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Fatawa (According to Shafi School of Jurisprudence)
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Question 5
With regards to asking the dead or the absent to supplicate to Allah on our behalf, what is the understanding of the Islamic scholars about this issue?
Tawassul and Waseelah literally means to make a request or supplicate through a means. It is permissible for one to request Allah the most high to accept his supplication 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 and Waseela: (1) To make Tawassul to Almighty Allah that He accepts the supplication due to one having performed a certain good deed is permissible and unanimously accepted. It is supported by the tradition of Sahih Bukhari in which three people were trapped in a cave. Each of them supplicated to Allah to move the obstructing rock and they requested Allah to accept their supplications due to 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' (Surat A'araf; Verse180). Its acceptable 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 the Most High through the rank and position of certain individuals, alive or deceased, in the sight of Almighty Allah. This includes the Prophets [Blessing of Allah upon them], the martyrs and any other pious servant of Allah. So If somebody says : 'Oh Allah, I plead you to accept my supplication due to the status of the Messenger of Allah'. (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him] This form of Tawassul is also permissible according to the vast majority of the Islamic 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 is number 3, where one makes Tawassul through individuals that are alive or deceased by saying, 'O Allah, I beg you to accept my supplication due to the status of Rasulullah [PBH)] or some other pious person'. The first opposition against this form of Tawassul was in the 7th century of Islam (shifa-u-ssqaam.)
There are numerous proofs that support the permissibility of Tawassul through individuals. The following are some substantiations:
1. Uthman ibn Hunayf [May Allah Mercy upon him] narrates that once a blind person came to the Messenger of Allah [PBH] and said, 'Oh Messenger of Allah [PBH]! Ask Allah to cure me.' He (PBH) replied, 'If you wish I will make Du'aa or else you may be patient and this is better for you.' The man said, 'Make Du'a instead', Messenger of Allah [PBH] then commanded him to make ablution properly and that he recites the following supplication, 'Oh Allah, verily, I ask of you and I turn to you through your prophet, the prophet of mercy, O Muhammad [PBH], 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 Turmudhi; Sunan ibn Majah; Mustadrak of Haakim and others). Imam Turmudhi, ibn Khuzaymah and Haakim(May Allah Mercy upon them) have classified this Hadîth as authentic. The words, 'I turn to you through your prophet' clearly proves Tawassul through the position of a person. The Messenger of Allah [PBH]also told him that he should make the same supplication whenever he needed to (al-Raddul Muhkamul Mateen pg.145).
2. Uthmaan ibn Hunayf [R] taught this supplication to someone after the demise of the Messenger of Allah [PBH]. That person's need was also fulfilled.
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