PART 20: VISITING THE GRAVES IS THE SUNNAH OF PROPHET [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] AND NOT GRAVE WORSHIP

From the Layman's Desk-14.

Part 20:The Awliya-Allah:Continued:

Honouring the Graves of Awliya kiraam:

The Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said: "The one who does not thank people, does not thank Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala,", and we owe it to the Prophets, `alaymmu-s-salam, and Awliya kiraam, who protected and spread the Deen of Allah subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, over the ages, that we visit their shrine, dress it with flowers if we wish to (as it is Sunnah) and make Dhikr there. A Nation, which does not honour its true servants and heroes, is an ungrateful Nation and is bound to land into confusion. 

One way of honouring the Awliya-Allah is by way of celebrating the Urs.  ‘Urs is the day of the passing away of the noble Saints and Prophets.

Urs as we know is derived from a Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) where it is narrated in Mishkaat Shareef (Tirmidhi Shareef Hadith narrated by Abu Hurraira ® and also mentioned in Baihaqi) that when the Waliullah, a Beloved Of Allah successfully answers three questions in the grave then the angels (malaika) give him glad tidings of his success in this world and in the hereafter stating, Sleep Like The Sleep Of A Bridegroom (nim ka naumatil aroos) who is only going to be awakened by the Beloved, who is Allah, on the Day Of Qiyaamah.  Khwaja Habib Ali Shah (reh.) explains that “the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) stated that you have aroos, you have irs and you have ur’s. Aroos is the ain with a zabar or fatha on the top is bridegroom. The irs, ain with a kasra, the zer at the bottom is the bride and urs with the damma or pesh on the top is actually wedding or ‘the wedding party’ (baraat). This is where ur’s is derived from in brief and it is celebrated, to commemorate and to observe the success which is enjoyed by the Waliullah in the sight of Almighty Allah. For the lovers of Allah, the beloved ones of Allah and the devotees of the beloved ones of Allah it is motivation to follow in the footsteps of the Waliullah so that they may also achieve supreme success in the hereafter as well….”

Another reason is because, on this day, the angels will reveal the beauty and splendour of Rasoolullah [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] and ask him, “What did you say about this man?” He will reply, “He is the Aroos (adorned personality) of all creation. The entire creation has attained splendour through him.”  Meeting the beloved is the day of ‘Urs’, and it is for this reason that the day is called Urs. 

According to Shaykhul Islam, Dr. Tahir ul- Qadri, the Urs held at the shrines of Awliya-Allah are the means of ‘Zaahiri’ and ‘Baatini’ Barakah.    Ziyarah of their mazaars and speaking out there, making a ‘Minbar’ and talking  about Allah and His Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] and the Awliya are the Sunnah of Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam].    Such hadiths are available in the Sahih Sitta and Agreed-Upon (Muttafaq Alay) Hadiths and is also found in dozens of  other books of hadiths from various narrations.  Tracing the origin of ‘Urs’, Dr. Tahir ul- Qadri states that  a few days before his demise the Holy Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] along with the Sahaba, Awliya, and  Slaves  went to the ‘mazaars’ of the martyrs of Uhud.   It was a form of “Ishtamaayi  Ziyaarat”.  This shows that it is perfectly alright to visit the mazaars of martyrs, the pious and the men of Allah in this manner.  After the ziyaarat, salaat and dua, the Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] addressed  the crowd from the Minbar.  The point is, Minbars are available only in the Masjids and not at the Mazaars - unless there is a Masjid around and a Khutba is to be recited.  How did the Minbar come at the place?  This point was not noted by other scholars and so it was not mentioned in their books.  So this means that the Minbar was brought from Madinah Munawwara with the intention  that it may be used for addressing the gathering from it after the Ziyarat and Fateha, thus creating a Sunnah.  The Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] declared:   By Allah,  I am not afraid that you will associate anything with Allah in worship after (my demise), but I apprehend that you will vie with one another for the life of the world.” (Yeh Dar hai ke duniya-daari karoge…) 

Now the above statement was made at the time of  Urs of the Martyrs of Uhud, after the Ziyarah of the mazaars and after Dua and by keeping the Minbar and addressing the gathering from that Minbar.  Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri has emphasized that there is a reason for and importance of that declaration being made at Uhud, namely that till the “qayamat”  (Doomsday) whoever visits  the mazaars of the Awliya-Allah shall not be called ‘Mushrik’.   This is what was conveyed by Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] at the time of Urs of Martyrs of Uhud.   This declaration could have been made by Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] at any other place.  But he chose Uhud, as explained by the Shaykh, by “Urs ka samaa baandh ke, Ishtama Urs ka qaayam kar ke, …wahee.n minbar par farmaayaa, yeh samjhayaa jaa rahaa thaah ke yeh meree sunnat hai, aur agar yeh meree sunnat ho gayee toh Shirk kaisa?"  In other words, the message was loud and clear:  The Sunnah of Urs should be continued since it is not ‘Shirk’.  In short, celebration of Urs is proven from Sahih hadith and Sunnah of Prophet.  Pursuant to that, observation of such custom is found among the Muslim majority all over the world even today since that time. 

Shah Waliullah Dehlvi in his book "Faizul Haramain", Page No: 57:  "If someone achieves mystical knowledge then his soul become so powerful that Tariqah, Maslak, Saintly chain, Lineage, Genealogy, Relations and everything connected with that person comes into the range of his favor and inclination.  The favor of ALLAH, reflects through his spiritual attention".  And in his Persian book, "Hama’at":  "This guarantees for the regular attending on death anniversaries (Urs) of the saints.  Regular visits to their  shrines  to recite Fatiha there, distribution of charity, to honor his offspring, relations and relics are lawful in Shariah; and also these are supererogative (Nafl and Mustahab) actions."

Regarding the placing of the flowers of the graves of Awliya,  Mullah Ali al-Qari writes in the commentary of the Hadith (see below) in al-Mirqat fi Sharh al-Mishkat that:  "Our Ulama have issued a ruling that to place fragrance and plants (over a grave) are a Sunnah practice".  It is stated in the famous Hanafi Fiqh book Fatawa Alamgiriyyah/Hindiyyah (Kitab al- Jana'iz) that it is allowed to put flowers on a grave.  To place flowers and fresh branches on the graves is also a Sunnah. (Bukhari Sheriff Vol.1).  

