Surah Nisaa’s Verse No:64 Is Enough To Understand Tawassul & Istigatha

         By: Maulana Muhammad A. K. Azad [ Abu Arif Al Alawi ]  

              In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah The Most High. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wa sallam, his family and  his companions.

           Bidatis! How can tawaassul be shirk or haram?    There is not a  single Quranic Verse prohibititing  or condemning tawassul whereas a number of Quranic Verses justify its permissibility. Let alone Shirk which is capital crime, in which Quranic Verse or Hadith, Tawassul and seeking help from Prophets and Awliyas, are declared as merely  undesirable or impermissible ?  The acts which are not declared even “disliked”or “undesirable” by Shariah, how can you declare them as Shirk ? Allah Almighty commands : 

     “O believers! Fear Allah and seek means (وَ ابْتَغُوْۤا اِلَیْهِ الْوَسِیْلَةَ   ) of approach unto Him, And strive in His cause, that you may prosper”  [surah Al-Mā’idah, Surah No. 05, Verse No.35)The instruction of this verse on seeking wasila is general and this wasila may be of various forms : Wasila through good deeds, wasila through the names and attributes of Almighty Allah and wasila through Allah’s beloved servants.Some people say that  Allah Almighty Himself declares that only Wasila through good deeds and through the names and attributes of Almighty Allah are permissible and waasila through The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa sallam oy Awliyas are Shirk. Why Brothers? In which verse of Al Quran or in which Hadeeth such differentiation are mentioned ? Having failed to answer, these brothers say, wasila through alive persons are permissible but through deceased persons are shirk. This differentiation too is self-coined and has no connection with Al Quran and Al Hadeeth. Allah Almighty declares that He allows His chosen people to intercede. Allah Almighty says,"Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; who is he that can intercede with Him but by his permission" (Surah Baqarah, Surah No. 02 , Verse No. 255).  The words "but" and "except" in  suggest clearly that Allah’s chosen Servants whom Allah allows can intercede .  Allah Subhanahu Taala declares:"On that Day the intercession of any one will not avail but of him whom the Most Affectionate has permitted and whose word He liked”. [ Surah Taha, Surah No. 20, Verse No. 109].  Allah Subhanahu Taala declares : "On that day shall no intercession avail except of him whom the Beneficent God allows and whose word He is pleased with" (20:109) Allah Subhanahu Taala declares :"And intercession will not avail aught with Him save of him whom He permits" (34:23).  Allah Subhanahu Taala declares:"And how many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession does not avail at all except after Allah has given permission to whom He pleases and chooses" (53:26). Allah Subhanahu Taala declares :"...And they do not intercede except for him whom He approve..." (21:28). Allah Subhanahu Taala declares: "And those whom they call upon besides Him have no authority for intercession, but he who bears witness of the truth and they know (him)" (43:86) .  In Chapter Nisaa', permissibility of tawassul becomes more specific. In Surah Nisaa' Allah explains: “ If they (hypocrites) when they had been unjust to themselves, had come to you ( Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) and begged Allah’s forgiveness and the Messenger had begged forgiveness for them: indeed, they would have found Allah All-forgiving ( one who forgives and accepts repentance), Most Merciful.”  [ Surah Nisaa’, Surah No. 04 , Verse No:64]

                        Hafidh Ibn Kathīr, Most-Respected Mufassir of Salafi Scholars, proves tawassul from  Surah Nisaa’s Verse No:64 emphatically. Hafidh Ibn Kathir writes: “(In this Qur'anic verse) Allah is exhorting the sinners and evildoers that when they commit sins and errors they should call on the Messenger of Allah  and ask forgiveness from Allah. They should also request the Messenger of Allah  to pray for them. When they do so, Allah will turn to them and forgive them and He will show mercy to them. That is why He used the words la-wajadullāha tawwāban-rahīmā (they (on the basis of this means and intercession) would have surely found Allah the Granter of repentance, extremely Merciful. [Ref :  Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr-ul-Qur'an al-‘azīm , Under the Verse 4:64] .

 

      Imam Ibn Kathir continues:  "Jama'at (Many scholars) have stated this tradition. One of them is Abu Mansur al-Sabbagh who writes in his book Al-Shamil Al-Hikayat-ul-mashhurah that, according to ‘Utbi, once he was sitting beside the Prophet’s grave when a bedouin came and he said, “Peace be on you, O Allah’s Messenger. I have heard that Allah says: ‘(O beloved!) And if they had come to you, when they had wronged their souls, and asked forgiveness of Allah, and the Messenger also had asked forgiveness for them, they (on the basis of this means and intercession) would have surely found Allah the Granter of repentance, extremely Merciful.’ I have come to you, asking forgiveness for my sins and I make you as my intermediary before my Lord and I have come to you for this purpose.” Then he recited these verses: “O, the most exalted among the buried people who improved the worth of the plains and the hillocks! May I sacrifice my life for this grave which is made radiant by you, (the Prophet,) the one who is (an embodiment) of mercy and forgiveness.” Then the bedouin went away and I fell asleep. In my dream I saw the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). He said to me: O ‘Utbi, the bedouin is right, go and give him the good news that Allah has forgiven his sins. [Ibn Kathir, Tafsir-ul-Qur'an al-azim Volume 004, Page No. 140, Under the Verse 4:64] 

