Is it permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the awliya (close friends of Allah), based on His saying: “Those are the ones who invoke, seeking to their Lord the means of approach”?
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Question:
May Allah reward you, Your Eminence, father. The questioner says: How do we respond to those among the innovators who argue with the saying of Allah the Exalted,[Al-Isra 17:57], by claiming that it is permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous?
Answer:
This is what is known as wasilah, and this person says that it is seeking nearness to Allah without knowledge. Wasilah is what brings you closer to Allah through righteous deeds; it is what brings you closer to Allah through righteous deeds, not people. People do not bring you closer; they have their deeds, and you have your deeds. They do not bring you closer. That is a nation that has passed away; they had what they earned, and you have what you have earned.[Al-Baqarah 2:139] So people do not bring you closer to Allah. What brings you closer to Allah is your deed; your righteous deed is what brings you closer to Allah. For this reason, he said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:35] Wasilah means bringing a person? No, wasilah is the righteous deed. [Al-Isra 17:57] The intended meaning is 'Isa and Maryam. Did 'Isa bring a person to place between himself and Allah and seek nearness to Allah through a person? Who said this? That the prophets take means between themselves and Allah? The verse was revealed concerning 'Isa (peace be upon him). They used to call upon him, and he was a servant among Allah's servants, seeking nearness to his Lord. Yes. May Allah reward you, Your Eminence, father. For this reason, he said: [Al-Isra 17:57]
May Allah reward you, Your Eminence, father. The questioner says: How do we respond to those among the innovators who argue with the saying of Allah the Exalted,
Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord
أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَAnswer:
This is what is known as wasilah, and this person says that it is seeking nearness to Allah without knowledge. Wasilah is what brings you closer to Allah through righteous deeds; it is what brings you closer to Allah through righteous deeds, not people. People do not bring you closer; they have their deeds, and you have your deeds. They do not bring you closer. That is a nation that has passed away; they had what they earned, and you have what you have earned.
For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. And we are sincere [in deed and intention] to Him."
وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُخْلِصُونَfear Allah and seek the means [of nearness] to Him
اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَThose whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord
أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَand they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment
وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل يجوز التوسل بالأولياء أخذًا من قوله ﴿أولئك الذين يدعون يبتغون إلى ربهم الوسيلة﴾ للشيخ الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.