It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that: Once, while travelling, Nabi Muhammad, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, stopped at a certain place and said that there was a grave in front of him, and that the person therein is busy suffering punishment. Nabi Muhammad, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, then broke off two branches from a date palm and placed in on the grave, and said that as long as the branches were fresh, the punishment would be lessened.  This is because the fresh branches would be making the Dhikr of Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala. So this act is a Sunnah, and people use flowers, as it is more available and also able to maintain its freshness.  From this we can also deduce that if we ourselves perform Dhikr at the Qubur, it would also lessen the inhabitants' punishment. Performing Dhikr at the Qubur of the Awliya would bring more blessings upon their respective Ruhs (souls).  Doing this would be compliance with a divine order.  Therefore, one fails to understand how placing flowers over a grave means associating a Partner with Allah!!!  It is sad that sometimes, even the so-called learned  people  fail to understand the consequences of calling a normal practice of Muslims as Shirk.

In the famous book, "Raddul Mukhtaar", it is stated: "It is permissible to place a cloth on the Qabar of a Wali  or pious Muslim so that visitors be more respectful when visiting the grave. People are also aware of the holy person's status and gain auspiciousness from the holy person who is resting in the grave.  It is allowed to put on a ‘Ghilaaf’ on the graves of Awliya and Ulema when it is recognised that the majority respect the person in the grave. 

 ‘Chaadars’ that are placed on the grave of the Awliya-Allah is an act of Sunnah.  After the demise of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) a sahaabiyah came to Sayyida Aisha Siddiqah ® and requested her to show the grave of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam).  Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqah ® then raised the ‘Ghilaaf’ (a sheet of fabric) from the grave of Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam)  The sahaabiyah became very, very emotional, wept beyond control, and finally collapsed and passed away.  (Baihaki Shareef, Fatawa Shami Volume 5) The Chapter on ‘Libaas’ also states that it is good to place ‘Chadar’ on the graves of Awliya-Allah. 

The Fuqaaha-e- Kiraam (Islamic jurists) have stressed that chaadars should not be placed on the graves of the general Muslim public.  The great Shafi scholar and Sufi, Imam Abdul Wahab al-Sharani (rah) writes: My teacher Ali (rah) and brother Afzal ud din (rah) used to forbid that domes should be build over graves of ordinary people and also to put the deceased in “coffins” and also to put sheets over their graves. They used to say that only Prophets and great awliya deserve domes and sheets, whereas we should be buried in the feet of people and also in their ways [Al-Anwar al Qudsiya, Page No. 593]

Shaykh `Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi said in Kashf al-Nur `an Ashab al-Qubur ("The Unveiling of Light from the Occupants of the Graves") the sum of which is that a good innovation that agrees with the objectives of the Sacred Law is called a sunna. Thus, building domes over the graves of Scholars, friends of Allah (awliya') and the righteous and placing covers, turbans and cloth over them is permissible if the objective therein is to create reverence in the eyes of ordinary people so that they will not disdain the occupant of that grave.   

The use of fragrance is also traced to the authentic prophetic traditions compiled in Ibn Majah, Abu Dawood, al-Hakim, an-Nasa’i and al-Tayaalisi where details are given as to how the souls of the Momeens are taken out of the bodies and brought towards the Heavens and finally taken back to the bodies and the graves.   The angels of mercy with faces shining bright like the sun descend from the heavens and sit  as far as the eye can see.  The Angel of Death comes and tells  the soul of the believer to “come out to your Lord’s forgiveness and pleasure” and then the soul comes out of the body like the water that flows out of the mouth of the water- skin and all the angels between the skies and the earth supplicate for Allah’s blessings on him.  Then there are details about how the soul is taken up right to the Seventh Heaven by the angels, and the other angels asking about the name of this “wonderful soul”. The Angel of Death is barely able to receive the soul in his hands as other angels take it from him, wrapping it with fragrant winding sheets.   His record is placed in ‘Illiyun’ i.e. “a written record witnessed by those who are brought near to Allah” (Qur’an: 83:19-21).  All those details cannot be given here, but what is significant to mention for our purpose is that the angels carry with them burial sheets and scents from Paradise.  The soul is wrapped up in these fragrant sheets throughout the journey to the Seventh Heaven and back.  The Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) indicated that there exudes from soul a scent like the most beautiful fragrance of musk that one could find on the face of the earth.   Without elaborating further on the long hadiths shareef, it may be shortly stated that the Juloos-e-Sandal (lit.”fragrance or scent”) and Juloos-e-chaadar (i.e. sheets of fabrics) or “Gilaaf” are rooted in the Sunnah of the Angels,as is evident from the ahadith, and there is no innovation involved. 

According to a very famous prophetic tradition, one of the three things the Prophet (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wasallam)  preferred  in this world is perfume.  Therefore, the spiritualised precincts of a wali's tomb are sprinkled with ‘Itr’,  a non-alcoholic perfume, for our benefit so that it ushers us into calmness and serenity. It tends to purify our thoughts and is also synonymous with the state that the Wali is in since it has a certain degree of affinity with the rooh (soul/spirit) and ‘roohaniyat’  (spirituality).  However, as stated, the sprinkling of the perfume and fragrance is for the benefit of the visitors.

During the Urs people visit the grave of Awliya Allah.  Zikr is held; the life and teachings of Awliya-Allah are made known to the gathering; Mahfil-e-Sama is also organized  and  food is served all of which are the Sunnah and practice of the Sahaba.  If the Urs is conducted within the framework of Shariat with good intentions and motives then we would have surely acquired the spiritual blessings and limitless bounties of both the worlds. We shall again broach this topic later to prove that Urs is not Shirk as claimed by the La-Madhabi. 

It is important to note that  we  find extensions of symbols that are linked to Allah, such as Rasool-Allah (Messenger of Allah) Baitullah (for Ka’ba), Shahrullah (Month of Allah, i.e. Ramadan), Nabi-Allah (prophets of Allah), Wali-Allah (Friends of Allah), and Naaqata Allah, the she-camel of Allah that came out of the rock as a miracle for the people of Thamood; “And the (sacrificial) camels! We have made for you among the signs of Allah”  (22:36) who are honoured with garlands around their neck, and so on.  Since Awliya-Allah remind  us of Allah  and Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) as well as other Anbiya (a.s.),  their graves are in fact the symbols of Allah.  “This is the fact of the matter (so understand it well).  And whoso observes the sanctity of what has been ordained as symbols of Allah, do so because of the piety of the heart.” [(Surah al-Hajj, 22:32), Translation by Abul ala Maududi in Tafheem al-Quran.]

