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# To call upon God directly, and at the same time in order to make the Dua more likely to be accepted, to make mention of a good deed one did, the name of a pious person (living or dead) who is close and beloved to God and also beloved to that person. Thus a person would say: "O Allah fulfil such and such a need for the sake of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him." This type of Tawassul is also permitted by the majority of scholars. # To call upon God directly, and at the same time in order to make the Dua more likely to be accepted, to make mention of a good deed one did, the name of a pious person (living or dead) who is close and beloved to God and also beloved to that person. Thus a person would say: "O Allah fulfil such and such a need for the sake of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him." This type of Tawassul is also permitted by the majority of scholars.
{{cquote|"There is no objection in making tawassul to God by means of the dignity (jah) and prime position of the Prophet (s), whether it is in his lifetime or after his death, since dignity here refers to an attribute which is one of the attributes of Almighty Allah…tawassul by means of dignity of a person other than the Prophet (s) is also permissible, provided that the one who is being considered a wasilah has a station and position of dignity in the sight of Allah.|40|40|Alusi al-Baghdadi |Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol. 6, page128}} {{cquote|"There is no objection in making tawassul to God by means of the dignity (jah) and prime position of the Prophet (s), whether it is in his lifetime or after his death, since dignity here refers to an attribute which is one of the attributes of Almighty Allah…tawassul by means of dignity of a person other than the Prophet (s) is also permissible, provided that the one who is being considered a wasilah has a station and position of dignity in the sight of Allah.|40|40|Alusi al-Baghdadi |Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol. 6, page128}}

==Validity of Tawassul==
Some of the evidence on the validity of Tawassul:

* Quran says:

{{cquote|O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek a means (wasila) to him.|40|40|Surah al-Ma'ida, V: 35|}}

The word "Wasila" (a means of approach) in its general indication includes Tawassul (intercession) by persons, and through actions.

{{cquote|If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you (O Muhammad, Allah bless him & give him peace) and asked Allah’s forgiveness, and the Messenger of Allah had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed forgiving and Most Merciful.|40|40|Surah al-Nisa, V: 64|}}

These two verses are clear on the permissibility and recommendation of Tawassul. The distinction made by some, between the living and the dead in this matter only comes from one who believes in the perishing of souls upon death, which would lead to denying resurrection.

Also, when one uses Tawassul in supplication, one does not ask and seek from other than God. Only the high position, status and rank of the person through whom Wasila is carried out is used as intercession. In other words, the servant is saying: "O Allah! This certain Prophet or servant of yours is very close to you. I do not possess any good deeds, but I have love for the pious. O Allah! Pardon me and forgive my sins due to this love and connection I have with this pious servant of yours".

Now, every person with a sound mind will determine that there is no reason to distinguish and differentiate between the living and the dead. This is the reason why scholars such as Imam Subki, Hafidh Ibn Kathir, Imam an-Nawawi and many others have declared the permissibility of Tawassul through the righteous, whether alive or died.

* Imam al-Tirmidhi and others relate from Uthman ibn Hunaif:

{{cquote|A blind man came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and said: “I've been afflicted in my eyesight, so pray to Allah for me”. The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: "Go perform ablution (Wudu), perform two Rak’at Salat and then say: “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 the return of my eyesight, that it may be fulfilled. O Allah! Grant him intercession for me". The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) then said: “and if there is some other need, do the same”.|40|40|Recorded by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i, Tabrani and others, with a sound chain of narrators|}}

The express content of this Hadith proves the legal validity of Tawassul through a living person. It implicitly proves the validity of Tawassul through a deceased person, as Tawassul through a living or dead person is not through a physical body or through life or death, rather, through the positive meaning attached to the person in both life and death.

* Moreover, Imam Tabrani relates in his al-Mu’jam al-Kabir reporting from the same Uthman ibn Hunaif that a person repeatedly visited him concerning something he needed, but Uthman paid no attention to him. The man met his son and complained to him about the matter- this was after the death of Muhammad and after the eras of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar - so Uthman (who collected Hadith and was from the learned) said : "Go to the place of Wudu, then come to the Masjid, perform two Rak’ats and then say : "O Allah!, I ask you and turn to you through our Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad! I turn through you to my lord, that He fulfil my need"....... until the end of the Hadith.

