachpela is an Exception to the Rule!
Entrance To The Underground Cave At The Tomb Of The Patriarchs (in Hebrew, Maarat Hamachpelah)
There are a number of Rabbis of our generation that wish to use the precedent of big rabbis praying in the Maarat Hamachpela as a proof to permit prayer in mosques in every place in the world. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef for example, besides his claim that Rambam gave the Muslims an 800+ year old “Kosher Certificate” as being okay on the idolatry issue also used the precedent of big rabbis who prayed at the Maarat Hamachpela as a proof to permit visiting and even praying in a mosque (see Yabia Omer, Vol. 7, Yoreh Deah, Siman 12).
But it is apparent from Rambam, that prayer in Maarat Hamachpela (the Tomb of the Patriarchs) cannot prove anything about the status of the religion that rules over the area. For Rambam himself visited the Maarat Hamachpela Tomb in secular year 1165 which is 4926 of the Jewish calendar and established the day of his visit as a personal holiday for all his life and for all his descendants. To use his wording “in the first day leading up to Sabbath (namely, Sunday) on the ninth of the month (Cheshvan) I stood in the cave and prayed, praised to the Almighty, let him be blessed over everything … I made a vow that it will be for me like a holiday with prayer and rejoicing in them, eating and drinking. Let the L-rd help me over everything and sustain me. My vow to Hashem, I will pay back – Amen”. In that year that Rambam visited the Maarat Hamachpela Tomb, the Catholic Crusaders that Rambam in a number of places wrote that they perform acts of idolatry (see Rambam, Hilchot Avoda Zara, 9:4) ruled the land of Israel and they had a church there at Maarat Hamachpela. Even in our generation, a Jew illegally penetrated into the cave that is underneath the Maarat Hamachpela building and reported that he found right by the entrance to the cave, a gigantic cross of the Christians, that still remained there from the time that the Christians ruled the land of Israel. Therefore we see from Rambam’s actions at Maarat Hamachpela, that the fact that big rabbis visit the Tomb of the Patriarchs can not be offered as proof for the status of the religion that rules the area. Visits to that Tomb can not be offered as proof against “The Ran” who holds that many sects of Islam are guilty of intermediary worship, when they bow down to dead men. However since Riaz has a different definition of intermediary worship than “The Ran” each person should ask a rabbi who they trust, for practical guidance on this issue. For further research, I point my readers to Aruch Hashulchan (O.C. 156:4).
However, I would also like to point out that since Alawite Muslims, have “elevated” the founder of Islam to Deity Status in their Muslim Trinity perhaps even Riaz would take a stricter view towards the Muslims than he did for Catholic saints, because as I quoted from the Talmud earlier: You should not bow to them. To them you shall not bow, but you bow to a person like you. You might think {this leniency} is even true when the individual is worshiped like Haman, therefore scripture adds, “and you shall not worship them” (Shemot – Exodus – Chapter 20:5).
Even When Gentiles Are Idol Worshipers, Jews Are Subject to the Ways of Peace Laws of the Talmud, tractate Gittin 61a
translation by https://www.sefaria.org.il/Gittin.61a.5?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
The mishna teaches: One does not protest against poor gentiles who come to take gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the produce in the corner of the field, which is given to the poor [pe’a], although they are meant exclusively for the Jewish poor, on account of the ways of peace. Similarly, the Sages taught in a baraita (Tosefta 5:4): One sustains poor gentiles along with poor Jews, and one visits sick gentiles along with sick Jews, and one buries dead gentiles along with dead Jews. All this is done on account of the ways of peace, to foster peaceful relations between Jews and gentiles.
And furthermore see, Sefer Hamitzvot Hakatzar of the Chafetz Chaim, negative commandment 20.
The Chafetz Chaim also informs us in Mishna Brura, chapter 304 and in Beu’r Halacha to chapter 330 that trinity believers and Muslims do not have the more honorable status of Gair Toashav.
In modern times, there is a prominent cleric of the Islamic religion that demanded from the Saudi regime to move the grave of Mohammed to an unknown place, because in his opinion, many of his fellow Muslims are stumbling with the sin of idolatry by the means of that grave.
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