In Defense of Tawassul
A Reason for the Fulfillment of
Needs
Praise be to Allah. I ask
Allah humbly to raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, his Al and Companions, and
to protect his Ummah from that which he fears for it. I ask Allah to teach us
that which we have forgotten, to add to our knowledge, and to grant us the
sincere intentions. I humbly ask Allah to facilitate for us the routes of
goodness and to protect us from the routes that lead to Hellfire. Thereafter:
In Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir and
Al-Mu’jam as-Saghir, Imam at-Tabarani related the hadith about the
Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) from the route of ‘Uthman Ibn Hunayf who was in a circle with the
Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) when a blind man came to address Prophet Muhammad, sall-Allahu
‘alayhi wa sallam:
The blind man addressed the
Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) by saying, "O Messenger of Allah, ask Allah for me to cure my
blindness." The Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) replied by saying, "If you wish, you
would be patient with your calamity, and if you wish, I will ask Allah to cure
your blindness."
However, the blind man told
the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam): "The loss of my sight is a great hardship for me, and
there is no one near to guide me around."
At this moment, the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
ordered the man to go to the place where wudu' would be performed,
perform wudu', pray two rak‘ah, end his salat by saying as-salamu
‘alaykum, and then say the following words:
which mean: “O Allah, I ask You, and I direct myself
to You in supplication by our Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. O
Muhammad, I direct myself to Allah by you, so my need [here the specific need
is mentioned] would be fulfilled.” The blind man went and did as the Prophet
(sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) ordered. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the Prophet's session with his
blindness cured.
Then, after the death of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), and during
the time of the caliphate of ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan, a man came to ‘Uthman Ibn
Hunayf. This man complained to ‘Uthman Ibn Hunayf about a matter which he
needed to be fulfilled through the caliph, but which was not being fulfilled.
‘Uthman Ibn Hunayf ordered the man to go to the place where al-wudu'
would be performed, perform wudu', perform two rak‘ah, and after
saying salam to say the following words: “O Allah, I ask You and I
direct myself to You in supplication by our Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of
Mercy. O Muhammad, I direct myself to Allah by you, so my need [specify need]
would be fulfilled.”
‘Uthman Ibn Hunayf told him to return after doing
this, and they would go together to the caliph. This man went and performed
what ‘Uthman Ibn Hunayf ordered him to do. However, instead of returning to
‘Uthman Ibn Hunayf, he elected to go on his own to the caliph--which he did.
When he reached the door of the caliph, the gateman took him by the hand to the
caliph. ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan sat him on a carpet next to him and asked him, “What
is your need that you wanted fulfilled? I forgot all about it until just now.”
The man informed the caliph about his need, which he fulfilled. The caliph told
him, “Whenever you have a need, come to me and I will satisfy it for you.”
It is because of the prayer this man performed, and
the du‘a' that he
made--asking Allah for his need by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)--that Allah made the heart
of the caliph move towards fulfilling the need of that man. This prayer and the
du‘a' afterwards in which one is asking Allah to fulfill a need is called “Salat
al-Hajah”. Let the one who has a need: perform wudu', pray two rak‘ah,
and then say that du‘a' as mentioned, and insha Allah, his need
will be fulfilled.
This hadith was narrated by many scholars of hadith.
Some of them related the part of the hadith which occurred during the
lifetime of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), and some narrated both parts of the hadith,
i.e., the part which took place during the lifetime of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
and the
part which took place after his death and during the caliphate of Sayyiduna
‘Uthman Ibn ‘Affan. Imam at-Tabarani is among those scholars who narrated the
entire hadith, in both parts--the part that took place during the life
of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), as well as the part that took place after the death of the
Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). After narrating that hadith, he said, "The
classification of this hadith is sahih."
This hadith carries the proof that it is
permissible in Islam for one to ask Allah for things by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
during
the lifetime of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and after the death of the Prophet
(sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Hence,
there is no difference in the permissibility of asking Allah for things by the
Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), whether done during the lifetime of the Prophet
(sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) or after
his death. The scholars of Ahlu-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jama‘ah said that it is
permissible to make that tawassul during the lifetime of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
and after his death. Knowing that, one concludes that the claim of some people
that it is not permissible to ask Allah for things except by he who is alive
and present, is something which is rejected.
