Can someone explain Tawassul to me?

Status
Not open for further replies.
NewMuslim

NewMuslim

Slave of Allah
Assalaamu Alaykum
May Allah grant you the best of health. Ameen.

Is Tawassul allowed or forbidden in Islam? I don't get it in saying: "I ask you, Allah, by your name Al-Raheem". I get it if you called Him (SWT) Al-Raheem, but not if you ask Him (SWT) "by" or "through". Can someone explain what this means?

Also, there's a Hadith in which the man did Tawassul and prayed to the Prophet (PBUH&HF). I'm thinking that the Hadith was recorded oddly and so it shouldn't read as if the man prayed to Allah (SWT) then switched and prayed to Muhammad (PBUH&HF) (such as the Christians do; praying to "God the Father" and then switch and pray to Jesus (PBUH)). Can someone explain this, too?

JazakAllahu Khair
 
Muslimah77

Muslimah77

Slave of Allah (SWT)
:salam2: Brother,

Insha-Allah this will help answer your question:

Tawassul: Islamic vs. bid’ah

Question:

aslamu aleyka
Ya sheikh, I have question regarding the tawasul, I was telling someone that seeking tawasul at graves and asking the person who died to make dua to Allah it's wrong, he told me what is wrong with if I asked pious person during his life to make Dua and when he died I asked him to make dua what wrong with it. So I want you to clarify to me how to answer the brother, what kind Tawasul is allowed and which one not allowed since a lot people have been misguided in this Area?

Answer:
Tawassul in Arabic means seeking to draw close. Allaah says in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning): “…[they] desire means of access to their Lord…” [al-Isra’ 17:57], i.e., means of drawing close to Him. There are two types of Tawassul, correct Islamic tawassul and forbidden tawassul.
Correct Islamic tawassul:

This means seeking to draw close to Allaah through acts of worship which He loves and which please Him; these may be waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (encouraged), and may take the form of words, actions or beliefs. Some types are as follows:

1. Seeking to draw close to Allaah by means of His names and attributes. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His names. They will be requited for what they used to do.” [al-A’raaf 7:180]. So when a person makes du’aa’ to Allaah, he begins by calling on Allaah with the name that is most apt, such as “al-Rahmaan” (the Most Merciful) when seeking mercy and al-Ghafoor (the All-Forgiving) when asking for forgiveness, and so on.

2. Seeking to draw close to Allaah by means of faith and Tawheed. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger, so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:53]

3. Seeking to draw close to Allaah through righteous deeds, whereby a person asks Allaah by virtue of the best deeds that he has done, such as salaah, fasting, reading Qur’aan, avoiding haraam things, and so on. An example of this is the saheeh hadeeth narrated in the Saheehayn about the three people who entered a cave, and a rock fell and blocked their way out. They asked Allaah by virtue of their best deeds (to save them). A person may also ask Allaah by virtue of his total dependency upon Him, as Allaah mentions in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning): “[Ayyoob said:] ‘Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.’ [al-Anbiya’ 21:83]; or by admitting his own wrongdoing and his need for Allaah, as Yoonus is described as saying (interpretation of the meaning): “ ‘None has the right to be worshipped except You (O Allaah). Glorified (and exalted) are You. Truly I have been of the wrong-doers.’” [al-Anbiya’ 21:87]

The rulings on Islamically correct tawassul vary according to its type. Some types are waajib, such as seeking to draw close to Allaah through His names and attributes and through Tawheed (believing in His absolute Oneness), and some are mustahabb, such as seeking to draw close to Him by virtue of all kinds of righteous deeds.