Now, when we show honour (yu’azzim) to the signs and indications of Allah, it is termed as “piety of the heart” as seen from Surah al-Hajj (22:32):   When there is an impulse to do good, Allah recognizes it (Surah 2:158). And the prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] said, “The piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest.   When we honour and love the Holy Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta’ala Alayhi Wa Sallam) and those associated with him or even the things associated with him and the friends of Allah, the impulse is to do good. When we visit the places of rest of the Holy Prophet (Sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and the blessed companions and the family of Holy Propht (Salla Allahu Ta’ala Alayhi Wa Sallam) as well as the shrines of Awliya-Allah, the impulse is to do good because the symbols of Allah necessarily remind us of Allah the Exalted and Majestic as He is. He is fully aware of it, and no evil imputations by the ignorant will change the piety of the heart. Therefore, showing honour is an impulse to do good within the bounds sanctioned by Allah.   Yusuf Ali says that impulse should be to do good, and if once we are sure of this, we must obey it without hestitation, whatever the people may say.   

According to Shah Waliyullah: “To love the symbols of Allah the Exalted, means to love the Qur’an, the Prophet (Salla Allahu Ta’ala Alayhi Wa Sallam) , and the Ka’ba, or to love anything that reminds us of Allah the Exalted. To love the Awliya of Allah is the same.”  [Hujjat Allahi’l Baaligha;  Altaaf al-Quds – The Sacred Knowledge (Persian)]

Suffice it to point out a tradition quoted in Abi-Shaiba’s Musnad  and in Kunooz ad-Daqaaiq which states that the Holy Prophet (Sal Allahu  Alayhi wasallam) said: “When Awliya are seen, Allah the Exalted is remembered.” When asked about the characteristics of Awliya, Imam Nawawi too said the same thing.  Ibn Majah also reports this hadith shareef.  A tradition related by Imam Baghawi says: “My Awliya are remembered when My Name is mentioned, and I am remembered, when they are mentioned.”  Therefore, those things by which we are reminded of Allah are included by the Ulema among the signs or symbols of Allah. 

Respecting and loving the signs or symbols of Allah is definitely loving  Allah. Respecting and loving those whom Allah loves definitely means loving Allah. Respecting and loving Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and his relatives or near and dear ones is, again, loving Allah and his Messenger (sal  Allahu  alayhi wasallam).  Conversely, harming the parents and progeny of Holy Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] is harming the Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] and harming him (s) is harming Allah (swt.)  When we visit the graves of Awliya-kiraam it is for the sake of Allah who loves his Awliya about whom he mentions in the Holy Qur’an:  No doubt! Verily, the Awliya' of Allah, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve) (10:62).  Where does Shirk come in?

The elevated status of the  awliya is alluded to in the tradition known as the hadith al-awliya. Allah takes them into His care and assists them. The one who loves the  awliyah loves Allah. And conversely the one who injures them, "…Allah declares war against him" [Cited by Bukhari from Abu Hurairah] and in another version of this tradition Allah says, "… he (the person who commits the injury) has declared it halal for him to make war against Me" [Cited by Imam Ahmad and Imam Qushairi from ‘Aisha]. The versions of this hadith cited by Tabarani differ mainly in the wording. Tabarani’s narrations also include some very interesting additions not mentioned by the other narrators.

Love and respect for the Awliya-Allah is obligatory (Wajib); while it is prohibited (haram) to dislike or injure the Awliya. Can there be any greater punishment than the Divine War? So beware! 

Next, evidence regarding seeking the Baraka from the pious people or even the relics attached to them are overwhelming.  We have noted above the status of Awliya-Allah with Allah (swt).  As we noted before, it is the Sunnah of the Sahaba that in order to obtain the Baraka they used to touch the grave of Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] or even put their head on it besides touching and kissing the pommel of the Prophet’s minbar.  There was nothing wrong in these practices as is mentioned  by `Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his book entitled al-`Ilal fi ma`rifat al-rijal. 

But we shall just give one example not the recent but that goes back to some 4000 years to show the impact:  It is narrated in Sahih Muslim (Kitab al-Zuhd) that Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) was travelling with his Sahaba through the land of Thamud [the land of the people of Nabi Salih (as)].  While travelling, the Sahabah collected water from the wells in the land.  Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) ordered the Sahaba to throw that water away, as those were from the wells of the kuffar in the time of Nabi Salih (a.s).   Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) then permitted them to drink from a certain well from which the camel of Nabi Salih (a.s.) had drunk.  It is important that we note here that Baraka is received from the Nabi Salih’s (a.s.) camel that lived some 4000 years ago and the camel was itself a sign of Allah.  Coming to the times of Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam), all the Sahabah always sought Tabarruk from any object connected to the pious.  Nabi Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wassallm) was the first and foremost in teaching us to receive blessings from him which was illustrated by the fact that he distributed his hair and wudu` water.  An-Nasa’i narrated that Nabi Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) gave bay'ah to a group of people. They informed him (s) that they used to worship  idols before, but now that they were Muslim, they desired to build a mosque in that vicinity and requested du`a of Nabi Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam).  Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) made wudu` (lustration) and gave the water to these people, ordering them to destroy the idols and place the water in the mosque for Baraka. They were concerned that by the time they reached their destination, which was far, the wudu’ water may dry up.  Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) replied that the water would bring purity and would not become less. (Mishkat al-Masabih No.716). 

In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that Sayyidina Utbaan ® always asked Mohammed Mustafa (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) to pray in a certain part of his house, so that he too may pray there and receive blessings in this regard. Imam Nawawi (Sharh Muslim vol.8 p.118) comments on the  Hadith  in Sahih Muslim that we should try to derive blessings from things connected to pious people(wa min fawaid hadhal Hadith, at-Tabarruk bi Aathaar as-Saliheen).

Imam Nawawi  also says in Sharh Muslim vol.5,  p.161,  that there are three main things (Fawa'id) we learn from this Hadith:  (1)It is permitted to get Baraka from Salih people and objects connected to them. (2) It is recommended to pray in the places where the pious used to pray. (3) It is recommended to seek Baraka from the places where the pious people resided.

The Awliya-Allah  are the “Burhan-e-Nabwi” in the words of Hadhrat Ali Hajweri.  So how could it be wrong in seeking Baraka at the Qubur of the Awliya-Allah? 

To continue, Insha Allah…

NASIR

PART 15: VISITING THE GRAVES IS THE SUNNAH OF PROPHET [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] AND NOT GRAVE WORSHIP!

VISITING THE GRAVES IS THE SUNNAH OF PROPHET [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] AND NOT GRAVE WORSHIP! Part 16:

From the Layman’s Desk-14.

