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Tawassul through the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and awliya

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed

What is the ruling on supplicating Allah through an intermediary (tawassul), such as through the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and the (friends of Allah) awliya after their passing away. What is permissible and what is not?

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Tawassul through the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is permissible. In fact, it is recommended in du’a, as it has been established by the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and is agreed upon by the majority of the early and late scholars. This is conveyed by Shaykh al-Islam Taqi Subki, saying: “Tawassul to one’s Lord through the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is praiseworthy. Not one early or late scholar disapproved it, except for Ibn Taymiyah, who innovated something no scholar before him said”.

Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah relate through a rigorous chain of narrators from ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with them) that “A blind man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said, ‘Please pray to Allah for me that He may heal me.’ The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘If you wish I will pray [for you], but if you are patient, it is better for you.’ The man said: ‘Pray to Him’. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) directed him to make a meticulous ablution (wudu), and then make the following du’a: ‘O Allah, I ask You and turn to You through my Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy; O Muhammad, I seek your intercession with my Lord for my need, that it may be fulfilled. O Allah, grant him intercession for me'”. Tirmidhi stated that the hadith is well or rigorously authenticated. [Translator’s note: According to this hadith as mentioned in The Reliance of the Traveler (p. 935), one prays 2 rak’as after making wudu and before saying the above mentioned du’a.]

There is no difference between the tawassul made during the life the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and after his passing away. In both cases, it is permissible. This is because the above mentioned hadith contains a command to make tawassul, and does not specify that it be done during the life of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) or after his passing away. It is upon those claiming a differentiation to provide supporting evidence for their claim. Furthermore, the reality of tawassul is nothing but supplicating by means of the high station of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with his Lord, Mighty and Majestic. His station exists during his life and after his death (Allah bless him and give him peace). Making tawassul does not imply the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) influence over or management of affairs, as this is exclusive to Allah, Mighty and Majestic.

Whoever deems it permissible to make tawassul through the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) during his life time, but impermissible to do so after his passage to the hereafter, believing that influence vanishes after death, holds a clearly problematic belief, for attributing an influence over affairs to other than Allah. According to the Ahlu Sunnah this a straying.

All of what is mentioned above concerning the Prophet also applies to the rest of the prophets (Allah bless them and give them peace), the awliya and the righteous. Therefore, it is permissible to make tawassul through them to Allah, whether during their life time or after their death. The proof for this is the hadith Bukhari narrates about ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) making tawassul through ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) as follows: ” Anas ibn Malik narrated that whenever there was a drought, ‘Umar ibn Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him)used to pray for rain through ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, saying: ‘O Allah, we used to make tawassul to you by our Prophet and you would send us rain. Here we are making tawassul to you by the uncle of our Prophet, so send us rain.’ He said and they would be given rain.” Al-Hafidh ibn Hajar mentioned in his commentary: “From the story of ‘Abbas it follows that seeking intercession through the pious, the righteous and the Ahlul Bait (family of the Prophet) is praiseworthy”.

– Amjad Rasheed

(Translated by Sr Lida Kahi)

السؤال: ما حكم التوسل إلى الله عز وجل بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم والأولياء بعد وفاتهم؟ ماذا يجوز وماذا لا يجوز ؟ الجواب : التوسلُ بالنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم جائزٌ بل مندوبٌ إليه في الدعاء كما ثبت الأمرُ به عنه عليه الصلاة والسلام وعليه إجماعُ علماء السلف والخلف كما نقله شيخُ الإسلام التقيُّ السبكي ونصُّ عبارته: ” يَحْسُن التوسلُ بالنبي إلى ربه ، ولم ينكره أحدٌ من السلف ولا الخلف ، إلا ابن تيمية فابتدع ما لم يقلْه عالم قبله “. اهـ وقد روى الترمذي وابن ماجه بإسناد صحيح عن عثمان بن حنيف رضي الله عنه : أن رجلاً ضريرَ البصر أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال : ادع الله تعالى أن يعافيني . قال : إن شئت دعوت ، وإن شئت صبرت فهو خير لك ، قال : فادعه . فأمره أن يتوضأ فيحسن وضوءه ويدعو بهذا الدعاء : اللهم إني أسألك وأتوجه إليك بنبيك محمد نبي الرحمة صلى الله عليه وسلم ، يا محمد إني توجهت بك إلى ربي في حاجتي هذه لتقضى لي ، اللهم شفعه فِيَّ “. قال الترمذي : حديث حسن صحيح . ولا فرق في التوسل بين أن يكون في حياته صلى الله عليه وسلم وبعد انتقاله فكلَُّه جائز ؛ إذ الحديثُ المذكورُ جاء الأمرُ فيه بالتوسل ولم يفرق بين الحياة وبعد الممات ، فمن ادعى التخصيصَ فعليه البيان . ثم إنَّ حقيقة التوسل ما هي إلا التوسل بمنـزلته صلى الله عليه وسلم ورفيعِ درجته عند ربه تعالى ، وهي موجودة في حياته وبعد موته صلوات الله وسلامه عليه ، ولا يقصد بالتوسل تأثيرَه عليه الصلاة والسلام وتصرفه في الأمور ؛ لأنَّ هذا لا يكون إلا لله سبحانه ، فمن أجاز التوسلَ به صلى الله عليه وسلم في حياته ومنعه بعد انتقاله ؛ لأنه لا تأثير بعد الموت ، ففي عقيدته خللٌ بَـيِّنٌ لاعتقاده أن لغير الله تعالى تأثيراً في الأمور ، وهذا ضلال عند أهل السنة . وكلُّ ما تقدم في حقه صلى الله عليه وسلم يقال في باقي الأنبياء عليهم الصلاة والسلام والأولياء والصالحين ، فيجوز التوسل بهم إلى الله تعالى في حياتهم وبعد مماتهم بدليل ما رواه البخاري عن سيدنا عمر رضي الله عنه أنه توسل بالعباس رضي الله عنه عمِّ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فعن أنس بن مالك : ” أن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه كان إذا قحطوا استسقى بالعباس بن عبد المطلب فقال : اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبينا فتسقينا وإنا نتوسل إليك بعمِّ نبينا فاسقنا قال : فيسقون “. قال الحافظُ ابنُ حجر في شرحه :” ويستفاد من قصة العباس استحبابُ الاستشفاع بأهل الخير والصَّلاح وأَهل بَيْت النُّبُوَّةِ “. اهـ

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