Tawassul that is bid’ah and therefore forbidden:

This is the attempt to draw close to Allaah by means of things that He does not like and that do not please Him, whether they be words, deeds or beliefs. One example of this is trying to draw close to Allaah by calling on the dead or people who are absent, asking them for help, and so on. This is a form of major shirk (shirk akbar), which goes against Tawheed and means that a person is no longer considered to be a Muslim. Calling upon Allaah, whether it is for a purpose such as asking Him to grant some benefit or to ward off some harm, or as an act of worship to express humility and submission before Him, can only be addressed directly to Allaah. If du’aa’s or prayers are addressed to anything or anyone else, this is shirk. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me (and ask Me for anything), I will respond to your invocation. Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e., do not invoke Me and do not believe in My Oneness], they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!” [Ghaafir 40:60]. In this aayah, Allaah explains the punishment of those who arrogantly refuse to call on Allaah, whether they call on someone other than Allaah or they do not call on Him at all, out of pride and self-admiration, even if they do not call on anyone else.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret…” [al-A’raaf 7:55]. Allaah commands His slaves to call on Him and not anyone else.

Allaah says of the people of Hell (interpretation of the meaning): “[They say:] ‘By Allaah, we were truly in a manifest error when we held you (false gods) as equals (in worship) with the Lord of the Worlds.” [al-Shu’ara’ 26:96-97]

Anything that results in equating something other than Allaah with Allaah in worship or acts of obedience is shirk, the crime of associating partners with Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And who is more astray than one who calls (invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him until the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them? And when mankind are gathered (one the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become enemies for them and will deny their worshipping.” [al-Ahqaaf 46:5-6]

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “ And whoever invokes (or worships) besides Allaah, any other god, of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, al-kaafiroon (the disbelievers in Allaah and in the Oneness of Allaah) will not be successful.” [al-Mu’minoon 23:117].
Allaah states that anyone who calls on anything other than him is taking that thing as a god, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “…And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a qitmeer (the thin membrane over a date-stone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad), like Him Who is the All-Knower (of everything).” [Faatir 35:13-14].

In this aayah, Allaah explains that He is the only One Who deserves to be called upon, because He, and no one else, is the Sovereign who is directing everything. Those things that are worshipped cannot hear du’aa’s, let alone respond to the one who invokes them, and even if they were able to hear, they cannot respond, because they do not have the power to either benefit or harm.

The mushrik Arabs whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent to call were disbelievers because of this shirk. They would call upon Allaah sincerely at times of difficulty, but they became disbelievers at times of ease and plenty, when they would call on others besides Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):

“And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allaah, making their Faith pure for Him only, but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of their worship to others.” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:65]

“And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish from you excpet Him (Allaah Alone). But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away (from Him)…” [al-Isra’ 17:67].

“… till when you are in the ships and they sail with them with a favourable wind, and they are glad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think that they are encircled therein, they invoke Allaah, making their Faith pure for Him Alone…” [Yoonus 10:33]
The shirk of some people nowadays goes even further than the shirk of people in the past, because they direct some acts of worship to something other than Allaah, calling upon them and asking them for help even at times of distress; laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (there is no strength and no help except in Allaah). We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

To sum up our response to what your friend mentioned: asking the dead for anything is shirk, and asking the living for anything that no one except Allaah is able to do, is also shirk. And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
 
NewMuslim

NewMuslim

Slave of Allah
BABA_JEE_UK said:
:astag:.. tawassul is way to jannat
Click to expand...

Assalaamu Alaykum
No Islamic principle can contradict the Qur'an (which comes directly from Allah (SWT)). Praying to the Prophet :)saw:) obviously contradicts Allah (SWT) who says to make Du'a to ONLY Allah. That form of Tawassul (praying to the Prophet :)saw:)) is major shirk.

I stay with my opinion that the Hadith was recorded in an odd way that lead the translators to believe that the man prayed to the Prophet Muhammad :)saw:). We're allowed to ask for someone to pray for us (I.E. me asking you to pray for me). That's probably what the man was doing. Here's what I think happened (this isn't the way it's recorded in Hadith):

Man - Prophet! :)saw:) Allow me to ask Allah (SWT) through you!

Muhammad :)saw:) - So be it.

Man - Allah! (SWT) I ask you for this thing through your Prophet Muhammad :)saw:)!

