Does the hadeeth “I am not afraid that you will worship others along with Allah after my death” mean that shirk will never occur among this ummah?.

Narrated 'Uqba bin 'Amir:
Bukhari - Volume 2, book 23, number 428: Narrated 'Uqba bin 'Amir: One
day the Prophet went out and offered the funeral prayers of the
martyrs ofUhud and then went up the pulpit and said, "I will pave the
way for you as your predecessor and will be a witness on you. By
Allah! I see my Fount (Kauthar) just nowand I have been given the keys
of all the treasures of the earth (or the keys of the earth). By
Allah! I am not afraid that you will worship others along with Allah
after my death, but I am afraid that you will fight with one another
for the worldly things." This hadeeth is often used bythose comitting
bidah asjustification for some of the acts which can be labeled as
"shirk" (such as calling out on others besides Allah, grave
worshipping, etc.). The claim is that the Ummah of the Prophet (SAW)
arenot at risk of comitting shirk. What is the correctinterpretation
of this hadeeth.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The hadeeth was narrated by al-Bukhaari (1344) and Muslim (2296) from
'Uqbah ibn 'Aamir, and says that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) came out one day and prayed for the people of Uhud
as he used to pray for the dead. Then he went to the minbar and said:
"I will be there ahead of you, and I will be your witness. By Allaah,
I can see my Cistern now. I am given the keys to the treasures of the
earth, orthe keys to the earth. By Allaah, I do not fear that you will
associate others with Allaah after I am gone, but I fear that you will
compete with one another for them (the treasures of the earth)."
What is meant by his praying for them (the people of Uhud) as he used
to pray for the dead is his offering supplication for them with the
du'aa' that is recited in the funeral prayer. This was seven years
after they were martyred (may Allah be pleased with them).
There is nothing in the hadeeth to say that shirk(association of
others with Allah) will not happen in this ummah; rather it may be
understood that he did not fear it for the entire ummah, based on the
fact that it has occurred among some of them, as is indicated in other
texts in which he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated
that some of his ummah would fall into shirk.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on
Muslim (Sharh Muslim): In this hadeeth we see the miracles of the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), because
what it means isa foretelling that his ummah would be given the
treasures of the earth, which did indeed come to pass; and that they
would not all apostatise because Allah,may He be exalted, protected
them from that; and that they would compete with one another for
worldly gain. And all of that came to pass. End quote.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-'Asqallaani (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:The words "I do not fear that you will associate others with
Allah" mean:(I do not fear that you will do that) en masse, because
that happened with some of them – may Allah protect us. This hadeeth
is one of the miracles of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), hence the author narrated it under the heading of the signs
of Prophethood.
End quote from Fath al-Baari, 3/211
Secondly:
The saheeh Sunnah indicates that among this ummah will be somewho
associate others with Allah, may He be exalted.
1.
al-Bukhaari (7116) and Muslim (2906) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The Hour will not begin until the
backsides of the women of Daws wobble (as they go) around
Dhu'l-Khalasah."
Dhu'l-Khalasah was a false god of Daws that they used to worship
during the Jaahiliyyah.
2.
Muslim (2907) narrated that 'Aa'ishah said: I heard the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: "Night and day
will not cease until al-Laat and al-'Uzza are worshipped." I said: O
Messenger of Allaah, when Allaah revealed the words "He it is Who has
sent His Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) with guidance and the
religion of truth (Islamic Monotheism) to make it victorious over all
(other) religions even though the Mushrikoon (polytheists, pagans,
idolaters, and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah and in His
Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) hate (it)" [al-Saff 61:33], I
thought that that had been fulfilled and would never be undone. He
said: "As much of that as Allaah wills will happen, then Allaah will
send a pleasant wind which willcause everyone in whose heart is faith
the size of a grain of mustard seed to die, then there will be left
those in whom there is no good, and they will revert to the religion
of their forefathers."
Thus it becomes clear that some of the Muslimswill fall into shirk and
apostasy, without that affecting the entire ummah, for it is protected
against uniting in misguidance.
How can the Muslim doubt that calling upon the dead, beseeching them
at times of calamity and asking them to relieve distress are acts of
shirk? In fact this is the essence of what the earlier mushrikeen used
to do, seeking to draw close to Allah or seeking intercession with
Him, asAllah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"And those who take Auliya (protectors and helpers) besides Him (say):
"We worship them only that they may bringus near to Allah." Verily,
Allah will judge betweenthem concerning that wherein they differ.
Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever."
[az-Zumar 39:3]
"And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor
profitthem, and they say: 'These are our intercessors with Allah.'
Say: 'Do you inform Allahof that which He knows not in the heavens and
on the earth?' Glorified and Exalted be He above all that which they
associate as partners with Him!
Mankind were but one community (i.e. on one religion - Islamic
Monotheism), then they differed (later), and had not it been for a
Word that went forth before from your Lord, it would have been settled
between them regarding what they differed"
[Yoonus 10:18, 19]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:The
one who makes the angels and Prophets mediators on whom he calls and
in whom he puts his trust, and asks them to bring benefits and ward
off harm, such as asking them for forgiveness of sins, guidance of
hearts, relief of distress and meeting his needs, is a kaafir
according to the consensus of the Muslims.
End quote from Majmoo'al-Fataawa, 1/124
This consensus was narrated by more than one of the scholars who
affirmed it, see: al-Furoo'by Ibn Muflih, 6/165; al-Insaaf, 10/327;
Kashshaaf al-Qinaa', 6/169; Mataalib Ooli'n-Nuha, 6/279. These are the
essential reference books of Hanbali fiqh.
In Kashshaaf al-Qinaa' it says, after mentioning this consensus under
theheading of the ruling onthe apostate: Because this is like the
action of the idol worshippers who say, 'We only worship them so that
they might bring us closer to Allah.'
End quote.
More than one of the scholars has clearly stated that what some ofthe
ignorant Muslims do of focusing their devotion on graves is the
essence of what the earlier mushrikeen used to do.
Ar-Raazi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in hiscommentary on the
verse from Soorat Yoonus quoted above, explaining the explanations
that the mushrikeen gave for their worship of idols:
Fourthly: they made these idols and statues in the image of their
Prophets and great men,and claimed that if they devoted themselves to
worshipping these statues, those great men would be intercessors for
them with Allah, may He be exalted. The equivalent to that in our own
times is the devotion of many people to venerating thegraves of great
men, in the belief that if they venerate their graves, they will
intercede for them with Allah.
End quote from Mafaateeh al-Ghayb, 17/49