What is the ruling on seeking nearness to Allah through the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and likewise seeking nearness through the prophets and the righteous? And I ask about the difference between seeking nearness through the living and seeking nearness through the dead
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The questioner : Your Eminence, what is the ruling on seeking nearness to Allah through the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and likewise seeking nearness through the prophets and the righteous? And what is the difference between seeking nearness through the living and seeking nearness through the dead? And what is the permissible seeking nearness?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
The truth is that this question, as you mentioned, is an important question that requires a detailed answer. So I say: Tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) is: adopting a means to reach the intended goal. It is close in meaning to "attainment," meaning that the means is the thing that leads to the intended end. It must be a means that leads to the intended end, either in reality or by the Shari'ah. If it is not so, then preoccupation with it is from futility. Then, if it is in the context of worship, it is a bid'ah (religious innovation); otherwise, it is idle talk and futility.
And tawassul to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is all from the category of worship, because the intended goal is reaching Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His pleasure. Whatever is a means to this is worship. And if it is worship, it depends on what the Shari'ah has brought. It is not permissible for us to innovate a means to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that the Shari'ah has not brought. Based on this, we say: Tawassul is of two types:
Forbidden tawassul, and permissible, prescribed tawassul.
As for the forbidden tawassul, its criterion is that a person seeks nearness to Allah with what has not been established by the Shari'ah as a means. Among this is tawassul through the dead, which is haram (forbidden) and may be major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes one out of the religion. Also among this is that a person seeks nearness through the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), according to the stronger opinion. This is because the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is among the greatest statuses with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If Moses and Jesus are among the nobles with Allah, then Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is better and more deserving of status than others. But status is not beneficial except to the one who deserves it. As for the one making the supplication, he does not benefit from it because he does not gain anything from it.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his station with Allah is only beneficial to him alone. As for others, nothing benefits them with Allah except faith in the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and what he brought, and what is a legitimate means according to the Shari'ah.
As for the second type: which is permissible tawassul, it has categories:
The first: Seeking nearness to Allah by His names. For example, you say: "O Allah, I ask You by Your beautiful names and Your exalted attributes to forgive me, for example." This is permissible. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-A'raf 7:180].
And in the famous hadith of Ibn Mas'ud regarding the removal of worry and grief:Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 18:73 to the end of it. Here he said: Mishkat al-Masabih 2452 the hadith.
So seeking nearness to Allah by His names is valid, prescribed tawassul, whether you seek nearness by His names in general, such as saying: "I ask You by Your beautiful names, I ask You by every name that is Yours," or by a specific name from His names, as if you say: "O Allah, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful, so forgive me and have mercy on me."
The second: Seeking nearness to Allah by His attributes. As came in the hadith:Mishkat al-Masabih 2497 Here he asked Allah by one of His attributes: by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation. And from this is the tawassul of istikhara (prayer for guidance): Sahih al-Bukhari 6382.
The third: Seeking nearness to Allah by His actions. By seeking nearness with an action from the actions of Allah the Exalted that He did for someone else, so that He makes for you what He did for someone else. And from this is:Sahih al-Bukhari 3370 Here we sought nearness to Allah by an action from His actions, which is His sending blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, so that He sends blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.
The fourth: Seeking nearness to Allah by faith in Him. And from this is His saying the Exalted:[Ali 'Imran 3:193] So you say: "O Allah, I ask You by my faith in You and in Your Messenger to forgive me and to protect me from the great terror on the Day of Judgment," and the like of that.
The fifth: Seeking nearness to Allah by righteous deeds. By a person seeking nearness to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with his righteous deed so that He gives him what he wants. And from this is the story of the three companions of the cave who were trapped by a rock in the cave and could not move it. They sought nearness to Allah the Exalted with their righteous deeds. One of them sought nearness by his dutifulness to his parents, the second by his chastity from zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and the third by his fulfillment of the wage of his companion. So Allah accepted from them, the rock split open, and they walked out.
The sixth: Seeking nearness to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by the supplication of the righteous. And from this is the request of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to supplicate for them. For example: the request of the man who entered while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon on Friday, and he said: And also the statement of 'Ikamah ibn Mahsan when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke about the seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment, and he said: "O Messenger of Allah! Ask Allah to make me among them." He said: .
This is the prescribed tawassul regarding the righteous: that you seek nearness to Allah by their supplication. As for seeking nearness to Allah by their selves, this is from the non-prescribed tawassul, indeed from the forbidden tawassul.
And the seventh: Seeking nearness to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by mentioning one's state. And this is seeking compassion and tenderness, meaning: asking for compassion and asking for tenderness. And from this is the statement of Moses (peace be upon him):[Al-Qasas 28:24] So you say: "O Allah, I am poor, incapable, destitute, weak," and the like of that. So you complain of your state to Allah. This complaint is considered a means to the mercy of Allah, His forgiveness, and His bounty.
