dinimislam

Fitnat-ul-Wahhabiyyah 2

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Proofs For Tawassul
The Permissibility of Asking Allah for Things by Some of His Creation

If performing tawassul had been blasphemy, then the believers, i.e., the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, his Companions, and the Salaf and Khalaf of this nation would not have done it. Yet it is mentioned in the sahih hadith of the Prophet that the Prophet used to ask Allah by saying:



which means: <<O Allah, I ask You by the status of those who ask You.{10} >> Without doubt, this is tawassul. The Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, used to teach this supplication (du^a') to his Companions and order them to say it. This issue was expounded upon in different books and treatises refuting Ibn ^Abdul-Wahhab.

There is a hadith related by al-Hakim that mentions after Adam ate from the tree, he performed tawassul by our Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. He did that, because he saw the name of the Prophet written on the ^Arsh, Adam said: <<O Allah, by the dignity of this son [Muhammad], forgive this father [Adam].>>

It was also related by Ibn Hibban, that upon the death of Fatimah Bint Asad, may Allah raise her rank, the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, with his own honorable hands, put her in her grave and said: <<O Allah, forgive my mother{11}, Fatimah Bint Asad, and widen her place by the status of Your Prophet and the prophets who came before me. You are the most Merciful.>>

There is a hadith classified as sahih{12}, that a blind man asked the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, to make a supplication (du^a') to Allah to return his sight. The Prophet ordered him to make ablution (wudu’) and pray two rak^ahs and then say:

"O Allah, I ask You and direct myself to You by Your Prophet, Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad, I ask Allah by you to fulfill my need. O Allah, enable him to intercede for me."

The blind man did what the Prophet taught him to do{13} and Allah brought his sight back. Moreover, as related by at-Tabaraniyy, the tawassul made by the blind man was used by the Companions and Salaf after the death of the Prophet.

^Umar Ibn al-Khattab performed the tawassul by al-^Abbas (the uncle of the Prophet), may Allah reward their deeds, when he prayed the Salah of ’Istisqa’{14} with the people. There are other proofs mentioned in the books of the Islamic scholars but we will not recount them at length here.

The one who pursues the saying of the Companions and their followers will find a great deal of proof about the validity of calling the prophet by saying "O Muhammad" in his presence as well as in his absence and in his life as well as after his death. In fact, many texts include the phrase which means, "O Muhammad". Calling the name of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, is permissible. An example is the saying of the Companion, Bilal Ibn al-Harith, may Allah reward his deeds, when he went to the grave of the Prophet. He said: "O Messenger of Allah, ask Allah to send rain to your Nation." His saying contains this format{15}.

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Sulayman al-Kurdiyy{16} was among the authors who wrote refuting Ibn ^Abdul-Wahhab. He was Ibn ^Abdul-Wahhab’s own shaykh. Among what he said is as follows:

O Ibn ^Abdul-Wahhab, I advise you, for the sake of Allah, ta^ala, to hold your tongue regarding the Muslims. If you hear from anyone who asks for help from other than Allah that one has the power to effect things without the Will of Allah, then teach him the right thing about this issue, and show him the proofs which state no one other than Allah brings things from non-existence into existence. The one who rejects that is blasphemous. You have no right to label the majority of the Muslims as blasphemers{17} while you are deviant from the majority of the Muslims. In fact, it is more reasonable to consider the one who deviates from the majority of the Muslims as a blasphemer then to consider the Muslims as a nation as blasphemers--because the deviant one has followed a path other than the path of the believers. In Surat an-Nisa’, Ayah 115, Allah said:



This ayah means: [Whomever contends with the Messenger after the right path was exposed to him and follows other than the way of the believers, Allah will leave him to whatever he followed and put him in Hell (Jahannam)].




The Permissibility Of Visiting The Grave Of The Prophet

Visiting the grave of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, was performed by the Companions and the Salaf and Khalaf who came after them. Many hadiths cite the benefit of this deed and the scholars of Islam have written books about this matter{18}.


