Seeking Nearness to Allah Through the Awliya
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The second question of Fatwa No. ( 1328 ):
Q2: Is it permissible for a Muslim to seek nearness to Allah through the prophets and the righteous? I have come across the statement of some scholars that seeking nearness to Allah through the awliya is permissible, because the supplication in it is directed to Allah. I have also seen some of them say the opposite of what this person said. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in this matter?
A2: The wali (close friend of Allah): is everyone who believes in Allah and fears Him, doing what He, the Exalted, has commanded and abstaining from what He has forbidden. At the head of them are the messengers and prophets (peace and blessings be upon them). Allah the Exalted said:[Yunus 10:62-63]
Seeking nearness to Allah through His awliya is of types: The first: A person asks a living wali to supplicate to Allah for him, for an increase in provision, healing from an illness, guidance, success, or the like. This is permissible. Among this is the request of some of the Companions to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when the rain was delayed from them, asking him to seek rain for them. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked his Lord to send down rain, and He answered his supplication and sent down rain upon them. Among this is the seeking of rain by the Companions through al-Abbas during the caliphate of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), and their request of him to supplicate to Allah for the sending down of rain. So al-Abbas supplicated to his Lord, and the Companions said "Ameen" to his supplication... and so on, of what occurred in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and after him, of a Muslim asking his Muslim brother to supplicate to his Lord for him to bring benefit or remove harm. The second: A person calls upon Allah, seeking nearness to Him through his love for His Prophet and his following of him, and through his love for the awliya of Allah, by saying: "O Allah, I ask You by my love for Your Prophet and my following of him, and by my love for Your awliya, to give me such and such." This is permissible, because it is seeking nearness from the servant to his Lord through his righteous knowledge. Of this is what is established regarding the seeking of nearness by the three men of the cave through their righteous deeds. The third: A person asks Allah by the status (jah) of His prophets or a wali from among His awliya, by saying: "O Allah, I ask You by the status of Your Prophet, or by the status of al-Husayn ," for example. This is
not permissible; because the status of the awliya of Allah, even though it is great with Allah, and especially the status of our beloved Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), is not a cause prescribed by the Shari'ah or a natural cause for the acceptance of supplication. For this reason, the Companions, when they were afflicted with drought, turned away from seeking nearness by his status (peace and blessings be upon him) in the supplication for rain, and turned to seeking nearness by the supplication of his uncle al-Abbas , even though his status (peace and blessings be upon him) is above every status. It is not known from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that they sought nearness by him (peace and blessings be upon him) after his death, and they are the best of the generations, the most knowledgeable of people regarding his right, and the most loving of them for him. The fourth: A servant asks his Lord for his need, swearing by his wali or his prophet, or by the right of his prophet or his awliya, by saying: "O Allah, I ask You for such and such by Your wali so-and-so, or by the right of Your prophet so-and-so." This is not permissible, for swearing by a created being to a created being is prohibited, and it is more strongly prohibited to do so to Allah, the Creator. Then, no created being has a right over the Creator merely by his obedience to Him, the Exalted, such that he would swear by him to Allah or seek nearness through him. This is what the evidence testifies to, and by this the Islamic creed is preserved and the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah) are blocked. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q2: Is it permissible for a Muslim to seek nearness to Allah through the prophets and the righteous? I have come across the statement of some scholars that seeking nearness to Allah through the awliya is permissible, because the supplication in it is directed to Allah. I have also seen some of them say the opposite of what this person said. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in this matter?
A2: The wali (close friend of Allah): is everyone who believes in Allah and fears Him, doing what He, the Exalted, has commanded and abstaining from what He has forbidden. At the head of them are the messengers and prophets (peace and blessings be upon them). Allah the Exalted said:
(62) Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve (63) Those who believed and were fearing Allah
أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (62) الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَSeeking nearness to Allah through His awliya is of types: The first: A person asks a living wali to supplicate to Allah for him, for an increase in provision, healing from an illness, guidance, success, or the like. This is permissible. Among this is the request of some of the Companions to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when the rain was delayed from them, asking him to seek rain for them. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked his Lord to send down rain, and He answered his supplication and sent down rain upon them. Among this is the seeking of rain by the Companions through al-Abbas during the caliphate of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), and their request of him to supplicate to Allah for the sending down of rain. So al-Abbas supplicated to his Lord, and the Companions said "Ameen" to his supplication... and so on, of what occurred in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and after him, of a Muslim asking his Muslim brother to supplicate to his Lord for him to bring benefit or remove harm. The second: A person calls upon Allah, seeking nearness to Him through his love for His Prophet and his following of him, and through his love for the awliya of Allah, by saying: "O Allah, I ask You by my love for Your Prophet and my following of him, and by my love for Your awliya, to give me such and such." This is permissible, because it is seeking nearness from the servant to his Lord through his righteous knowledge. Of this is what is established regarding the seeking of nearness by the three men of the cave through their righteous deeds. The third: A person asks Allah by the status (jah) of His prophets or a wali from among His awliya, by saying: "O Allah, I ask You by the status of Your Prophet, or by the status of al-Husayn ," for example. This is
not permissible; because the status of the awliya of Allah, even though it is great with Allah, and especially the status of our beloved Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), is not a cause prescribed by the Shari'ah or a natural cause for the acceptance of supplication. For this reason, the Companions, when they were afflicted with drought, turned away from seeking nearness by his status (peace and blessings be upon him) in the supplication for rain, and turned to seeking nearness by the supplication of his uncle al-Abbas , even though his status (peace and blessings be upon him) is above every status. It is not known from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that they sought nearness by him (peace and blessings be upon him) after his death, and they are the best of the generations, the most knowledgeable of people regarding his right, and the most loving of them for him. The fourth: A servant asks his Lord for his need, swearing by his wali or his prophet, or by the right of his prophet or his awliya, by saying: "O Allah, I ask You for such and such by Your wali so-and-so, or by the right of Your prophet so-and-so." This is not permissible, for swearing by a created being to a created being is prohibited, and it is more strongly prohibited to do so to Allah, the Creator. Then, no created being has a right over the Creator merely by his obedience to Him, the Exalted, such that he would swear by him to Allah or seek nearness through him. This is what the evidence testifies to, and by this the Islamic creed is preserved and the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah) are blocked. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.