Permissible and Prohibited Tawassul
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
I read in one of the letters of students of knowledge, in his definition of the means of approach (wasilah), that it is supplicating to Allah through a means. Is this expression correct, especially since it may be confusing and made attractive to the common people by bad callers to Islam, who claim that supplicating to Allah through a means is like the status of the Prophet, the status of the awliya (close friends of Allah), their miracles, and other such intermediaries, even though Allah said: [al-Baqarah:186]. We ask for clarification of the meaning of the means of approach (wasilah) linguistically and in the Shari'ah, and what is the means of approach by which one draws near to Allah?
Answer:
The Shaykh : This is an error. This interpretation of al-wasilah is wrong. The scholars defined al-wasilah as nearness through obedience, seeking nearness through acts of obedience. He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Surat al-Ma'idah:35], meaning nearness to Him through obedience to Him, as the scholars said, such as Ibn Jarir, al-Baghawi, Ibn Kathir, and others. The meaning of al-wasilah is nearness to Him through obedience.
The Shaykh : And so is the second statement: [Surat al-Isra:57], meaning nearness to Him through obedience, through prayer, through fasting, through supplication...
The Shaykh : "O Allah, I ask You by the status of so-and-so, or by the right of so-and-so, or by Your Prophet so-and-so." This is not prescribed, and the Shari'ah did not bring this, and it is not of the wasilah that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) prescribed. So whoever interpreted al-wasilah as seeking nearness by the status of the Prophets, or by the status of the angels, or by the status of the awliya (close friends of Allah); he has erred in this, and he has brought forth something that the scholars did not know, and the people of knowledge did not mention, nor the researchers known for uprightness. Rather, this is from what some of those with limited knowledge and some of the later scholars said.
Question : The author of the letter mentioned this, saying: "Al-wasilah is supplicating to Allah through an intermediary," then he appended to it by saying: "O Allah, by our love for You, and our love for the Messenger of Allah."
Answer: This is seeking nearness to Allah through righteous deeds. Seeking nearness to Allah by love for the Messenger is from righteous deeds. So if he says: "O Allah, I ask You by my love for Your Prophets, by my love for Your Prophet, by my faith in You, by my following of Your Shari'ah, by my obedience to Your Messenger," this is seeking nearness through righteous deeds. So seeking nearness to Allah through acts of obedience and righteous deeds is the wasilah.
The Shaykh : And among that is seeking nearness by love for Allah, and seeking nearness by love for His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And like that is what the people of the cave sought nearness to Allah with when the rock closed over them and they were three, and they could not move it; they sought nearness to Allah with their righteous deeds. One sought nearness by his dutifulness to his parents, one sought nearness by his chastity from zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and the third sought nearness by his fulfillment of a trust.
The Shaykh : So seeking nearness through righteous deeds is the wasilah prescribed by the Shari'ah. As for seeking nearness by the status of so-and-so, or the right of so-and-so; that is not from righteous deeds.
Question : Is the interpretation of al-wasilah as supplicating to Allah through an intermediary permissible?
Answer: No, this is through the intermediation of created beings, meaning.
The student : And he did not say "created beings."
Answer: Seeking nearness to Allah through righteous deeds, through faith in Allah, through His names and attributes, as He said: [al-A'raf:180]... Seeking nearness to Allah, His names, and His attributes.
The second: Seeking nearness through righteous deeds, through taqwa (mindfulness of Allah), faith, love for Allah and His Messenger, and the like.
And the third: By the supplication of the living and his intercession... Seeking nearness by his supplication for you that he may forgive you, like what the Companions used to seek in his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), and he would intercede for them that He would guide them, and heal their sick, and the like.
I read in one of the letters of students of knowledge, in his definition of the means of approach (wasilah), that it is supplicating to Allah through a means. Is this expression correct, especially since it may be confusing and made attractive to the common people by bad callers to Islam, who claim that supplicating to Allah through a means is like the status of the Prophet, the status of the awliya (close friends of Allah), their miracles, and other such intermediaries, even though Allah said:
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌAnswer:
The Shaykh : This is an error. This interpretation of al-wasilah is wrong. The scholars defined al-wasilah as nearness through obedience, seeking nearness through acts of obedience. He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek the means [of nearness] to Him
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ، وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَThe Shaykh : And so is the second statement:
Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord
أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَThe Shaykh : "O Allah, I ask You by the status of so-and-so, or by the right of so-and-so, or by Your Prophet so-and-so." This is not prescribed, and the Shari'ah did not bring this, and it is not of the wasilah that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) prescribed. So whoever interpreted al-wasilah as seeking nearness by the status of the Prophets, or by the status of the angels, or by the status of the awliya (close friends of Allah); he has erred in this, and he has brought forth something that the scholars did not know, and the people of knowledge did not mention, nor the researchers known for uprightness. Rather, this is from what some of those with limited knowledge and some of the later scholars said.
Question : The author of the letter mentioned this, saying: "Al-wasilah is supplicating to Allah through an intermediary," then he appended to it by saying: "O Allah, by our love for You, and our love for the Messenger of Allah."
Answer: This is seeking nearness to Allah through righteous deeds. Seeking nearness to Allah by love for the Messenger is from righteous deeds. So if he says: "O Allah, I ask You by my love for Your Prophets, by my love for Your Prophet, by my faith in You, by my following of Your Shari'ah, by my obedience to Your Messenger," this is seeking nearness through righteous deeds. So seeking nearness to Allah through acts of obedience and righteous deeds is the wasilah.
The Shaykh : And among that is seeking nearness by love for Allah, and seeking nearness by love for His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And like that is what the people of the cave sought nearness to Allah with when the rock closed over them and they were three, and they could not move it; they sought nearness to Allah with their righteous deeds. One sought nearness by his dutifulness to his parents, one sought nearness by his chastity from zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and the third sought nearness by his fulfillment of a trust.
The Shaykh : So seeking nearness through righteous deeds is the wasilah prescribed by the Shari'ah. As for seeking nearness by the status of so-and-so, or the right of so-and-so; that is not from righteous deeds.
Question : Is the interpretation of al-wasilah as supplicating to Allah through an intermediary permissible?
Answer: No, this is through the intermediation of created beings, meaning.
The student : And he did not say "created beings."
Answer: Seeking nearness to Allah through righteous deeds, through faith in Allah, through His names and attributes, as He said:
And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them
وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَاThe second: Seeking nearness through righteous deeds, through taqwa (mindfulness of Allah), faith, love for Allah and His Messenger, and the like.
And the third: By the supplication of the living and his intercession... Seeking nearness by his supplication for you that he may forgive you, like what the Companions used to seek in his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), and he would intercede for them that He would guide them, and heal their sick, and the like.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.