Calling On Someone Other Than Allah

Among of what was mentioned concerning calling on someone other than Allah, whether that one is present, absent, dead or alive, is the saying of the Prophet:



which means: <<If the animal of anyone of you went out of control in the wilderness, then call: ‘O slaves of Allah, help me’>>, since there are slaves of Allah [i.e. the angels] who will respond to him.

There is another hadith related by al-Bazzar in which the Prophet said:





which means: << If one of you lost something or needs help while in an open land, then let him say: "O slaves of Allah, help me.">> Another narration says:





which means <<Rescue me, because Allah has created slaves whom you do not see.>>

When traveling at nightfall the Prophet, sallallahu ^alyhi wa sallam, used to say:



which means: << O earth, my Lord and your Lord is Allah.>>

When the Prophet visited the grave of Muslims, he used to say:



which means: << O people of the graves, peace be upon you.>>

In the Tashahhud in as-Salah the Muslim says:



which means: << "O Prophet of Allah, may Allah protect you from infirmities, and have mercy and blessings on you.">>

There is no harm in calling on and performing tawassul by someone unless one believes that someone other than Allah actually creates things. Hence, as long as one believes that only Allah creates them, there is no harm in performing tawassul. Likewise, attributing a certain doing to other than Allah does not harm unless one believes this doer actually creates. So once it is established the person does not believe the creating is for other than Allah then attributing a doing to other than Allah is understood in its proper context. When one says: "This medicine benefited me," or "This particular righteous Muslim benefited me," he is merely exposing the created reason of the benefit. These statements are also similar to when one says: "This food satisfied my hunger," or "This water quenched my thirst," or "This medicine cured me." When Muslims say such statements, they understand them in their proper context, i.e., food, water, and medicine are only reasons, and Allah is the Creator of their benefit.

The general proofs mentioned in this summary are enough to refute Ibn ^Abdul-Wahhab. The scholars of Islam have expounded on this issue in several treatises.

The History Of The Fighting With The Wahhabiyyah







Footnote

{1}Al-Hijaz refers to the western part of Arabia which includes Makkah and al-Madinah.
{2} Al-Haramayn refers to Makkah and al-Madinah.
{3}Ash-Sham refers to the area that includes Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine.
{4}Only the first adversity will be presented in this booklet.
{5} Tawassul is asking Allah for goodness by a prophet, righteous believer, etc.
{6}Shirk refers to associating partners to Allah.
{7}The People of Tawhid refers to the Muslims.
{8} Ad-Dar^iyyah is a region north of the city of Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
{9}Musaylimah al-Kadhdhab was a blasphemous man who claimed the status of prophethood for himself after the death of Prophet Muhammad. He was killed by the Muslims during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, may Allah raise his rank.
{10}Ibn Majah and others related this hadith and the-Hafidh, Ibn Hajar, deemed it a strong hadith.
{11} The Prophet called her ‘my mother’ out of likening her to his real mother.
{12}Sixteen hafidhs of hadith classified this hadith as sahih, including at-Tirmidhiyy, at-Tabaraniyy, al-Bayhaqiyy, as-Subkiyy, among others.
{13}It is clear in the narrations of this hadith, the blind man was not in the session of the Prophet when he did as the Prophet ordered him.
{14} Salah of ’Istisqa’ refers to performing a specific prayer which includes making supplication for rain.
{15}Al-Bayhaqiyy related this hadith and classified it as Sahih.
{16} Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Sulaym al-Kurdiyy was the one who wrote al-Hashiyah on the explanation of Ibn Hajar to the text of Bafadl.
{17} It is mentioned in a hadith it is easier for the devil to trick the lonely person who is away from other Muslims. The Prophet, sallallahu al ^alayhi wa sallam, while encouraging the Muslims to perform the prayers in congregation said:



which means: <<Moreover, the wolf will eat the lonely lamb.>>
{18} Among these hadiths is the one related by ad-Daraqutniyy that the Prophet said: <<On the Day of Judgment, I will intercede for the one who visits my grave with the good intention.>>