Pearls Of Deen

The issue of wasilah/tawassul and it's position

Al-Miftah

Tawassul and wasilah literally mean to make a request or supplicate through a means. It is permissible for one to request Allah Ta'ala to accept his du'a through the medium of some deeds or the rank of certain individuals as this may be closer to acceptance.

There are various forms of tawassul/wasilah:

1. To make tawassul to Almighty Allah that He accepts one's du'a due to one having performed a certain good deed. This is permissible and unanimously accepted. It is supported by the Hadith of Sahih Bukhari in which three people were trapped in a cave. Each of them made du'a to Allah Ta'ala to move the obstructing rock and they requested Allah Ta'ala to accept their du'as because of some good deed that each of them had done.

2. To make tawassul with the names and attributes of Almighty Allah: This is also permissible and is supported by the following verse, 'And Allah has beautiful names, so call unto Him through them.' (Surah A'araf v.180). Example: If someone says, 'Oh Allah, I ask you through your attributes and beautiful names to grant my specific wish.'

3. To make tawassul to Allah Ta'ala through the rank and position of certain individuals, alive or deceased, in the sight of Almighty Allah This includes the Prophets ('alaihimus salam), the martyrs and any other pious servant of Allah. For example: If one says, 'Oh Allah, I beseech you to accept my du'a due to the status of Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) in Your eyes.' This form of tawassul is also permissible according to the vast majority of the 'Ulama (scholars) and it has in fact remained part of their practice.

4. Some scholars even mention a fourth type of tawassul, where a person requests some living pious servant of Allah to make du'a for him: This is also unanimously accepted.

The only type of tawassul that is disputed by some people, is the third one, where one makes tawassul through individuals that are alive or deceased by saying, 'O Allah, I beseech you to accept my du'a due to the status that Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam (or some other pious person) holds in Your eyes.' The first opposition against this form of tawassul only surfaced during the 7th century of Islam. (Shifa al Siqam)

Hafiz Sakhawi (rahimahbullah) writes in his acclaimed book: Qawlul Badee': "Whoever pleads to Allah Ta'ala via the rank of Nabi (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) and uses his salutations upon Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) as his wasilah (intermediary) is definitely granted his wish. Several Scholars have written dedicated books on this topic..."

He writes further: "The number of people whose du'as were accepted after their tawassul through the rank of Nabi (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) actually adds to the amount of miracles of Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam)"

(Qawlul Badee', pg.464)

There are numerous proofs that support the permissibility of tawassul through individuals. The following are some of these substantiations:

1. Sayyiduna 'Uthman ibn Hunayf (radiyallahu 'anhu) narrates that once a blind person came to Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) and said, 'Oh Rasulullah ! Ask Allah to cure me.' Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) replied, 'If you wish I will make du'a or else you could be patient and this is better for you.' The man said, O Messenger of Allah! 'Make du'a instead', Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) then commanded him to make wudu properly and then recite the following du'a, 'Oh Allah, verily, I ask of you and I turn to you through your prophet, the prophet of mercy, O Muhammad, verily, I have turned to my Lord through you so that my need be fulfilled. Oh Allah, accept his intercession on my behalf.'
(Musnad Ahmad vol.4 pg.138; Sunan Tirmidhi; Sunan Ibn Majah; Mustadrak Hakim and others).
Imams Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah and Hakim have classified this Hadith as authentic. The words, 'I turn to you through your prophet' clearly prove tawassul through the position of a person. Rasulullah also told him that he should make the same supplication whenever he needed to. (Raddul Muhkamul Matin pg.145)