*Man then turns to the Prophet :)saw:) OUTSIDE of Du'a*:

Oh Prophet! :)saw:)... *man continues asking the Prophet :)saw:) to pray for him*
 
B

bemuslim

Junior Member
answer

The Truth about "Wasila" (getting close to Allah)
Allah says in His Quran:

"O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah, and seek means of nearness to Him, and strive hard in His way that you may be successful " [Al-Maidah:35]
A large number of scholars and mufassir have explained the Arabic word "wasila" as a method to get closer to Allah by doing good deeds. In "tafsir ibn kathir", ibn Kathir writes that no Mufassir has disregarded the above meaning and all of them agree upon it.

Moreover in Sahih Bukhari we find a hadith Qudsi which explains that one gets closer to Allah (tawasil) and is loved by Him when he offers his compulsory and optional prayers.

In the collection of hadith in Sahih Muslim we come across a hadith narrated on the authority of Rabia b.Kaab, in which he said:

"I was with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) one night, and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: 'Ask (anything you like)'. I said: 'I ask for your company in Paradise.' He (the Holy Prophet) said: 'or anything else besides it.' I said: 'That is all (what I require)'. He said: 'Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration' " [Sahih Muslim]
It is repeatedly stated in The Quran that along with accepting Islamic faith one is expected to do good deeds. From the above mentioned hadith we come to know that the meaning of finding a Wasila towards Allah is to do good deeds. In fact the verse in itself suggests a form of Wasila, that is Jihad. Dua or calling upon Allah is one of the most prestigious act which one can do. That’s why our Prophet told us that calling upon Allah is a prayer and if we don’t ask from Allah then He gets angry with us. Similarly in Quran we have:

"And your Lord says: Call on Me, I will answer your (prayer). But Those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in hell, in humiliation " [Al Mu'min:60]
"When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me' let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me, that they may walk in the right way " [Al-Baqarah:186]
When we look in The Quran and the Sahih ahadith, we find many supplications. Important thing about them is that they reflect a direct relationship between the suppliant and Allah. There is no third person or a source involved between the two. No Prophet associated any pious person or a senior Prophet (before him) in his supplication as an intercessor while calling Allah. If this is the case, then what permits anyone to use pious people or Prophets as intercessors while calling Allah. If we can't find our Prophet or his companions do such a thing then how can we do it on our own. It is certainly not a good deed, in fact it is lethal. There are some narrations which are commonly presented as evidence to intimate wasila regarding rank or status of a dead Person, but the truth is that they are either unauthentic or misunderstood. Please read the article Intimating Wasila Regarding Rank or Status of a Dead Person for details.

BIG MISTAKE - Calling on others instead of Allah

If one makes a pious dead person an intercessor of his supplications to Allah, then he is indulging himself in innovations which may lead to shirk (Polytheism).

Today we find a large number of people calling the dead and thinking that they have the ability to convey their message to Allah. They say like:

"O' Jesus, O' Ali, O' Muhammad, O' Ghaus, O' Abdul Qadir, O' Daata, please help us convey our message to Allah as He cannot say no to you and we don’t feel confident that He (Allah) will listen to us."
They make these persons as intercessors or associates with Allah, and do not fear about the biggest of all sins, called shirk (Polytheism). If one commits shirk then he earns Hell forever. Polytheists of Makkah also had these sort of believes, and Allah mentions in the Quran:

"And they serve besides Allah that which can neither harm them nor profit them and they say, These are our intercessors with Allah. Say, Would you inform Allah of what He knows not in the heavens and the earth? Glory be to Him, and supremely exalted is He above what they set up! (with Him)." [Yunus:18]
"Now surely sincere obedience is due to Allah (alone). And those who choose protectors besides Him (say), we serve them only that they may bring us nearer to Allah. Surely Allah will judge between them in that in which they differ. Surely Allah guides not him who is a liar, ungrateful." [Al Zumar:3]

A hadith in Sahih Muslim also throws light upon the faith of the polytheists of Makkah. Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the polytheists recited the talbiyah[uttering loudly (at the time of pilgrimage) to Allah that one is obedient to Him] as:

