The Seventh Type of Prescribed Tawassul: Seeking Nearness to Allah Through Righteous Deeds, and an Explanation of the Story of the Companions Who Sheltered in the Cave Overnight.
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The Shaykh : This brother Muhammad reminded me of a seventh category, which is tawassul through righteous deeds, but...
The questioner : The cave.
The Shaykh : What is the question?
The questioner : The cave.
The Shaykh : I say that tawassul through the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was mentioned by us before we mentioned the sixth, but that is an interjected phrase; it is not from what is permissible, it is from what is prohibited, it is not from what is permissible.
What remains for us is tawassul through righteous deeds: and this is different from tawassul through faith. We make tawassul through righteous deeds an independent category so that the categories are how many? Seven. The categories are seven. Tawassul through righteous deeds is that a person mentions a righteous deed before his supplication, which becomes a cause for the attainment of the intended goal. An example of this is the story of the three men about whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke: three from the Children of Israel who sheltered overnight in a cave. A cave is a cleft in a mountain. They entered the cave, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic), by His wisdom, intended for a rock to close over them as a trial, a test, and a lesson for His servants. The rock closed over them, and they tried to push it away but were unable. So some of them said to others, "None can get you out of this except that you seek nearness to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) with your righteous deeds." So they sought nearness to Allah with their righteous deeds. One of them said, "O Allah, I had two old parents, and I did not give anyone food or wealth before them. One day, I went out seeking wood, and I returned to them and found them sleeping. I disliked to give anyone before them, so I kept the vessel in my hand until the dawn broke. Then they woke up, and I gave them to drink. This is the meaning of the hadith. O Allah, if I did that seeking Your Face, then remove from us what we are in, or relieve us of what we are in." So the rock opened up slightly, but they could not get out. Did you understand the story of this man? No, no. This is a man who had two old parents. "Two parents" means a father and a grandfather, correct? "Two parents" means a father and a mother, but he uses the term "two parents" for them, or "two parents" by way of predominance, just as it is said "the two moons" for the sun and the moon, and "the two 'Umar" for Abu Bakr and 'Umar. So, he had two old parents, and he had sheep that he would let graze. When he returned, he would milk these sheep and give his parents to drink and give his children to drink. But one time, he went far to seek pasture and was delayed in returning. He found his parents sleeping and did not want to give his children before them. So he milked the milk for them and kept it in his hand until the dawn appeared. Then he drank, and then he gave the children to drink. What do we call this deed? We call it the utmost dutifulness. As for the second, he mentioned that he had a cousin and he loved her intensely. So he proposed to her, but she refused. Then, in one of the years, a pressing need befell her, and she came to him seeking his help. He refused to meet her need unless she allowed him to have relations with her. Pay attention: she allowed him to have relations with her out of necessity. When he sat with her as a man sits with his wife, she said to him, "O this one, fear Allah and do not break the seal except with its right." A great, impactful word: "Fear Allah and do not break the seal except with its right." He said, "So I got up from her, and she is the most beloved of people to me." Meaning, he did not leave her because of desire, because he did not want her, but he left her out of fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) when he was reminded of Him. And he gave her her need. So this man combined perfect chastity and maintaining family ties. He said, "O Allah, if I did that seeking Your Face, then relieve us of what we are in." So the rock opened up, but they could not get out. As for the third, he mentioned that he had workers, meaning people he had hired, and he gave each one his wage except for one whom he did not give his wage. So he increased it for him, and it became camels, sheep, cattle, and slaves until the worker came to ask for his wage. He said, "Everything you see of camels, sheep, and slaves is all yours." He said to him, "Fear Allah, do not mock me." The worker said, "I do not mock you. This is your wage." So the worker took it and left with all of it. What is this transaction? It is complete fulfillment for this man, because it was possible that when he came to ask for his wage, it was possible that when he came to ask for his wage, he would give him his wage and be done with it. But because of his trustworthiness and fulfillment, he gave him all the increase of the wage. He said, "O Allah, if I did that seeking Your Face, then relieve us of what we are in." So the rock opened up, and they walked out.