This is an explicit and clear text from a Companion (sahabi) proving the legal validity of Tawassul through the dead. The Hadith has been classed as authentic (Sahih) by al-Bayhaqi, Mundhiri, al-Haythami and many others.

* In the Hadith recorded by Imam al-Bukhari and others, the Companion Umar made Tawassul through the uncle of Muhammad, Sayyiduna Abbas, in asking God for rain at the time of drought.

These and many other Ahadith are clear on the permissibility and validity of Tawassul. This is the reason why the great traditional Sunni scholars have held this belief throughout the ages. Even in the present era, most of the Muslims who belong to the Ahl al-Sunnah Wa al-Jama’ah in most parts of the world have this belief.

Many books in Arabic and other languages have been written in refutation of those who regard Tawassul to be Shirk. Scholars from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Emirates, India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia itself have rejected the position held by the minority -so called- Salafi sect.

As far as some of the scholars of the Haramayn are concerned, there views in matters of Aqida are generally from the blind following of Imam Ibn Taymiyya... The Imam, despite having great knowledge, in many issues chose a path which was different from the path of the majority of the Ummah, and the Scholars by and large did not accept his views.

At the same time, one should be precautious in not having any wrong belief in Aqidah. There should be the conviction that God alone has influence over everything, outwardly and inwardly. Also, one should not have the belief that the supplication (Dua) is not accepted without Tawassul. This is the real Tawhid.


==Intercession== ==Intercession==

Revision as of 17:55, 12 May 2009

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Tawassul (Template:Lang-ar) is an Islamic religious practice in which a Muslim seeks nearness to God. A rough translation would be: "To draw near to what one seeks after and to approach that which one desires." The exact definition and method of tawassul is a matter of some dispute within the Muslim community.

Origin

Muslims who practice tawassul point to the Qur'an, Islam's holy book, as the origin of the practice. Many Muslims believe it is a commandment upon them to "draw near" to God. Amongst Sufi and Barelwi Muslims within Sunni Islam, as well as Twelver Shi'a Muslims, it refers to the act of supplicating to God through a prophet, imam or Sufi saint, whether dead or alive. Many Sunni Muslims dispute the practice's usage through the dead.

Types of Tawassul

There are four types Tawassul, according to the meaning of this word, which literally means "seeking a means". Two are permitted and two unlawful.

  1. To call on other than God believing that that being has the power to give benefit or harm. This is not just unlawful but also Shirk.
  2. To call on other than God believing that God has given over some authority to a certain individual to also benefit or harm. This is also in considered a branch of Shirk.
  3. To ask a person if alive who one believes to be pious and close to God to do Dua (pray) for you. This also comes under the meaning of Tawassul mentioned above and is permitted by all the scholars.
  4. To call upon God directly, and at the same time in order to make the Dua more likely to be accepted, to make mention of a good deed one did, the name of a pious person (living or dead) who is close and beloved to God and also beloved to that person. Thus a person would say: "O Allah fulfil such and such a need for the sake of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him." This type of Tawassul is also permitted by the majority of scholars.

"There is no objection in making tawassul to God by means of the dignity (jah) and prime position of the Prophet (s), whether it is in his lifetime or after his death, since dignity here refers to an attribute which is one of the attributes of Almighty Allah…tawassul by means of dignity of a person other than the Prophet (s) is also permissible, provided that the one who is being considered a wasilah has a station and position of dignity in the sight of Allah.

— Alusi al-Baghdadi, Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, vol. 6, page128

Intercession

Some Muslims also define tawassul as "intercession" with God, also pointing to the Qur'an in explanation of this. Muslims also believe that intercession is only with the permission of God.

Muslims believe that the practise of seeking intercession began during the life of Muhammad. An oft-cited Hadith in support of this is one narrated from Uthman ibn Hunaif regarding a blind man who Muslims believe was healed through the process. The modern Sunni scholar Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani commented on some of the Hadith regarding the subject, considering them to be authentic.