"Labaik Allahumma, Labaik! Labaika laa shareeka lakal labaik." (Here I am at your service, there is no associate with You). But they added this, "Only one associate with You, You possess mastery over him, but he does not possess mastery (over You). They used to say this and go around the Kaaba (House of Allah in Makkah). Because of their adding this statement to the talbiyah, the prophet, peace be upon him, sayyid "Woe to them, because they have said, 'But one associate with You, You possess mastery over him, but he does not possess mastery (over You). [recorded in Sahih Muslim]

So when Allah never made anyone His partner then how can people associate partners or intercessors with Him. Some people argue that these verses are for idols and not human beings, as the polytheists used to worship idols and not human beings. Well its very simple to answer this, just open the most authentic book of ahadith The Sahih Bukhari, and you will find in the chapter of Tafsir that the idols worshipped in Prophet Noah's time were actually reminders of Pious people before them. Second evidence is provided by the conquest of Makkah. When the Prophet took charge of The Kaaba he threw away all the idols and amongst them found idols of the Prophet Ibrahim and Ismael (Bukhari Kitab Al-Maghazi). So all these idols were reminders of human beings and the following Quranic verse makes it clear to understand this fact:


"Those whom you call on besides Allah are slaves like yourselves, so call on them, then let them answer you, if you are truthful." [Al Araf:194]

"Those whom they call upon desire, (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the nearest. And they hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily the Torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!" [Al Isra:57]

No one merely worshipped an idol of wood or stone. Worshipping of idols by Hindus and Fire by Majusis (fire worshippers) is based on the fact that they used idols and fire as a source or media to worship God. It’s a pity that many Muslims today have the same believes like these Hindus and think that these dead or alive pious people would get them closer to God. Some say that God is in them and everything is God. Some say that Muhammad (peace be upon him) can save them from Allah but if Muhammad (peace be upon him) gets hold of anyone then no one can help. These concepts of polytheism came only because Quran was not read and understood properly. By looking up in the Quran, we find that if Allah decides to punish someone then that person cannot be helped by anyone, even the Prophets of Allah become helpless at that moment.

The story of the Prophet Noah and His son is a very good example to explain the point. When Noah (peace be upon him) saw his son drowning, he cried to his Lord and said: My Lord, surely my son is of my family, and Your promise is true and You are the Most Just of the Judges. Allah replied:

O Noah, he is not of your family; he is (an embodiment of ) unrighteous conduct. So ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge. I admonish you lest you be of the ignorant. [Hud:45-46]
Now an honest look at the above mentioned Quranic verse clearly explains that even the Prophet of Allah could not save his own son, although he had been preaching Allah's religion for 950 years. In Quran Allah told His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

"Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases, and He knows best those who walk aright " [Al Qasas:56]
Moreover in ahadith of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim we find Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advising his relatives to do good deeds. He clearly told them that it was not possible for him to save them from Allah's anger. He specifically made it very clear to his own daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), that he would be unable do anything for her, once in front of Allah on the day of judgment. He advised her to do good deeds in order to save her self from Allah's wrath. Now these examples from Sahih Ahadith clearly explain the true concept of Wasila.
O yes! The supplication of the Prophet was definitely a wasila for his companions. They used to come to him for their problems and asked him to pray for them. The prophet used to pray for them and Allah solved their problems. But this was when he was alive. After he died, his companions never went to his grave to use him as an intercessor between Allah and themselves. They were very clear that once someone dies, he breaks his links with this world and is not aware of what happens behind him. This was the reason that during the need for rain (after Prophet's death) they (Prophet's companions) never went to his grave, they used to go to his uncle Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), to invoke Allah for the rain. Anas (radiallahu anhu) narrated:

" Whenever drought threatened them, Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ask Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, 'O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet (peace be upon him) to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah! Bless us with rain'. And so it would rain." [Bukhari - Chapter Al-Istisqa (Invoking Allah for rain)]

It is of great importance to notice that it is permissible for one to request a living religious person to invoke Allah on his behalf but if you ask Allah through a dead or an absent (person etc) then it is not allowed. Moreover we find in this hadith the Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) also prayed to Allah himself. Thus praying to Allah by oneself is also essential, apart from requesting someone else to pray on behalf of someone.