The questioner : The cave.
The Shaykh : What is the question?
The questioner : The cave.
The Shaykh : I say that tawassul through the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was mentioned by us before we mentioned the sixth, but that is an interjected phrase; it is not from what is permissible, it is from what is prohibited, it is not from what is permissible.
What remains for us is tawassul through righteous deeds: and this is different from tawassul through faith. We make tawassul through righteous deeds an independent category so that the categories are how many? Seven. The categories are seven. Tawassul through righteous deeds is that a person mentions a righteous deed before his supplication, which becomes a cause for the attainment of the intended goal. An example of this is the story of the three men about whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke: three from the Children of Israel who sheltered overnight in a cave. A cave is a cleft in a mountain. They entered the cave, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic), by His wisdom, intended for a rock to close over them as a trial, a test, and a lesson for His servants. The rock closed over them, and they tried to push it away but were unable. So some of them said to others, "None can get you out of this except that you seek nearness to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) with your righteous deeds." So they sought nearness to Allah with their righteous deeds. One of them said, "O Allah, I had two old parents, and I did not give anyone food or wealth before them. One day, I went out seeking wood, and I returned to them and found them sleeping. I disliked to give anyone before them, so I kept the vessel in my hand until the dawn broke. Then they woke up, and I gave them to drink. This is the meaning of the hadith. O Allah, if I did that seeking Your Face, then remove from us what we are in, or relieve us of what we are in." So the rock opened up slightly, but they could not get out. Did you understand the story of this man? No, no. This is a man who had two old parents. "Two parents" means a father and a grandfather, correct? "Two parents" means a father and a mother, but he uses the term "two parents" for them, or "two parents" by way of predominance, just as it is said "the two moons" for the sun and the moon, and "the two 'Umar" for Abu Bakr and 'Umar. So, he had two old parents, and he had sheep that he would let graze. When he returned, he would milk these sheep and give his parents to drink and give his children to drink. But one time, he went far to seek pasture and was delayed in returning. He found his parents sleeping and did not want to give his children before them. So he milked the milk for them and kept it in his hand until the dawn appeared. Then he drank, and then he gave the children to drink. What do we call this deed? We call it the utmost dutifulness. As for the second, he mentioned that he had a cousin and he loved her intensely. So he proposed to her, but she refused. Then, in one of the years, a pressing need befell her, and she came to him seeking his help. He refused to meet her need unless she allowed him to have relations with her. Pay attention: she allowed him to have relations with her out of necessity. When he sat with her as a man sits with his wife, she said to him, "O this one, fear Allah and do not break the seal except with its right." A great, impactful word: "Fear Allah and do not break the seal except with its right." He said, "So I got up from her, and she is the most beloved of people to me." Meaning, he did not leave her because of desire, because he did not want her, but he left her out of fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) when he was reminded of Him. And he gave her her need. So this man combined perfect chastity and maintaining family ties. He said, "O Allah, if I did that seeking Your Face, then relieve us of what we are in." So the rock opened up, but they could not get out. As for the third, he mentioned that he had workers, meaning people he had hired, and he gave each one his wage except for one whom he did not give his wage. So he increased it for him, and it became camels, sheep, cattle, and slaves until the worker came to ask for his wage. He said, "Everything you see of camels, sheep, and slaves is all yours." He said to him, "Fear Allah, do not mock me." The worker said, "I do not mock you. This is your wage." So the worker took it and left with all of it. What is this transaction? It is complete fulfillment for this man, because it was possible that when he came to ask for his wage, it was possible that when he came to ask for his wage, he would give him his wage and be done with it. But because of his trustworthiness and fulfillment, he gave him all the increase of the wage. He said, "O Allah, if I did that seeking Your Face, then relieve us of what we are in." So the rock opened up, and they walked out.