Intercession in Sunni Islam

Sunni Muslims traditionally have believed that seeking intercession is totally lawful, however there are varying views on the subject:

  • The Permanent Committee based in Saudi Arabia holds the view that Tawassul through dead persons, virtuous or not, leads to Shirk (polytheism).
  • The Fatwa Commitee based in Morocco considers Tawassul using collective supplications dhikr permissible and commendable.
  • Syrian Islamic scholars Salih al-Na`man, Abu Sulayman Suhayl al-Zabibi, and Mustafa ibn Ahmad al-Hasan al-Shatti al-Hanbali al-Athari al-Dimashqi have similarly released Fatwas in support of the practice..
  • Imàm Abu Hanïfa have not objected Tawassul. it is permissi­ble in the Hanafï School to say “by the sanctity/honor of so-and-so in Your presence” (bi-hurmati/bi-jàhi fulàn).

Intercession In Shia Islam

Contemporary Shia scholar and theologian Jaafar Subhani, summarized the forms of intersession in Shia Islam as follows:

  • Intercession using the Quran: He backed this form of intercession using examples of supplications where believers ask God by the holiness of the Quran.
  • Intercession using righteous deeds: In this form, the believers ask God by the deeds they introduce in advance such as fasting or charity.
  • Intercession using the term "Oh Muhammad": That means believers address directly to the prophet by calling on his name so the prophet asks God on their behalf.
  • Intercession using the supplication of other believers: This is the most common form in which a believer may ask any other believer saying: please pray for me.

References

  1. ^ http://www.islamtomorrow.com/wasila/1.asp Sunni Hanbali Position from Islam Tomorrow
  2. http://www.islamic.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Fiqh/tawassul.htm
  3. Bukhari, Tirmidhi, and many others relate, through their chain of narrators from 'Uthman ibn Hunayf, that a blind man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said, "I've been afflicted in my eyesight, so please pray to Allah for me." The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Go make ablution (wudu), perform two rak'as of prayer, and then say:

    "Oh Allah, I ask You and turn to You through my Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy; O Muhammad (Ya Muhammad), I seek your intercession with my Lord for the return of my eyesight ." The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) added, "And if there is some need, do the same."

    This hadith was recorded was recorded by Bukhari in his "al-Tarikh al-kabir", Ahmad (4:138 #17246-17247), Tirmidhi (hasan sahih gharib -- Da`awat Ch. 119), Nasa'i (`Amal al-yawm wa al-laylat p. 417-418 #658-660), al-Hakim (1:313, 1:526), Tabarani in al-Kabir, and rigorously authenticated as sound (sahih) by nearly fifteen hadith masters including Ibn Hajar, Dhahabi, Shawkani, and Ibn Taymiyya.] by Ibn Majah in his Sunan (Book of Iqamat al-salat wa al-sunnat, Ch. on Salat al-hajat #1385), where he said it was rigorously authenticated (SAHIH), by Nasa'i in "Amal al-yawm wa al-layla", by Abu Nu'aym in "Ma'rifa al-Sahaba", by Baihaqi in "Dala'il al-nubuwwa", by Mundhiri in "al-Targhib wa al-tahrib", by Haythami in "Majma' al zawa'id wa manba' al-fawa'id", by Tabarani in "al-Mu'jam al-kabir", by Ibn Khuzayma in his "Sahih", and by others. Nearly 15 hadith masters have conformed that this hadith is Sahih.
  4. Al Rifai Al Salafi At Tawassol Ila Haqiqat al Tawassul P:158. الرفاعي المعاصر: التوصل إلى حقيقة التوسل
  5. http://www.raza.co.za/Aqeeda/Aqeeda_Wasila%20of%20Holy%20Prophet.htm
  6. Al Tawassul, its kinds and its rules pages 75 to 77. التوسل أنواعه وأحكامه للألباني ص75 ـ 76
  7. http://www.fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=536
  8. Fatwa on the ruling regarding Tawassul using collective recitation of the term Oh He from the supreme Fatwa Council of Morocco
  9. http://www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/tawassul_2.htm#Shaykh Salih al-Na`man's fatwa on Tawassul
  10. Fatàwà Bazzàziyya (6:351 in the margin of the Fatàwà Hindiyya)
  11. http://www.sunnipath.com/Library/Articles/AR00000203.aspx
  12. Jaafar Subhani: Al Tawassul, Meaning, Classifications and rulings. AR. Page 26.
  13. Jaafar Subhani: Al Tawassul, Meaning, Classifications and rulings. AR. Page 28.
  14. Jaafar Subhani: Al Tawassul, Meaning, Classifications and rulings. AR. Page 34.
  15. Jaafar Subhani: Al Tawassul, Meaning, Classifications and rulings. AR. Page 40.

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