TAWASSUL 

 

(Use of a Means)

The word Tawassul is an original Arabic word occurring in the Qur’aan and Sunnah and in ancient Arabic poetry and prose, and its meaning is: To draw near to what one seeks after and to approach that which one desires, Ibnul-Atheer said in an-Nihaayah:

“Al-Waasil is one who desires or longs for something, and al-Waseelah is nearness and a means, and that by which one is able to approach and draw near to something. Its plural is Wasaail.”

“Waseelah is to desire and to seek after. One says Waslas for one who wishes and aspires for something, and the Waasil is the one who wishes to draw nearer to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.

The reality of seeking a waseelah to Allaah, the Most High, is: To take care to follow His way with (good) actions and worship, by adhering to the noble qualities required in the Sharee’ah. It is like nearness, and the waasil is one who aspires nearness to Allaah, the Most High.”

RIGHTEOUS ACTIONS ALONE ARE:

THE WASEELAH WHICH DRAW ONE CLOSER TO ALLAAH this is because no one knows what pleases Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, except Him alone. Therefore in order for us to know the means to draw nearer to Allaah, it is obligatory upon us to refer back, in every matter, to that which Allaah, the Most Perfect, prescribed in the Sharee’ah, and which Allaah’s Messenger (S.A.W.) explained. The meaning of this is that we refer back to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (S.A.W.). Indeed this is what our Messenger Muhammad (S.A.W) commanded us to do in his saying:

” I,have left amongst you two things; you will not go astray as long as you cling to them: The Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger)

Al-Khalil bin Ahmad (100-170 H.) said in “al Ayn”:

“Wassaltu to my Lord Wasilatan, means: I did a deed that by which I drew near to Him. And I did tawassul to someone by a book or a relative, means that I sought means of approach to him by it.

“Al wasilah” by this meaning is found in the Quran:

”O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek al wasilah to Him.” (5:35)

Types of Permissible Tawassul :

a) All kinds of worshipping to Allah.

b) A way to have the call responded. This is divided in into 6 ways: –

1. By the Best Names of Allah.
2. By the Qualifications of Allah.
3. By your Belief in Allah.
4. By presenting the state of the slave.
5. By call of a person (alive).
6. By the pious deeds.

2. The Prohibited Types of Tawassul

The prohibited Tawassul includes all the forms and types of Tawassul other than the allowed types that we have explained above. 

1. The first type entails invoking other than Allah, such as a dead righteous person, for various needs and wants.  This is clear Shirk.  Imam Ibn Taymiyyah said that invoking the dead or absent Shaykhs for emergencies and various needs,

“Is a part of Shirk that Allah and His Messenger have prohibited. It is a well-known fact that Islam disallows this type of Tawassul.” 

2. The second type of innovated Tawassul entails asking a dead prophet or righteous person to invoke Allah on one’s behalf.  This type is also disallowed, as it is innovated and thus an evil act that the Salaf never practiced or allowed.  Therefore, no Muslim is allowed to visit the grave of the Prophet, or any other prophet for that matter, to ask him to ask Allah on his or her behalf.  Ibn Taymiyyah said,

“It is not allowed to ask the dead for anything, such as asking them to invoke Allah on one’s behalf. Also, it is not allowed to complain to the dead about the hardships of this life or the trials in the religion that one is experiencing. Even if it was allowed to complain to a righteous living person, this is not like complaining to him when he is dead, as this latter action leads to Shirk.” 

We must also assert here that the dead cannot hear us, a fact affirmed in the Quran.  Allah said, what translated means,

“And behind them (the dead) is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected.” [23:100]

“Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they flee, turning their backs.” [27:80]

3. The third type of innovated Tawassul entails invoking Allah by the Jah, that is, the grade and status the prophets and the righteous ones have with Allah.  None among the companions or the Tabi’een —the second generation of Islam— ever practiced this type.  For example, when the Muslims experienced drought during the reign of Caliph Umar, he did not ask Allah by the Prophet’s grade and status to send down the rain.  Instead, he called upon Al-‘Abbas to invoke Allah on their behalf, saying,

“O Allah! We used to invoke You by our Prophet’s Du’aa’ when we needed rain, and You would send down the rain. We now invoke You by the Du’aa’ of our Prophet’s uncle.”  He then said, “O Abbas! Stand up and ask Allah for us.” 

Al-Abbas then performed Du’aa’ to Allah, and Allah sent down the rain.  Neither Umar nor the companions would abandon invoking Allah by the status of His Prophet if this was allowed for them, and instead revert to a Du’aa’ from Al-Abbas, who is less in grade and status than the Prophet.  Therefore, the Tawassul that Umar performed by Al-Abbas is with his Du’aa’, not his status with Allah.  Otherwise, the companions would have asked Allah by the high status of the Prophet, Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam.

A Summary

We have so far stated that there are legal Tawassul.  All other types of Tawassul are not allowed and are among the innovated Bid’ahs that the Prophet has warned us against.  He has said, what translated means,

“Beware of matters of innovation, for every innovation is a Bid’ah, and every Bid’ah is a heresy.” [Abu Dawood & Ibn Majah]

“Whoever introduces unto our religion that which is not a part of it, he will have it rejected.” [Muslim].

We should note here that in order for our acts of worship to be accepted by Allah, we are obliged to perform them for the sake of Allah alone and in accordance with the Sunnah of His Messenger.  We are thus required to refer to the Sunnah of our Messenger regarding every matter of the religion.  This is also the command that the Messenger of Allah has issued to us, “

I have left with you two matters with which you will never be misled as long you hold fast unto them: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.” [Malik  & Ibn Majah].

 

 

SOURCES:

 

[1] ‘Tawassul’* https://www.facebook.com/notes/learn-islam/term-4-week-1-class-tawheed-tawassul/258750650825591

[2] Prohibited Types of Tawassul* https://www.facebook.com/notes/learn-islam/learn-islam-term-4-week-2-class-tawheed-prohibited-types-of-tawassul/261951797172143