So it is very obvious now that the companions of the Prophet never went to his grave to solve their problems. This was because they were trained that way. The following hadith taken from Sahih Muslim would explain the teachings of the Prophet about graves:

"Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: As the messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was about to breathe his last, he drew his sheet upon his face and when he felt uneasy, he uncovered his face and said in this very state: Let there be curse upon the Jews and the Christians that they have taken the graves of their Apostles as places of worship. He in fact warned (his followers) against what they (the Jews and the Christians) did." [Sahih Muslim]

"Narrated by Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said during his illness from which he never recovered: Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians that they took the graves of their Prophets as mosques. She (Ayesha) reported: Had it not been so, his (Prophet) grave would have been in an open place, but it could not be, due to the fear that it may not be taken as a mosque." [Sahih Muslim]

So dear brothers! Call upon Allah ONLY. Call on Him, without making anyone as an intercessor or associating anyone with Him. Allah knows what we have in our hearts. Surely He listens to His people and fulfils their needs.
 
B

bemuslim

Junior Member
ABOUT INNOVATION

from 'Abdur-Rahman ibn Yazeed who said : I heard 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood say: "Beware of the innovations which the people invent, since the Deen does not pass out of the hearts all at once - rather Shaitaan introduces innovations for him until he expels Eemaan from the heart; and it will soon happen that the people will abandon the obligatory duties which Allaah has made binding upon them - the Prayer, the Fast, the lawful and the prohibited, and speak about their Lord - the Mighty and Majestic. So who ever reaches that time then let him flee." It was said: O Aboo Abdur-Rahman, to where? He said: "Not to anywhere, he should flee with his heart and his Deen and not sit with anyone of the people of innovation."

(199)...From Mujaahid who said: "It was said to Ibn Umar that Najdah says so and so ..., but he stopped himself from hearing it for fear that some of it would fall into his heart."

(240)...From Al-Hasan [i.e. Al-Basaree] who used to say: "Do not sit with the people of innovated beliefs, do not debate with them and do not listen to them."

(242)...(From) Sa'eed ibn 'Aamir who said: I heard Ismaa'eel [i.e. Ibn Khaarijah] narrate, saying: two men from the people of the innovated sects came to Muhammad Ibn Seereen and said: "O Aboo Bakr we want to narrate something to you." He said: "No." They said: "Then may we recite an Aayah from Allaah's book to you?" He said: "No." He said: "Either you two get up and leave or I will get up." So the two men stood up and left. So one of the people said: "What harm would it do to you for him to recite an Aayah?" He said: "I hated that he should recite an Aayah and that they would distort it and then it would enter my heart."

(244)...From Aboo Qulaabah who said: "Do not sit with them and do not mix with them for I do not feel safe that they will not drown you in their misguidance and confuse you about much that you used to know."

(246)...From Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee who said: Aboo Qulaabah said to me "O Ayyoob, memorise four things from me: Do not speak about the Quraan from your opinion, and beware of Qadr, and if the companions of Muhammad are mentioned then withhold, and do not let the people of innovation gain access to your hearing."

(248)...Ma'mar said: Ibn - Taawoos was sitting when one of the Mu'tazilah came and began speaking, so ibn Taawoos entered his fingers into his ears and said to his son: "O My son put your fingers into your ears and press tightly so you do not hear any of his speech." Ma'mar said: Meaning that the heart is weak.

(249)...'Abdur Razzaaq narrated to us saying: Ibraaheem ibn Abee Yahya said to me: "I think that there are many from the Mu'tazilah in your area!?" I said: "Yes and they claim that you are one of them." He said: "Will you enter this shop with me so that I can speak with you?" I said: "No." He said: "Why?!" I said: "Since the heart is weak and the Deen is not for the one who overcomes in debating."

(251)...From Al-Awzaa'ee who said: 'Umar ibn 'Abdul - 'Azeez said: "if you see a people meeting secretly concerning the Deen with anything to the exclusion of the common people - then know that they are upon the foundation of misguidance."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top