The first person to make this false claim was a man
who lived some 600 years ago, by the name of Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah. This man
falsely stated that it is not permissible to ask Allah for things except by he
who is alive and present. This is wrong! It is contrary to what is stated in
the rules of the Religion of Islam. During the time of Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah,
scholars of Ahlu-s-Sunnah refuted his argument, and as a result his
false claim did not spread at that time. However, some 200 years ago, a man
named Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab emerged in a place in the Arabian Peninsula called
Najd which the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) dispraised. Al-Bukhari related a hadith about
the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) in which he said:
This means: “From this spot, [which is called Najd]
the tribulations and the sedition will occur.” The Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
conveyed the
truth. Many tribulations and sedition have occurred from that region. Among the
most recent was this man by the name of Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab. Muhammad
Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab followed Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah in the aforementioned case and
in other cases as well. He started repeating the false statement of Ibn
Taymiyyah that it is not permissible for one to ask Allah for things except by
he who is alive and present. This rule has no foundation whatsoever in the
Religion of Allah. Rather, this rule and this statement was innovated by Ahmad
Ibn Taymiyyah as a innovation of misguidance.
As a result of their stubbornness and arrogance, the
leaders of the Wahhabi movement rejected the part of the hadith which signifies
the man asking Allah for things by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), after the Prophet's death.
The great scholars of Ahlu-s-Sunnah told these people that the scholars
classified that entire hadith as sahih, i.e., the part
that took place during the lifetime of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
and the part that took
place after his death. Hence, one must reject the false claim of Ibn Taymiyyah
and Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab,because it stands against the sayings of those
reliable and dependable scholars of hadith. Al-Hafiz at-Tabarani narrated
that hadith, among others, including al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi, al-Hafiz as-Subki
and al-Hafiz al-‘Ala'i; they all classified it as sahih. The status of
those huffaz, i.e., their high knowledge and high level in the Science
of hadith, is a case of unanimous agreement among the scholars of Islam.
However, those Wahhabis, in an attempt to back
their stubbornness and their false claim, rejected the sahih hadith of
the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam); may Allah protect us from such misguidance. They
refuted and rejected that which was proved to be mentioned by the Companions.
It is obvious they are not following a correct methodology on their part. What
is correct is for one to follow the path of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
and the path of his
Companions. One must adhere to that which the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
prescribed, and that
which was put forth by the Companions, and one does not adhere to the example
of someone deluded about things.
There are other ahadith that stand as a proof
to the validity and the correctness of the statements of Ahlu-sSunnah.
Among of which is the hadith narrated by Imam al-Bukhari and others
about three people from a previous nation who went inside a cave seeking
protection from a heavy rain they encountered in their travels. A big rock
rolled down from the top of the mountain shutting off the mouth of the cave and
blocking their exit. One of the three men suggested they all make du‘a' to
Allah by virtue of their good deeds. The first one stood up and made a du‘a'
to Allah asking Him by one of the good deeds that he had done. He said, “O
Allah, if that good deed I did previously was done in sincerity to You, then I
ask You to relieve us of this calamity we are facing.” Once he finished his du‘a',
the rock moved slightly; however, it did not move enough for them to come out
of the cave. The second man stood up and asked Allah to relieve them of their
calamity by virtue of a good deed which he had done in the past. Again the rock
moved a little bit more; however, it was still not enough for them to be able
to leave the cave. The third man did the same as the first two, and the rock
was moved completely out of the way, and the men were able to leave the cave.
This hadith is very famous. It is confirmed and is classified as sahih.
It was narrated by Imam al-Bukhari and others and confirms those three
people asked Allah for something, i.e., to relieve them of their calamity, by
their good deeds.
If asking Allah for things by the good deeds of a
person, is something permissible in the Religion, then asking Allah for things
by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) takes precedence--since the good deed is a creation of
Allah, and the best of all the creations is the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Moreover, one
should note that the good deeds of those people are not categorized as 'alive'
or 'present,' as Ibn Taymiyyah made a condition. From where did Ibn Taymiyyah
bring this condition? It is only a delusion on his part. He deduced that from
his own delusions, and it is not founded on sound religious proofs.
The Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), his Companions, the followers of
those Companions, and the followers of those followers of the Companions are
all in unanimous agreement that it is permissible to ask Allah for things by
the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and by the good and pious Muslims, whether during their life or
after their death. All the scholars from among the four reputable schools,
i.e., the school of Imam ash-Shaf‘i, the school of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, the
school of Imam Abu Hanifah, and the school of Imam Malik, concur on this issue.
Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah started this wrong doctrine, and
his followers among the Wahhabis made it even more extreme, by claiming that he
who asks Allah for things by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) after his death or during his
absence is doing an act of shirk, i.e., associating partners with Allah.
Again, this is contrary to what is founded in the Religion of Allah. The hadith
of the blind man previously mentioned indicates that this blind man left the
session of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), i.e., he went away and was no longer in the
presence of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) when he made his wudu', performed his salat,
and made his du‘a'. How could this be classified as shirk? If it
had been a shirk, then the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) would not have ordered the blind
man to do as he did. The Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is more knowledgeable than Ibn Taymiyyah
and all the others like him.
The scholars of Islam opposed those who claimed that
the one who asks Allah for things by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
after his death or during
his absence is doing an act of shirk. The Wahhabis claim they are
following the school of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. However, Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
and the scholars who belong to his school all agree that it is permissible to
ask Allah for things by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)--during his lifetime and after his death.
Even the grandfather of Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah, himself, who was among the great
scholars following the school of Imam Ahmad, used to say it is permissible to
ask Allah for things by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) during his lifetime and after his
death. This was narrated by one of the greatest students of Imam Ahmad Ibn
Hanbal, Abu Bakr alMarwazi. This scholar, in copying the saying of Ahmad Ibn
Hanbal, said that it is liked during drought to ask Allah for rain by the
Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Imam Ahmad told about one of the great followers of the
companions, Safwan Ibn Sulaym, who was a pious, humble, and very knowledgeable
Muslim, that just by mentioning his name a person would hope the rain would
come down as a sign of Allah's mercy to the people. The meaning is if the
people mention the name of Safwan Ibn Sulaym in their session, it is because of
his great status, and as a blessing from Allah, the rain would start falling.
One can observe for himself that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal was among those who
established it is liked for one to ask Allah for things by the status of the
pious Muslims and by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), yet those among the Wahhabis who claim to
be followers of Imam Ahmad, say this is shirk if it is done after the
death of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Imam Ahmad is in one direction, and those Wahhabis
are in a totally different direction.
The first case was mentioned about Imam Ahmad in a
book compiled by his own son, ‘Abdullah, containing questions and answers about
Imam Ahmad. The second statement, about Safwan Ibn Sulaym, in was narrated by
al-Hafiz al Mizzi and al-Hafiz al-’Ala'i and az-Zabidi. In a matter such as
this, i.e., asking Allah for things by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam), the teachings of
someone like Imam Ahmad would be followed as opposed to those of Ibn
Taymiyyah and his followers--the Wahhabis. All of these reliable scholars have
praised Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. He is the one among the scholars of hadith who
narrated the most ahadith of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). It is not known among the
scholars of hadith about another scholar who narrated in quantity as
much as Imam Ahmad did. Those Wahhabis left Imam Ahmad and followed their own
delusions. Those delusions are contrary to the rules of the Religion of Allah.
Be cautious! If you hear someone claim that it is not
permissible to ask Allah for things in the absence of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
or after
his death, do not lend him a listening ear. Respond to him. Tell such a person
about the hadith of the blind man, and the hadith of al-Bukhari
regarding the three men who went into the cave. This is defending the Religion
of Allah.
It is not permissible for one to remain silent when he
sees someone perverting the Religion of Allah--if he is able to stand up to
him. It is not permissible to leave the Muslims without guiding them and
warning them against such people who pervert the Religion of Allah--once they
are able to do so. This falls under the obligatory advice to the Muslims, as it
was indicated by the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). If the person leaves out ordering alma‘ruf
and forbidding a-lmunkar, when it is obligatory on him, then this
person is committing a sin. The scholars used to take many hardships to warn
against someone perverting the Religion of Allah. This has great reward for
them. If that obligation was left out in a community, those people would lose
the support of Allah.
We ask Allah to bless us with the guidance and to make
us steadfast in following the methodology and the path of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). We
ask Allah to let us consume all of our life in following the methodology of the
Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam). We ask Allah to make us among those who order with al-ma‘ruf and
forbid al-munkar.
After reading this document Shaykh 'Ali Mo'allim said:
"May Allah bless the author and help all of us in refutation of
ahlu-d-dalalah." Shaykh 'Abdul Hadi ordered - insha Allah - it to be
published and translated.
Praise be to Allah and Allah knows best.
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