       Great Hadeeth-specialist Imam an-Nawawi proves the legitimacy of Tawassul from  Surah Nisaa’s Verse No:64 categorically. He writes: "(The pilgrim) should turn towards the face of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and make him a means (tawassul) for the sake of himself and also seek his intercession (shafa'at) towards reaching God. In this regard “THE BEST OF SAYINGS” is the Hikayat of Imam al-Marwadi (rah) and Qadhi Abu at-Tayb (rah) and “ALL MY OTHER ASHAAB (I.E. SHAWAFI)” the narration of Utbi “AND THEY CONSIDERED IT HASAN/RECOMMENDED (مستحسنين له)” i.e. Bedouin who visited the Prophet's grave and sat beside it said: Peace unto you O Messenger of Allah, I have heard Allah has said:

Had they, when they had wronged themselves, come to you and asked Allah's forgiveness and the Apostle had asked forgiveness for them, they would certainly have found Allah Most-Propitious, Most-Merciful. (Holy Qur'an 4: 64).

Therefore, I have come to you for forgiveness of my sins and seeking your intercession with Allah" [Imam an-Nawawi in Al-Majmu', Volume No. 8, Page No. 274]

          

                Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti proves the legitimacy of Tawassul categorically from  Surah Nisaa’s Verse No:64 in "Dur al-Manthur". He writes:

 

Imam al-Bayhaqi (rah) has narrated from Abi Harb al-Hilali who said:... (and then he mentioned the incident of Araabi) [Tafsir Dur al Manthur under 4:64)] 

                     Imam Qurtubi proves the legitimacy of Tawassul categorically from  Surah Nisaa’s Verse No:64  In His Tafsir. He writes: "Its related from Abu Sadiq (ra) that Imam Ali (ra) said: "Three days after burying the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) arab did came and did throw himself on the grave of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), took the earth and throw it on his head. He said: "Ya Rasulallah! (Peace Be Upon Him) You did speak and we did hear, you learned from Allah and we did learn from you. Between those things which Allah did send you, is following: (4:64) I am the one, which is a sinner and now I did came to you, so that you may ask for me." After that a call from the grave did came: "Theres no doubt, you are forgiven!" [Tafsir al-Qurtubi, al-Jami li Ahkam al-Quran Volume 006, Page No. 439, Under the Verse, 4:64] 

                            

     This  incident of the Bedouin is related also by  Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab-ul-Imaan (Volume no: 3, Page no:495-496, Hadith No#4178),  Ibn Qudamah in al-Mughni- (Book : Kitab Al Hajj Chapter : Wa Yustahabbu Ziyarat Qabr An NABI SAW Volume : 5 Page : 465) , Ibn ‘Asakir in Tahdhīb tarikh Dimashq al-kabir popularly known as Tarikh/Tahdhib Ibn ‘Asakir as quoted by Imam as-Subki in Shifa’-us-siqam fī ziyaat khayr-il-anam (pp. 46-7), Tafsir al-Bahr al-Muheet by Imam Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi (3/282, Dar al Fikr edition) or Book : Tafseer bahr Al Muheet Volume : 3 Page : 269 Under : Sorat An Nisa Ayat number 64  ,  Imam al-Mutaqi al-Hindi in Kanz ul Amaal (1/714 #10422) or Book : Tafseer bahr Al Muheet Volume : 3 Page : 269 Under : Sorat An Nisa Ayat number 64  ,  Imam al-Nawawi again in his al-Majmu' (8/202-203) and  Ibn Hajar Haythami in al-Jawhar-ul-munazzam (p. 51).

     

                         Salafis !       These references prove without any shadow of doubt that great Muhaditheen not only authenticated this very report but also considered the action as Mustahab . None of these Imams called it shirk or Bidah. Most importantly, no Quranic Verse, No Hadeeth, NoTafsir-Master and No Hadith-Master endorse that the significance and  operational range of this  holy verse was restricted only to the earthly existence of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi wa sallam.  Did Imam Ibn Kathir, Imam  al-Nawawi, Imam Qurtubi and other Mufassirins  or Hadith-Masters commit shirk ? Did they become Mushriks? Your Own Imam Maulana Muhammad Ismail Muhammadi confesses that the living and the dead are equal , you can make tawassul of living and dead buzurgs. [ Nuzulul Abrar By Maulana Muhammad Ismail Muhammadi salafi , Page 05]

                        Wa Maa Alaina Illal Balaag.

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