Part 15 – continued… TAWASSUL OF 'UMAR (r) THRU 'ABBAS (r)

In the last post we noted Malik ad-Dar’s narration and its implications regarding the intermediaton during the caliphate of Hadhrat Umar ®when a Companion walked to the grave of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and said:  “O Messenger of Allah, please ask for rain from Allah for your Community who is in dire straits.” Ibn Hajar identifies the man who visited and saw the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) in his dream as the Companion Bilal ibn al- Harith, counting this hadith among the reasons for al- Bukhari's naming of the chapter "The people's request to their leader for rain if they suffer drought" in his Sahih, book of Istisqa'.

Al-Suyuti mentions the context of this event in his Tarikh al-Khulafa' (Beirut, 1992 Ahmad Fares ed. p. 140):

"In the year 17 `Umar  (r) enlarged the Prophet’s mosque. That year there was a drought in the Hijaz. It was named the Year of Cinders (`am al-ramada). `Umar prayed for rain for the people by means of al-`Abbas. Ibn Sa`d narrated from [the Sahabi] Niyar al-Aslami that when `Umar came came out to pray for rain, he came out wearing the cloaks (burd) of the Messenger of Allah, upon him blessings and peace. Ibn `Awn narrated that `Umar took al-`Abbas's hand and raised it up, saying, 'O Allah, we seek a means to You with the uncle of Your Prophet to ask that You drive away from us the drought and water us with rain'...."

There is also a second version from al-Tabari’s Tarikh (2:509): 
In the year of the drought called al-Ramada during the successorship of `Umar the Companion Bilal ibn al-Harith, while slaughtering a sheep for his kin, noticed that the sheep's bones had turned red because the drying flesh was clinging to them. He cried out "Ya Muhammadah!" Then he saw the Prophet - upon him peace - in a dream ordering him to go to `Umar with the tidings of coming rain on condition that `Umar show wisdom. Hearing this, `Umar assembled the people and came out to pray for rain with al-`Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet upon him blessings and peace.

The Scholar of Masjid an Nabawi, Shaykh Al-Jazari writes: The narration of Bilal bin Harith concerning going to the grave and asking our Prophet, (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), to supplicate for the rain, is also recorded by Imam Bukhari in his book of Tarikh. Also, Hafidh Asqalani recorded this in Fath al Bari; Imam al Bayhaqi included it in his Dala'il al -Nabuwat, and it also appears in the Musnaf of Ibn Abi Shayba, Ibn Abi Khusaima and in Ibn Abd al Barr - this narration has really surprised me. [Waja a-Yarkudun, page32 by Abu Bakr al-Jazari]   If Abu Bakr Al-Jazari knew that Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Kathir wrote this narration, he would not have been so bewildered.

It may be noted that while discussing about the late Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Ibn Baz as a Prime Innovator in Islam, G.F. Haddad remarks:  “Another astonishing deviation of Ibn Baz in his remarks on Fath al-Bari is his characterizing the visit of the Companion Bilal ibn al-Harth - Allah be well-pleased with him - to the grave of the Prophet - Allah bless and greet him - and his tawassul for rain there as "aberrant" (munkar) and "an avenue to polytheism" (wasîla ilâ al-shirk).”  How strange! How ugly that a Sahaba of the high stature of Bilal ® should be maligned thus!  Strangely, the lame excuse that the wahabis give for Ibn Baz’s accusation of a Sahaba is that the companion is unknown.   This has been soundly refuted by the Sunni scholars who have produced texts to prove that the the Sahabi was Bilal ibn al-Harith ®.  For example, Ibn Hajar Asqalani says, that Sayf ibn Umar al-Tamimi says in his Al-Futuhul Kabir, that the man in the Malik ad-Dar Athar is Bilal ibn Harith al-Mudhanni.

Now we need to dwell on it more because it is important and because the Wahhabis try to prove that Tawassul is possible only through the living.  

TAWASSUL OF 'UMAR THROUGH AL-'ABBAS [may Allah be pleased with them]

It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari (954) from Anas ibn Maalik that if a drought came, 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (radiyallahu 'anhu) would ask al-'Abbaas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib to pray for rain. He would say: "O Allah, we used to beseech You by means of (the du'a of) Your Prophet for rain and You would give us rain; now we beseech You by means of (the du'a of) the paternal uncle of Your Prophet, so grant us rain."

 “Why did ‘Umar ® not seek mediation by the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) in the place of prayer?  He turned from that and instead sought mediation by Al-’Abbas.” The answer to that has various aspects. 

Now, the event of the tawassul of Sayyiduna `Umar through al-Abbas shows the following:

[1] Nowhere in the hadith is there any indication that there was no tawassul through the Prophet upon him peace, in the time of `Umar.  Such a view is an inference or an extrapolation that is not based on explicit evidence.

[2] On the contrary, `Umar implicitly made tawassul through the Prophet upon him peace, at that very time, by wearing his blessed cloaks as he came out for the prayer for rain as mentioned in the report by Ibn Sa`d. In Sahih Muslim Asma' says that she inherited the mantle of the Prophet from her sister `A'isha and that they used it to seek a cure for people.

[3] The use of the Prophet's uncle illustrates that tawassul is essentially through the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) as the importance of al-`Abbas in this respect is only in his relationship to the Prophet as `Umar himself states with the words "the uncle of Your Prophet" in al-Bukhari's version already mentioned; "the status of al-`Abbas in relation to your Prophet" in al-Lalika'i's version; and as al-`Abbas states:

"O Allah, truly no tribulation descends except because of sins, nor is lifted except upon repentence. The people have turned to you by means of me BECAUSE OF MY POSITION IN RELATION TO YOUR PROPHET, and here are our hands [raised up] towards you - despite our sins - and our forelocks in repentence, so send down water for us and PRESERVE YOUR PROPHET IN THE PERSON OF HIS UNCLE." Whereupon the sky let down water as thick as ropes and the people came over to al-`Abbas passing their hands over him and saying to him: “Congratulations to you, irrigator of the two Sanctuaries!” Whereupon `Umar said, “He/This is, by Allah, the means to Allah and the place of nearness to Him!”

Cited from al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar's narration in al-Ansab by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari (2:497).

 The following is the reply of two scholars of Qarawwiyan Mosque, Fez in Morocco, 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 (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) at all. For brevity’s sake, we shall look into only three reasons, namely, the fourth, fifth and the sixth  from those cited in the above book:

The fourth is that by seeking mediation with Al-Abbas, Umar wanted to imitate the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and his family by honouring Al-Abbas and showing respect for him. This is reported clearly from Umar ®. Az-Zubayr ibn Bakkar related in Al-Ansaab from Da’ud from Ata’ from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ibn Umar who said, “Umar ibn Al Khattab performed the Rain prayer in the Year of the Drought with Al-’Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, and Umar addressed people and said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and his family used to think of Al-’Abbas as a child thinks of a father, so, people, follow the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and take him as a means to Allah.’”

