Kitaab At-Tawheed, Chapter: 7 Part 2
Whoever Seeks Blessing from a tree, stone or any such thing
It is reported on the authority of Abu Waqid Al-Laith (radiAllahu'anhu) that he said: "We were travelling with the Prophet to Hunain, when we had only recently abandoned disbelief and the polytheists had a lote-tree at which they used to worship and upon which they used to hang their weapons. They called it: Zaatu Anwaat. So we said to Allah's Messenger :
"Make for us a Zaatu Anwaat like theirs," at which the Messenger of Allah said: "Allaahu Akbar! Verily, that which you have said - by Him in Whose Hand is my soul - is the same as was said by the children of Israel to Moosa: "Make for us a god such as the gods which they (the Egyptian polytheists) have." Then he said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people who will follow the way of those who were before you." (Narrated by At-Tirmizi, who declared it authentic)
Abu Waaqid Al-Laith (radiAllahu'anhu) informs us in this Hadith that he accompanied the Prophet on a journey to the Battle of Hunain, and that they (the Companions) knew that the polytheists had a lote-tree from which they used to seek blessings and at which they would remain to worship; and because of the fact that they were new to Islam, and because they did not fully realize its goals (i.e. to call people to worship Allah Alone), they asked the Prophet to designate a tree like it for them that they might also seek blessings from it and worship in its vicinity like the pagans. At this, the Prophet exclaimed, in vexation: "Allaahu Akbar!", then he explained to them that such ignorance was the same as that displayed by the people of Moosa ('alayhissalam) who asked him to make for them an idol like those of the pagan Egyptians which they might worship and this was after Allah had saved them from Fir'oun and his people. Then he informed them that this Ummah will do as the Jews and Christians do in everything, including Shirk.
Benefits Derived From This Hadith
1. The virtue of making clear that which would refute the charge of back-biting, by saying: "...when we had recently abandoned disbelief..."
2. The difficulty man experiences in removing ingrained habits.
3. That devotion (i'tikaaf) to a particular place is an act of worship.
4. That the ignorant person is excused by virtue of his ignorance so long as he ceases his mistake once knowledge comes to him.
5. The prohibition of imitating the ignorant people such as the polytheists and others.
6. The permissibility of saying: "Allaahu Akbar!" when one is surprised.
7. The obligation to close off all possible routes leading to Shirk.
8. That Shirk will occur in this Ummah.
The permissibility of invoking Allah's Name, when delivering a legal verdict.
10. The permissibility of swearing without the intention of making an oath for good reason.
11. That this Ummah will do all that the Jews and Christians do.
12. That all the evil deeds done by the Jews and Christians should serve as a warning to us.
Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter
That it proves that taking trees as a source of blessing, and carrying out devotions in their vicinity is Shirk and it includes every tree, stone or other object of worship from which blessings are invoked.
Important Note
It has become very common nowadays for people to invoke blessings by the sweat of the righteous, or by touching them or their clothes or by their tahneek* of children, which they base upon the action of the Prophet ; but this is unacceptable because this was something purely and solely for him , not a sunnah for all the Muslims. His Companions - who were the best of people in following him and implementing his Sunnah did not do so, either in his lifetime or after his death.
Footnotes
*Tahneek: Putting juice and saliva into the mouth of an infant: It is reported on the authority of 'Aa`ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that: "The first child born in the Islamic State (Madinah) amongst the Muhaajiroon (Emigrants) was 'Abdullah Ibn Az-Zubair. They brought him to the Prophet . The Prophet took a date and after chewing it, put its juice in to his mouth. So the first thing that went into the child's stomach was the saliva of the Prophet ." (Narrated by Bukhari)