Tawassul

 The opponents of Tawassul with the Nabi, i.e. the Wahhabis/Taymiyyites, consistently rely upon the famous narration of Imam Umar ibn Al Khattab (radhiya Allahu ‘Anhu) using Al-’Abbas (radhiya Allahu Anhu) as an intermediary. The following is the reply of two scholars of Fes, Shaykhs Abdul-Hayy Al Amrawi and Abdul Karim Murad in their translated work, “Sufis and Sufism: A Defence”, translated by Sayyidah Aisha Bewley. You will see that the anti-tawassul usage of this athar is not proof for forbiddance of tawassul with the Prophet Muhammad at all.

Continued

By Ibn Saad

This is an open Challenge to those who are opposed to Tawassul. Please look at the quotes below and answer all of the following questions in the comment section:

1) Are the statements below correctly ascribed to their respective Imam, if not which is a false statement and why?
2) If indeed these Imams did make these claims, should Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Imam Ibn Khuzaima, Imam Ibn Hibban, Imam Nawawi and Imam Shawkani be considered kuffar based on this?
3) If not, are they Muslims, but guilty of Shirk of some degree?
4) If not, are they mubtadi’een?
5) Were they jahils to allow/perform tawassul without (supposedly) any daleels?

If you have said NO so far, can we agree that Tawassul is a Fiqh issue instead of an Aqeedah one?

Continued

by Abul Layth

Who is Al-’Utbi? 

He is Muhammad ibn Ubaydullah ibn ‘Amru ibn Mu’awiyah ibn ‘Amru ibn Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb. He was from the most eloquent of men, a companion of narrations, and a narrator of literature. He reported from his father and from Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah. Taqiyud-Din As-Subki reports the narration that we are soon to go over in his Shifaa’ As-Siqaam regarding the visiting of the grave of the Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He reports this narration with his chain. ((See Futuhaat Ar-Rabbaaniyah 5/39 )) 

The narration of Al-’Utbi is probably not known to many English speaking Muslims. Let me state my purpose in producing this article. I am going to share a photocopy as well as further research regarding the narration of Al-’Utbi so that the Muslim masses will be informed of the fact that many great ‘Ulamaa’ of the past maintained that Tawassul by the Nabi Muhammad is permitted in Islam. We hope that this information will lend more credence to the fact that the greatest Jurists to have walked the earth believed in tawassul with the beloved Prophet Muhammad.

Continued

 by Ibn Ahmad

The amount of literature detailing the permissibility of tawassul is exhaustive.  My purpose is not to expound on such in this brief research paper.  For all those interested in the permissibility of this matter, there is literature abound that defends the soundness of the narrations through which this act of worship has come to us.  My purpose is simply to analyze tawassul from a basic word-for-word, and slightly grammatical perspective.  That alone is enough to establish it as an act of pure monotheism, much less in conjunction with the works of the muhaddithīn.

The du‘ā of tawassul is as follows:

اللهما إني أَسْأَلُكَ و أَتَوَجَّهُ إليكَ بِنَبِيِّنا محمد نَبِيُّ الرَحْمَة، يا مُحَمَّد: إني أَتَوَجَّهُ بِكَ إلى رَبِّي فَيَقْضِي حاجَتي. 

The rest of the du‘ā expresses the need for which the du‘ā was made. 

This can be found in Reliance of the Traveller(1).  It’s basic meaning is such: Oh Allāh, Verily I ask you and turn towards you through our Messenger Muhammad, the Messenger of Mercy.  Oh Muhammad, Verily I turn – through you – towards my Lord so that He may fulfill my need.  Let’s look at this du‘ā phrase-by-phrase.

Continued

One of the narrations Ahlus Sunnah, of old and or recent, use as support for tawassul with the person of the Nabi is the narration of ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf. Al-Albaani in his treatise on tawassul, promoted by the najdi-wahhabis, and used as a litmus test to see “who” is either a) a Mushrik or b) one committing Bida’ah kufriyyah, has supposedly “refuted” this narration. Many of the scholars of late have responded to the poor arguments and accusations of the pseudo-salafi firqah regarding this narration. Sidi Faqir has combined several statements of the scholars, including some research from Shaykh Nuh (qaddasa Allahu sirrh). To view his collection of arguments etc: click here. To view a refutation of Al-Albaani by Shaykh Ghumaari, translated by Ma’rifah, click here.

The following scan is taken from Imam An-Nawawi’s famous treatise “Al-Adhkaar“, that is soon to be translated by Shaykh Nuh (as I have read in several places), insha’allah. In this scan you will see Imam An-Nawawi quoting the hadith of Uthman ibn Hunayf as proof for “Salaatul-Haajah - or the Prayer of Need”. You will also notice that he believes this hadith is Sahih, as he quotes At-Tirmdhi’s grading, “The narration is Hasan Saheeh”, without disagreeing. It is his policy that when a hadith has weakness, and he quotes it in the adhkaar, that he mentions its weakness. In fact he does this in the hadith prior to this one in his adhkaar. The footnotes of this scan are by Shaykh Subay’ Hamza Haakimi that was published in 1991 by Mu’asassa ‘Ulum Al-Quran in Beirout, Lebanon.

Continued

Compiled by Abul Layth

Is it permitted to seek Tawassul through the Haqq (right) of the Nabi (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam)?

A proof for this stance is what is reported authentically from the Nabi (Sallallahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam) via the companion Maysarah:

قد أخرج الحافظ أبو الحسن بن بشران قال : حدثنا أو جعفر محمد ابن عمرو، حدثنا أحمد بن سحاق بن صالح، ثنا محمد بن صالح، ثنا محمد ابن سنان العوقي، ثنا إبراهيم بن طهمان، عن بديل بن ميسرة، عن عبد الله بن شقيق، عن ميسرة قال: قلت: يا رسول الله، متى كنت نبياً ؟ قال: (( لما خلق الله الأرض واستوى إلى السماء فسواهن سبع سماوات ، وخلق العرش،كتب على ساق العرش: محمد رسول الله خاتم الأنبياء، وخلق الله الجنة التي أسكنها آدم وحواء، فكتب اسمي على الأبواب، والأوراق والقباب، والخيام،وآدم بين الروح والجسد،فلما أحياه الله تعالى: نظر إلى العرش فرأى اسمي فأخبره الله أنه سيد ولدك، فلما غرهما الشيطان ، تابا واستشفعا باسمي إليه

وأخرجه ابن الجوزي في الوفا بفضائل المصطفى من طريق ابن بشران

I said: “O Messenger of Allah, when were you [first] a Prophet?” He replied: “When Allah created the earth ‘Then turned to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens’(2:29), and created the Throne, He wrote on the leg of the Throne: “Muhammad the Messenger of Allah is the Seal of Prophets” (Muhammadun Rasūlullāhi Khātamu al-Anbiyā’). Then Allah created Jannah in which He made Adam and Hawwa’ dwell, and He wrote my name on the gates, its tree-leaves, its domes and tents, at a time when Adam was still between the spirit and the body. When Allah ta’alā instilled life into him he looked at the Throne and saw my name, whereupon Allah informed him that ‘He [Muhammad (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam)] is the Sayyid (master) of all your descendants.’ When Satan deceived them both, they repented and sought intercession (shafa’a) to Allah with my name.“

Continued