He said, “Allah them have rain before they left the place.” Al-Baladhuri related it by means of Hisham ibn Sa’d from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father.

The fifth,  is that ‘Umar ® wanted to do it to make it clear that it was permissible to seek mediation through other than the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) among the people of righteousness and good whose  Baraka is hoped for.  This is why we read in Fath-ul-Bari, after the story of ‘Umar ® seeking mediation through Al-Abbas: “We can deduce from the story of Al-Abbas that it is recommended to seek the intercession of the people of righteousness and good, and the people of the House of the Prophet.”

The sixth reason   is that Umar seeking mediation by Al-’Abbas is, in reality, seeking mediation by the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) because it is seeking mediation by Al-’Abbas since he is the uncle of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and by his position in relation to him, as is expressed clearly in the words of Umar and Al-’Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them).

Then there are the words of Umar in Al-Bukhari  in which Anas ® related that Umar ® said, “Oh Allah, we sought mediation with you by our Prophet, so give us rain. We seek mediation with you by the uncle of our Prophet, so give us rain.” He said, “They received rain.” This is the version of Al-Bukhari.  His words, “We seek mediation with you by the uncle of our Prophet,” are explicit in what we said.

Clearer than that is what Ibn Abdul Barr mentioned in Al-Isti’ab when he said:  “Ibn ‘Abbas and Anas reported that while the people of Madinah Munawwara  were suffering from a drought, Umar ibn Al Khattab ®  prayed for rain through Al-’Abbas.  The reason for that was the earth became very parched in the time of the drought in the rule of Umar, in 17 A.H.   Ka’b said, ‘Amir Al-Mu’minin!, when the tribe of Israel were afflicted by the like of this, they asked for rain by the Prophets.’  Umar said, ‘This is the uncle of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and the brother of his father and master of Banu Hashim.’ ‘Umar went to him and compained to him of the drought the people were suffering. Then he mounted the minbar and with Al-’Abbas and said, ‘O Allah, we turn to You by the uncle of our Prophet and the brother of his father, so give us abundant rain and so not make us those suffering from drought.’ Then ‘Umar said, ‘Rise, Abul-Fadl, and make supplication.’”

He also said, “We related by various paths of transmission that Umar went out to perform the rain prayer, and Al-’Abbas went out with him. He said, ‘Oh Allah!, we seek nearness to You by the uncle of your prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and we seek intercession by him, so preserve him for your Prophet, as you preserved the two lads by the righteousness of their father.” He mentioned the rest of the report. In another, “By Allah, they did not leave until they clung to the walls, seeking shelter, and the people went to ‘Abbas, saying, ‘Congratulations to the water of the Haramayn!’

“What we presented are clear texts that Umar sought mediation by Al-Abbas by his position with the Prophet, (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and kinship with him. It is actually seeking mediation by the Messenger.  ‘Umar did not intend to forbid seeking mediation by the Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him.” [End quote from the book pages 175-179]

According to the authors, these are sufficient points in responding to the anti-tawassul movement.  And Allah and His Messenger know best!

Umar ® used al-`Abbas ® to show people the status of the Prophet's family in the society and teach them to respect and venerate them, as Ibn Hajar said in explanation of the report of Anas cited above: “It is desirable to seek the intercession of saintly people and the relatives of the Prophet (sal Allahu `alayhi wasallam) and it shows al-`Abbas's great merit and that of `Umar due to the latter's humbleness before al-`Abbas and his recognition of his due right." 

According to Al-Kawthari, Umar had made tawassul through the Prophet in the past, upon him peace, since he said: "WE WOULD USE OUR PROPHET AS A MEANS TO YOU..." i.e. in his and Abu Bakr's rule (and not only during the life of the Prophet upon him peace), as it is improbable that they never once experienced drought in the previous 8.5 years. “But to restrict this sentence to the Prophet's lifetime is a deficiency stemming from idle lust, a manipulation of the text of the report, and figurative interpretation without proof.”

The fact of the matter is that Companions and Successors continued to make Tawassul through the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) after his time which we have noted before and which is also evident from the following report established from our Mother Aisha ® in al-Darimi’s Sunan in Chapter 15 of the Introduction (1:43), entitled: "Allah's Generosity to His Prophet after his death," related from Abu al-Jawza Aws ibn `Abd Allah with a good chain:The people of Medina were in the grip of a severe famine. They complained to ‘Ā’ishah (about their terrible condition). She told them to go towards the Prophet’s grave and open a window in the direction of the sky so that there is no curtain between the sky and the grave. The narrator says they did so. Then it started raining heavily; even the lush green grass sprang up (everywhere) and the camels had grown so fat (it seemed) they would burst out due to the over piling of blubber. So the year was named as the year of greenery and plenty.

Muhammad bin ‘Alawi al-Maliki says, “This tradition has a good chain of transmission; rather, in my opinion, it is sound. The scholars have also acknowledged its soundness and have established its genuineness on the basis of almost equally credible evidence. [Shifa’-ul-fu’ad bi-ziyarat khayr--il-‘ibad Page No.153]  In support, he also mentions the chain of transmission and various works of scholars such as Imam Subki, Imam Zurqani, Imam Qastallani, and ibn Al-Jawzi. 

[*(1) see below for further notes]

A hadith scholar and historian from Medina, ‘Alī bin Ahmad Samhūdī (d.911 AH) Has disconfirmed Ibn Taymiyyah and supported Imam Dārimī’s contention. According to him, Zayn-al-Mirāghī said, “Let it be known that it is a practice of the people of Medina to date that, during a period of drought, they open a window at the bottom of the dome in the Prophet’s tomb in the direction of prayer niche though the roof intervenes between the grave and the sky. I say that in our period, too, one of the gates in the boundary wall, enveloping the tomb, called al-mawājahah, that is, the door that opens towards the Prophet’s face, is flung open and people gather there (for prayer).
[ in Samhūdī, Wafā’-ul-wafā (2:560) ]

The Ottoman Turks followed the practice of offering prayers through the mediation of the Prophet’s grave. The practice remained in vogue till the early years of the twentieth century. Whenever there was famine and scarcity of rain, the residents of Medina persuaded a six-or-seven-year-old child to climb the roof of the grave. (He performed the ablution before climbing over the roof.) The child tugged at the rope, which had been hung down the roof to close the hole in the grave, dug at the suggestion of the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah. When there was no curtain between the sky and the grave, it started raining.

