Is intercession imitating the pagans of Quraysh?

If we want to critique the beliefs of the Shi’a by comparing them to what the Quraysh used to engage in, then it is crucial to first accurately analyse the specificities of the beliefs of the polytheists in order that we may determine to what extent the two are similar. We shall therefore observe verses that discuss the beliefs of the polytheists or address the polytheists, and then compare them with the practices and beliefs of the faithful.

First difference: Belief in the Abrahamic God

The acts of Quraysh would involve worshipping idols to seek proximity to a non-existent God. This is because they did not believe God to be one in essence, nor did he send prophets, nor will he resurrect people at a prescribed time. They rejected monotheism, prophethood and the hereafter all which are foundational beliefs to have. In many verses, Allah has unveiled their delusions: 

أَجَعَلَ ٱلۡأٓلِهَةَ إِلَٰهًا وَٰحِدًاۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَىۡءٌ عُجَابٌ وَعَجِبُوٓاْ أَن جَآءَهُم مُّنذِرٌ مِّنۡهُمْۖ وَقَالَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هَٰذَا سَٰحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ أَجَعَلَ ٱلۡأٓلِهَةَ إِلَٰهًا وَٰحِدًاۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَىۡءٌ عُجَاب

They consider it odd that there should come to them a warner from among themselves, and the faithless say, ‘This is a magician, a mendacious liar. How can he claim that all the gods are but one God? What an astonishing thing [to claim]!’ [38:5]

فَقَالُوٓاْ أَبَشَرٌ يَهۡدُونَنَا فَكَفَرُواْ وَتَوَلَّوا۟ۚ وَّٱسۡتَغۡنَى ٱللَّهُۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ

but they said, ‘Shall humans be our guides?!’ So they disbelieved and turned away, and Allah was in no need [of their faith] and Allah is all-sufficient, all-laudable. [64:6]

These verses suffice in that they couldn't even rationalise the idea of prophethood, that a guide be sent to them who preaches true monotheism.

Therefore, the God that the polytheists were worshipping was nothing but an illusionary figure, lacking external reality, a figment of their imagination and conception of their minds, hence their words about their worshipping their idols as an excuse they are intercessors was nothing but a delusional argument of theirs, for they did not really believe in the real God such that they could reach proximity to Him. 

Perhaps it is for this reason that Allah describes them as liars and disbelievers, for He says in verses with their excuses: “Indeed Allah does not guide someone who is a liar and an ingrate.” 

On the other hand, the Shi'a all believe in these fundamental concepts that are necessary to believe in to be a Shi'a and recognise Allah (swt) as one with no partners. The acknowledgement of the real existence of God gives you the ability to actually, unlike the Quraysh who seeked nearness to an imaginary God they made up in their minds, seek nearness to Him with His permission as mentioned in many verses such as in Ayatul Kursi “Who can intercede except by His permission”. 

Second difference: The source of Power

The believer does not believe power comes from anything except Allah (swt);

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًاۚ

Whoever seeks power [should know that] power entirely belongs to Allah [35:10]

Where as the Quraysh used to believe the source of power would come from other than Allah (swt):

وَٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ءَالِهَةً لِّيَكُونُواْ لَهُمۡ عِزًّا

They have taken gods besides Allah that they may be a [source of] power to them [19:81]

It is clear that the believer does not worship the awliya through whom he intercedes, but the Quraysh did and saw them as independent powers while the believer does not. 

Perhaps Ibn Taymiyyah's comparison of the believers to the Quraysh came from his delusions about the lies he perpetuated in his books, such as in Minhaj al-Sunnah, vol. 1, pg. 99 - 100:

فلا يقولون: إنه خالق كل شيء، ولا إنه على كل شيء قدير، ولا إنه ما شاء كان ، ومالم يشأ لم يكن .

They (the Shi'a) do not say: He is the Creator of everything, nor that He has power over everything, nor that He wills what He wants, and what He does not will.

However, it’s known that none of the Shi'a from the firsts until the present have ever made this claim, rather it’s part of the many delusions Ibn Taymiyyah had while writing his book. 

Third difference: The use of Idols

The Quraysh would seek intercession through idols of which have no power to intercede nor power to hear. For example: 

وَلَا يَمۡلِكُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ٱلشَّفَٰعَةَ إِلَّا مَن شَهِدَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ

Those gods they invoke besides Him have no power of intercession, unlike those who bore witness to the truth and recognized it. [43:86]

Unlike the Quraysh, the monotheist seeks the intercession of those who have the power to intercede for him and have the power to reply as previously shown. 

It is therefore clear, that no possibility exists to compare the practice of a monotheist with that of a polytheist, or to adjudge that the specificities of their mental workings and doctrinal beliefs are the same, or accusing a monotheist with polytheism in an ad-hoc manner and without proof. Hence, I will mention some important points:

Fourth difference: Worshipping their intercessors

The Sahaba would request for intercession of Rasulullah (saw) and seek blessings from parts of his body or clothes, as an intermediary for them. When supplicating to Allah for the fulfilment of their needs, and similarly even after his (saw) demise, they were of the belief – like every believing monotheist – that worship is exclusive to Allah but these practices were not considered as a type of worship whereas the polytheists would worship their intercessors because they had taken them as deities, as Allah says;

أَوۡلِيَآءَ مَا نَعۡبُدُهُمۡ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ

We only worship them so that they may bring us near to Allah [39:3].

It is here that the principal difference between the faith of the believers and the delusion of the polytheists come to fore. So, what does it even mean to compare the two, comparing the Muslim and the Polytheist, whilst the difference between the two is so clear?

Final remark

It is not necessary for an action of a person to be considered polytheism by the mere accompanying with the action of Allah, and it is also not necessary to consider this as going against Tawḥīd, for there are many instances in the Quran where Allah has supported this [i.e., instances whereby an action is attributed to both Allah and others]. He has given to himself and the Prophet (saw) the attribute of ‘enricher’ (mughni). 

وَمَا نَقَمُوٓاْ إِلَّآ أَنۡ أَغۡنَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ مِن فَضۡلِهِ

and they were vindictive only because Allah and His Apostle had enriched them out of His grace. [9:74]

Based on the monotheistic outlook, these matters are not considered as ascribing partners to Allah, because they are all actions under the action of Allah and not in line with it (i.e., all the creatures in this system do not possess anything essentially and they do not give or have an impact except with the permission of Allah).