These are the prescribed categories in tawassul. As for tawassul with what has not come, it is from the forbidden tawassul. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
The truth is that this question, as you mentioned, is an important question that requires a detailed answer. So I say: Tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) is: adopting a means to reach the intended goal. It is close in meaning to "attainment," meaning that the means is the thing that leads to the intended end. It must be a means that leads to the intended end, either in reality or by the Shari'ah. If it is not so, then preoccupation with it is from futility. Then, if it is in the context of worship, it is a bid'ah (religious innovation); otherwise, it is idle talk and futility.
And tawassul to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is all from the category of worship, because the intended goal is reaching Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His pleasure. Whatever is a means to this is worship. And if it is worship, it depends on what the Shari'ah has brought. It is not permissible for us to innovate a means to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that the Shari'ah has not brought. Based on this, we say: Tawassul is of two types:
Forbidden tawassul, and permissible, prescribed tawassul.
As for the forbidden tawassul, its criterion is that a person seeks nearness to Allah with what has not been established by the Shari'ah as a means. Among this is tawassul through the dead, which is haram (forbidden) and may be major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes one out of the religion. Also among this is that a person seeks nearness through the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), according to the stronger opinion. This is because the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is among the greatest statuses with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If Moses and Jesus are among the nobles with Allah, then Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is better and more deserving of status than others. But status is not beneficial except to the one who deserves it. As for the one making the supplication, he does not benefit from it because he does not gain anything from it.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his station with Allah is only beneficial to him alone. As for others, nothing benefits them with Allah except faith in the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and what he brought, and what is a legitimate means according to the Shari'ah.
As for the second type: which is permissible tawassul, it has categories:
The first: Seeking nearness to Allah by His names. For example, you say: "O Allah, I ask You by Your beautiful names and Your exalted attributes to forgive me, for example." This is permissible. Allah the Exalted said:
And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them
وَلِلَّهِ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَاAnd in the famous hadith of Ibn Mas'ud regarding the removal of worry and grief:
I ask You, O Allah, by every name that is Yours by which You named Yourself, or which You revealed in Your Book, or which You taught anyone of Your creation, or which You kept exclusive in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the great Qur'an the spring of my heart
أسألك اللهم بكل اسم هو لك سميت به نفسك، أو أنزلته في كتابك، أو علمته أحداً من خلقك، أو استأثرت به في علم الغيب عندك، أن تجعل القرآن العظيم ربيع قلبيI ask Thee by every name Thou hast by which Thou hast called Thyself
أسألك بكل اسم هو لك سميت به نفسكSo seeking nearness to Allah by His names is valid, prescribed tawassul, whether you seek nearness by His names in general, such as saying: "I ask You by Your beautiful names, I ask You by every name that is Yours," or by a specific name from His names, as if you say: "O Allah, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful, so forgive me and have mercy on me."
The second: Seeking nearness to Allah by His attributes. As came in the hadith:
O God, by Thy knowledge of the unseen and Thy power to create, grant me life as long as Thou knowest life to be best for me, and take me when Thou knowest death to be best for me
اللهم بعلمك الغيب وقدرتك على الخلق أحييني إذا علمت الحياة خيراً لي، وتوفني إذا علمت الوفاة خيراً ليAllahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika-l-'azim
اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك، واستقدرك بقدرتك، وأسألك من فضلك العظيمThe third: Seeking nearness to Allah by His actions. By seeking nearness with an action from the actions of Allah the Exalted that He did for someone else, so that He makes for you what He did for someone else. And from this is:
O Allah! Send Your Mercy on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your Mercy on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious.
اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيدThe fourth: Seeking nearness to Allah by faith in Him. And from this is His saying the Exalted:
Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous.
رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الأَبْرَارِThe fifth: Seeking nearness to Allah by righteous deeds. By a person seeking nearness to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with his righteous deed so that He gives him what he wants. And from this is the story of the three companions of the cave who were trapped by a rock in the cave and could not move it. They sought nearness to Allah the Exalted with their righteous deeds. One of them sought nearness by his dutifulness to his parents, the second by his chastity from zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and the third by his fulfillment of the wage of his companion. So Allah accepted from them, the rock split open, and they walked out.
The sixth: Seeking nearness to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by the supplication of the righteous. And from this is the request of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to supplicate for them. For example: the request of the man who entered while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon on Friday, and he said:
O Messenger of Allah! The wealth has been destroyed and the roads have been cut off, so call upon Allah to send us relief. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made a supplication, and Allah sent them relief.
يا رسول الله! هلكت الأموال وانقطعت السبل فادع الله يغيثنا، فدعا النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فأغاثهم اللهYou are among them.
أنت منهمThis is the prescribed tawassul regarding the righteous: that you seek nearness to Allah by their supplication. As for seeking nearness to Allah by their selves, this is from the non-prescribed tawassul, indeed from the forbidden tawassul.
And the seventh: Seeking nearness to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by mentioning one's state. And this is seeking compassion and tenderness, meaning: asking for compassion and asking for tenderness. And from this is the statement of Moses (peace be upon him):
My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need."
رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌThese are the prescribed categories in tawassul. As for tawassul with what has not come, it is from the forbidden tawassul. And Allah knows best.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.