There is a plethora of evidence with regard to the subject on hand and obviously all cannot be mentioned in this small post.  Just as the miracles of Awliya-Allah are in fact the miracles of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) and the miracles of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) are the Acts of Allah, likewise Tawassul continues to be solely through the Prophet despite appearances to the contrary, for he is the ultimate recourse of human beings seeking nearness to Allah as he himself taught the blind man (“Say, ‘O Muhammad, I turn with you to Allah…’”) and as several Sahaba explicitly said according to the other reports that we will see next. 

Lastly, it is important to always bear in mind the following Hadith Shareef as a definitive reply to the the doubting Thomases:

Narrated from Anas by al-Bukhari in his Sahih:  “Whoever understands from this that `Umar only used al-`Abbas as his means and not the Messenger of Allah, upon him peace, because al-`Abbas is alive and the Messenger of Allah is dead – that person’s understanding is dead.” (Al-Maliki)

To continue, Insha Allah…

NASIR.

*(1) It must be noted that Muhammad Nasirudin Al-Albani, a wahhabi and so-called muhaddith, wrote a book titled "Tawassul" trying to disprove this practice after the intermediary is in his grave. His interpretations are of no significance since he opposes the interpretations of the majority of huffaz of Ahl al Sunna wa'al Jama'ah.  We cannot mention the huge avalanche of refutation by the Sunni scholars but would just mention a few points: Imam Dārimī is one of the well-reputed teachers of Imam Bukhārī and other famous memorizers of traditions.   In any case the reader will find extensive documentation on this report in the Encyclopedia of Islamic Doctrine (4:47-52) and it was declared authentic by all the Sunni experts of hadith, last in date Shaykh Nabil ibn Hashim al-Ghamri in his 1999 10-volume edition of and commentary on al-Darimi titled Fath al-Mannan (1:564-566) where he rejects the objections of al-Albani and his likes to this hadith.  Just to state one point from the above as to what the Shaykh Ghumari  said regarding these claims about Abu al-Nu`man: His weakening of Abu al-Nu`man is invalid, because Abu al-Nu`man's deterioration did not affect what is narrated from him! al-Daraqutni said [as cited by Dhahabi in Mizan al-i`tidal (4:81)]: "He deteriorated at the end of his life, and no denounced hadith issued from him after his deterioration whatsoever, and he is trustworthy (thiqa)." As for what Ibn Hibban said, that "Many denounced things occurred in his narrations after his deterioration," then al-Dhahabi refuted it when he said (4:8): "Ibn Hibban was unable to cite a single denounced narration from him, and the truth is just as Daraqutni said." 

Regarding al-Albani’s charge against Shaykh al-Ghumari, Saqqaf says: We know full well that it is Albani who betrays scholarly trust and deliberately misinforms the people, even if he accuses others of disinformation.... In weakening Abu al-Nu`man he has again acted faithlessly. His quotation from al-Burhan al-Halabi's book al-Ightibat bi man rumiya bi al-ikhtilat (p. 23) is designed to pull the wool over the eyes of his followers and those who only read his works! Therefore our reply to Albani is: Shaykh al-Ghumari did not miss anything concerning this matter of deterioration, because he is a hadith scholar and a master memorizer (hafiz), however, it is you who have missed it, O slandering backbiter!}

PART 13: VISITING THE GRAVES IS THE SUNNAH OF PROPHET [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] AND NOT GRAVE WORSHIP!

From the Layman’s Desk-14.

Part No.13: Istigatha (Imploring for Help)/Tawassul (Mediation) continued:

Certainly, your protecting Friend ( ) is only Allah and His Most Beloved Messenger (Sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.(Qur’an: 5-55). 

This Qur’anic verse clearly establishes that Allah is the Guardian and solver of grievances of people.  In addition, Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) is also the guardian and solver of grievances of people in the sense that Allah listens to his prayers more than anyone else’s.  Similarly, Sahabah and Awliya Allah are also guardians and solvers of grievances of people in the sense that their Dua is answered faster than the Dua of sinful Muslims. This Quranic verse  and Ahadith, which are available in abundance, clearly establish the authenticity of Istighatha (asking for help)  and Tawassul (Mediation) of Prophet Mohammad (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam), Sahabah ® and Awliya kiraam during their lives and after their deaths.

Although in the previous posts we have provided the definitions of Istigatha/Istiana/Tawassul, etc., by the great Islamic scholars, let us dwell further on a few issues that have been raised by Islamic brothers on the websites:

a) It is a fundamental belief of Muslims that only Allah benefits or harms; that only Allah gives and takes;
b) It is also a fundamental belief of Muslims that Allah has created means for humans to take;
c) However, the relationship between these created means and their effects is only normative: it is Allah who creates the means, and Allah who creates the results.

This is why Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri (Allah have mercy on him), the great spiritual guide and master of the sciences of faith (aqida) from Damascus, explained:  “Taking means is necessary, and denying that they are effective is necessary. Whoever negates means is denying the Wisdom of Allah, and whoever relies upon means is associating others with Allah.”  This is the understanding upon which Muslims “call upon other than Allah”.  It is no different from taking medicine when sick, or going to a mechanic when your car is giving trouble: if you think that the medicine itself creates the healing, or that the mechanic is the one himself creates the fixing, then you have serious innovation in belief. The sound understanding is that Allah creates the healing when you use the medicine, and He creates the fixing when the mechanic does their job: we affirm these means, but also affirm that it is Allah who created both the means and the resultant effect.   This is pure affirmation of Divine Oneness. How can it “smack of shirk”?

Considering  that Almighty Allah is the Giver in reality and asking  the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) then that is called Istiana or Istighatha.  This is the same as someone asks somebody to help him knowing that help comes from Allah.  Yet he asks some person to help him.  This helping is MAJAZ and is permissible in  Qur’an, Sunnah and Hadith.  Again, the lawfulness of istighatha or calling for help of a creature (who is qualified to help) is established in the Qur’an and Sunna as is evidence by the Qur’anic verses: “And his countryman sought his help (istaghâthahu) against his enemy" (28:15).  In other words, an Israelite  asked for Musa (a..s.)’s  help against the enemy, namely an Egyptian.  Dhul Qarneyn said: “…Do but help me with strength (of men), I will set between you and them a bank”  (18:95).  Therefore, “asked (or sought) for help” and “help me”  (a’eenuni) have the same root as “nasta’een” in Surah Fatiha.   Also, in al-Bukhari's narration of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) from Ibn `Umar ® (ISTIGHÂTHÛ bi âdam  thumma bi mûsâ thumma bi muHammadin Sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallama), already quoted in the previous post,  that dealt with the istighatha of the prophets on the Day of Judgment.

Let us now check out incidence of Istigatha/during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) and the Sahaba ®:

Maymuna bint Harith, the blessed wife of Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) narrates: The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) was doing Wudhu for Tahajjud Salaah at the home of Hazrat Maimuna (radi Allahu anha). He suddenly called out three times, "Labbaik, Labbaik, Labbaik!" (Here I am) and "Nusirtu, Nusirtu, Nusirtu!" (I helped you). Hadhrat Maimuna (Radhi Allaho anha) further asked him why he had called out those words". He replied: "Raajiz (a sahabi from far) was calling me because Quraish wanted to kill him"[Imam Tabarani in Mu’jam as-Sagheer, Volume No.2, Hadith # 968]

What actually happened was that the Quraish wanted to kill Hazrat Umar bin Saalim Raajiz (radi Allahu anhu) as he was on the road leading to Madinatul Munawwarah. He called out: Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam): Help me or else the enemies will kill me!" Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sal Alahu alayhi wasallam) responded to his call from home and saved him from death.  This narration shows that the Sahaba would seek help from the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) from afar and he (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) would answer their calls for help. When Rajiz asked the Prophet the following morning for help, the Messenger of Allah, (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) did not stop him from asking for this help. The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) was at some distance, yet he still assisted.  In other words, this Hadith Shareef proves four points:

1. The Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) is observing his Ummah.

2.  It is permissible to call upon the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) for help.

3.  The Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) can hear the call of the Ummah.

4.  The Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) can help those who are in distress regardless of the distance. 

The Hadith of the Blind Man:

A blind man came to the Prophet and said: "Invoke Allah for me that he help me." He replied: "If you wish I will delay this, and it would be better for you, and if you wish I will invoke Allah the Exalted (for you)." He said: "Then invoke him." The Prophet said to him: idhhab fa tawadda', wa salli rak`atayn thumma qul -- "Go and make an ablution, pray two rak`at, then say: "O Allah, I am asking you (as'aluka) and turning to you (atawajjahu ilayka) with your Prophet Muhammad (bi nabiyyika Muhammad), the Prophet of mercy; O Muhammad (ya Muhammad), I am turning with you to my Lord regarding my present need / I am asking my Lord with your intercession concerning the return of my sight (inni atawajjahu bika ila rabbi fi hajati hadhih -- another version has: inni astashfi`u bika `ala rabbi fi raddi basari) so that He will fulfill my need; O Allah, allow him to intercede (with you) for me (allahumma shaffi`hu fiyya)."

[It is related by Ahmad (4:138 #17246-17247), Tirmidhi (hasan sahih gharib -- Da`awat Ch. 119), Ibn Majah (Book of Iqamat al-salat wa al-sunnat, Ch. on Salat al-hajat #1385), Nasa'i (`Amal al-yawm wa al-laylat p. 417-418 #658-660), al-Hakim (1:313, 1:526), Dhahabi, Shawkani, and as-Subki, among others.  This hadith was recorded was recorded by Bukhari in his "al-Tarikh al-kabir", by Abu Nu'aym in "Ma'rifa al-Sahaba", by Baihaqi in "Dala'il al-nubuwwa", by Mundhiri in "al-Targhib wa al-tahrib", by Haythami in "Majma' al zawa'id wa manba' al-fawa'id", by Tabarani in "al-Mu'jam al-kabir", by Ibn Khuzayma in his "Sahih", and by others. Nearly 15 hadith masters ("huffaz", hadith authorities with more than 100,000 hadiths and their chains of transmission by memory) have explicitly stated that this hadith is rigorously authenticated (sahih). As mentioned above, it has come with a chain of transmission meeting the standards of Bukhari and Muslim, so there is nothing left for a critic to attack or slanderer to disparage concerning the authenticity of the hadith.  Consequently, as for the permissibility of supplicating Allah (tawassul) through either a living or dead person, it follows by human reason, scholarship, and sentiment, that there is flexibility in the matter. Whoever wants to can either take tawassul or leave it, without causing trouble or making accusations, since it has been this thoroughly checked ("Adilla Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a , 79-83).]

1. The Prophet's order, here as elsewhere, carries legislative force for all Muslims and is not limited to a particular person, place or time; it is valid for all generations until the end of time unless proven otherwise by a subsequent indication from the Prophet himself, Peace be upon him.

2. The Prophet was not physically present at the assigned time of the invocation, since he said to the blind man: "Go and make ablution," without adding: "and then come back in front of me."  With regard to physical absence, the living and the dead are exactly alike, namely: absent.

3. Despite the Prophet's physical absence, the wording (sigha) for calling upon his intercession is direct address: "O Muhammad." Such a wording -- "O So-and-So" -- is only used with someone present and able to hear. It should also be noted that Allah forbade the Companions from being forward or calling out to the Prophet in the ordinary manner used with one another (49:1-2). The only way, therefore, that the Prophet, Blessings and peace be upon him, could both be absent and at the same be addressed is that the first be understood in the physical sense and the second in the spiritual.

The Hadith of the Man in Need:

Moreover, Tabarani, in his "al-Mu'jam al saghir", reports a hadith from 'Uthman ibn Hunayf that a man repeatedly visited Uthman ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with him) concerning something he needed, but Uthman paid no attention to him or his need. The man met Ibn Hunayf and complained to him about the matter - this being after the death (wisal) of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and after the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar - so Uthman ibn Hunayf, who was one of the Companions who collected hadiths and was learned in the religion of Allah, said: "Go to the place of ablution and perform ablution (wudu), then come to the mosque, perform two rak'as of prayer therein, and say:

'O Allah, I ask You and turn to You through our Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy; O Muhammad (Ya Muhammad), I turn through you to my Lord, that He may fulfill my need,' and mention your need. Then come so that I can go with you [to the caliph Uthman]." So the man left and did as he had been told, then went to the door of Uthman ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with him), and the doorman came, took him by the hand, brought him to Uthman ibn Affan, and seated him next to him on a cushion. 'Uthman asked, "What do you need?" and the man mentioned what he wanted, and Uthman accomplished it for him, then he said, "I hadn't remembered your need until just now," adding, "Whenever you need something, just mention it." Then, the man departed, met Uthman ibn Hunayf, and said to him, "May Allah reward you! He didn't see to my need or pay any attention to me until you spoke with him." Uthman ibn Hunayf replied, "By Allah, I didn't speak to him, but I have seen a blind man come to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and complain to him of the loss of his eyesight. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Can you not bear it?' and the man replied, 'O Messenger of Allah, I do not have anyone to lead me around, and it is a great hardship for me.' The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) told him, 'Go to the place of ablution and perform ablution (wudu), then pray two rak'as of prayer and make the supplications.'" Ibn Hunayf went on, "By Allah, we didn't part company or speak long before the man returned to us as if nothing had ever been wrong with him."

