Question
Is this Hadith and du’a authentic?
‘Uthman ibn Hunayf (radiyallahu ‘anhu) narrated that a blind man came to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said: “Supplicate to Allah to heal me.” He (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “If you wish I will supplicate for you, and if you wish, you can be patient, for that is better for you.” He said: “Then supplicate”. He said: “So he ordered him to perform wudu and to make his wudu complete, and to supplicate with this supplication: ‘O Allah, I ask You and turn towards You by Your Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. Indeed, I have turned to my Rabb, by means of You, concerning this need of mine, so that it can be resolved, so O Allah so accept his intercession for me.”
Answer
Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) and other Muhaddithun have recorded this Hadith:
Sayyiduna ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf (radiyallahu ‘anhu) narrates that once a blind person came to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said, “O Rasulullah! Ask Allah to cure me.” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied, ‘If you wish, I will make du’a or else you could be patient and this is better for you.’ The man said, ‘Make du’a [instead].’ Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then commanded him to make wudu properly and recite the following du’a:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ وَأَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّ الرَّحْمَةِ، [يَا مُحَمَّدُ] إِنِّي تَوَجَّهْتُ بِكَ إِلَى رَبِّي فِي حَاجَتِي هَذِهِ لِتُقْضَى لِيَ، اللَّهُمَّ فَشَفِّعْهُ فِيَّ
Allahumma inni as’aluka wa atawajjahu ilayka bi nabiyyika Muhammadin Nabiyyir rahmati [Ya Muhammadu] inni tawajjahtu bika ila Rabbi fi hajaati haadihi li tuqdha li Allahumma fa shaffi’hu fiyya
(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3578, Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 1385 with slight variation in the wording, Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4 pg. 138)
Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) has declared the Hadith authentic (hasanun sahihun gharib). Imams Ibn Khuzaymah and Hakim (rahimahumallah) have also declared the Hadith authentic (sahih). ‘Allamah Dhahabi (rahimahullah) concurs.
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, Hadith :1219, Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 1 pg. 313 and pg. 519)
Translation of the du’a:
O Allah! I ask of you and I turn to you through Your Nabi, Muhammad, the Nabi of mercy. [O Muhammad], I have turned to my Rabb through you so that my need be fulfilled. O Allah, accept his intercession on my behalf.’
See a detailed article on the issue of tawassul here
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar