Hadith on Shirk: Origin of idolatry in glorifying ancestors

‘Ata’ reported: Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “All of the idols among the people of Noah appeared among the Arabs later. They were the names of righteous men among the people of Noah. When they passed away, Satan inspired in their people to build statues in the places they used to sit and name them by their names. They did so and they were not worshiped until the first generation passed away and knowledge was lost; then they were worshiped.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4920

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari

عن عطاء عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا صَارَتْ الْأَوْثَانُ الَّتِي كَانَتْ فِي قَوْمِ نُوحٍ فِي الْعَرَبِ بَعْدُ أَسْمَاءُ رِجَالٍ صَالِحِينَ مِنْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ فَلَمَّا هَلَكُوا أَوْحَى الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ أَنْ انْصِبُوا إِلَى مَجَالِسِهِمْ الَّتِي كَانُوا يَجْلِسُونَ أَنْصَابًا وَسَمُّوهَا بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ فَفَعَلُوا فَلَمْ تُعْبَدْ حَتَّى إِذَا هَلَكَ أُولَئِكَ وَتَنَسَّخَ الْعِلْمُ عُبِدَتْ

4920 صحيح البخاري كتاب تفسير القرآن سورة نوح باب ودا ولا سواعا ولا يغوث ويعوق

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Abu Amina Elias
Abu Amina Elias (Justin Parrott) is an academic librarian, researcher, and translator specializing in the Quran, Hadith, and their commentaries. He is a former instructor of Islamic Creed for Mishkah University.
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