As Shaykh Nuh says: "This is an explicit, unequivocal text from a prophetic Companion proving the legal validity of tawassul through the dead. The account has been classed as rigorously authenticated (SAHIH) by Bayhaqi, Mundhiri, and Haytami". 

In his discussion of the above Sahih Hadith Shaykh Nuh Keller points out:
"The authenticity of Tabarani's hadith of the man in need during the caliphate of Uthman (Allah be well pleased with him) is not discussed by the article in detail, but deserves consideration, since the hadith explicitly proves the legal validity of supplicating Allah (tawassul) through the deceased, for 'Uthman ibn Hunayf and indeed all the prophetic Companions, by scholarly consensus (ijma'), were legally upright ('udul), and are above being impugned with teaching someone an act of disobedience, much less idolatory (shirk). The hadith is rigorously authenticated (sahih), as Tabarani explicitly states in his "al-Mu'jam al-saghir." The translator (Nuh Ha Mim Keller), wishing to verify the matter further, to the hadith with its chain of narrators to hadith specialist Sheikh Shu'ayb Arna'ut, who after examining it, agreed that it was rigorously authenticated (sahih) as Tabarani indicated, a judgement which was also confirmed to the translator by the Morrocan hadith specialist Sheikh 'Abdullah Muhammad Ghimari, who characterized the hadith as "very rigorously authenticated," and noted that hadith masters Haythami and Mundhiri had explicitly concurred with Tabarani on its being rigorously authenticated (sahih). The upshot is that the recommendedness of tawassul to Allah Most High - through the living or the dead - is the position of the Shafi'i school, which is why both our author Ibn Naqib Al-Misri, and Imam Nawawi in his "Al-Adhkar (281-282)", and "al-Majmu" explicitly record that "tawassul" through the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and asking his intercession are recommended." 

According to Shaykh Nuh, the telling reason for the validity is that everything the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) ordered to be done during his lifetime was "legislation" and this legislation is  valid for all generations until the end of time unless proven otherwise by a subsequent indication from the Prophet himself (Allah bless him and grant him peace), the tawassul he taught during his lifetime not requiring anything else to be generalized to any time thereafter.

We can also observe that in the narration there is dalil (evidence) of the permissibility of Tawassul (taking a means) through the Messenger of Allah (saw) to Allah azza wa-jal with the firm belief (I’tiqad) that the only active agent (Faa’il) is Allah subhanahu wa’ta’aala, for verily He alone is the Giver and Preventer, what He wishes, is, and what He does not wish never can be. 

Ibn Hajar al-Makki (reh.) after pointing out to both the above hadiths stated: Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) himself did not pray but taught him the prayer. He wanted him to turn towards Allahu ta'ala, to entreat Him and to put Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) as an intercessor and wished his prayer to be accepted in this way. He (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) was and has been put as an intercessor both when he was alive and after his death. The Salaf as-Salihin, after his death, said this prayer very often and attained their purposes through it. [This passage is translated from Ibn Hajar al-Makki's Jawhar al-munazzam. It is also quoted in Shawahid al-haqq.]

Imam Muwaffaq ud-Deen Ibn Qudamah’s (reh) has quoted this du’a in his al-Wassiyah.  The English translation is as follows:

“Allah! I ask You and turn to You with Your Prophet, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the prophet of mercy. Muhammad! I turn with you to my Lord, Mighty and Majestic, so that my need be fulfilled. O Allah! I make intercession with him, so let it be so with him.” You should then mention your need.

The Arabic transliteration of the supplication is as follows:

Allaahumma inni as’aluka wa atawajjahu ilaika bi nabeeyeeka muhammadin sallallaahu alaihi wa sallama nabeey irrahmah.  Ya Muhammad. Inni tawajjahtu bika ilaa rabb fee haajati hadhihee li-tuqdaa lee.  Allaahumma Fa Shaffi` hu fee.

[Collected by Imāms at-Tirmidhī in his Sunan, Book of Supplications; Ibn Mājah in his Sunan, Book of Establishing the Prayer under the chapter, Prayer of Need; Ibn Khuzaimah, al-Hākim and Jalāl ud-Dīn as-Suyuti in al-Jāmi` us-Saghir #1279, and classed as authentic by them. Also Imāms `Alawī al-Haddād (Misbāh ul-Anām, pp. 140-147); Jamīl Al-Afandī (al-Fajr as-Sādiq, pp. 40-46); Zaynī Dahlān (ad-Durar as-Sannīyyah, pp. 8-11); Mustafa ash-Shattī al-Hanbalī (an-Nūqul ash-Shar`īyyah, pp. 100-102)].

Ibn Qudamah  also says after quoting this du’a “The early Muslims [i.e. the Salaf] had their needs fulfilled by saying this.”  It is related that some of the early generations would seek to have their needs fulfilled by praying two rak`ah, then they would say:

“Allah! It is with You that I seek victory, and with You that I seek need.  I come to You, turning to You with your Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah! The difficulty of my matter has come upon me. Make the lifting of this difficulty easy and make for me more than that which I could hope for, and turn the evil from me more than that which I was fearing.”*

[* Supplications like this and similar to it were made by such grand Imāms of the first three generations as Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Mansik (Kash-shāf ul-Qinā`, V. 2, pp.70-73); Abū Bakr al-Marwadhī (275 AH/888  al-Mubdi, V.2, pp. 203-204) and other giants of those three generations.]

Ibn Taimiyya says in his book Qayda Jaleela Fit-Tawassul wal-Waseela, p.91 and confirms and establishes his argument: confirmed that this kind of DUA was the practice of as-Salaf and Salaf-as-Saliheen and Almighty Allah accepts this. 

Qadhi Shawkani writes: I says this hadith is proof for Intercession of Prophets (a.s.) narrated by Imam Tirmidhi, Imam Nisa’I, Imam Ibn Maja, Imam Ibn Khuzaimah in his Sahih, and Hakim said hadith is correct on Bukhari and Muslim conditions. [Tuhfah uth-Dhakireen,  Publish Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon]

To continue, Insha Allah…

NASIR