Question:
Is asking for help from intermediaries allowed? What about from whom which are no more in this world, like the deceased?
Country: Pakistan
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,
In Ba’Alawi’s Bughyat al-Mustarshidin p. 308, 369, it is related from Muhammad b. Sulayman al-Kurdi that he said,
وأما التوسل بالأنبياء والصالحين فهو أمر محبوب ثابت في الأحاديث الصحيحة وقد أطبقوا على طلبه بل ثبت التوسل بالأعمال الصالحة وهي أعراض فبالذوات أولى، أما جعل الوسائط بين العبد وبين ربه فإن صار يدعوهم كما يدعو الله في الأمور ويعتقد تأثيرهم في شيء من دون الله تعالى فهو كفر وإن كان نيته التوسل بهم إليه تعالى في قضاء مهماته مع اعتقاد أن الله هو النافع والضار المؤثر في الأمور دون غيره فالظاهر عدم كفره وإن كان فعله قبيحا اه
“Regarding tawassul through the Prophets and pious, it is a liked matter established in authenticated hadith. It being requested is agreed upon. In fact, tawassul is established through good deeds, and they are a’rad; thus, with dhawat a fortiori. Regarding making intermediaries between the worshiper and Allah, so if that winds up with them asking the intermediaries like they ask Allah in matters, believing that they bring about effects in a matter and not Allah, then that is disbelief. And if the intention is tawassul through them to Him the Exalted in the fulfillment of important matters, while believing that Allah is He who causes all benefit and harm in matters and none else, then this is not disbelief, although doing it is despicable.”
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.