Rulings of Tawassul in Qur’an & Sunnah

It is a fact that as sincerity and imitation guarantee the spreading of Islam, in the same way associating with Allah and innovation in the religion cause decline and elimination of the religion. Therefore, Ulama and Islamic intellectuals have wiped up the pollutions of Shirk from Tawheed and dirt of the innovation from Sunnah with tireless efforts.
There have been some elements who misuse the Islamic glossaries, such as Sufism (mysticism) and Tawassul, to prove their wrong tenets and innovations. This article aims to shed light on the topic of Tawassul briefly.

Meaning of Tawassul
The scholars have described the meaning of Tawassul by different expressions. Raghib Isfahani says: Tawassul means reaching to anything with propensity.

Tawassul in the Qur’an
Different Qur’anic verses show the importance of the topic; in some places the believers have been enjoined to seek tool (waseelah). While in some other verses, the illegal kinds of Tawassul have been decried. Here are two examples:
1. “ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُوا فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ“; (Believers, fear God and seek ways to come closer to Him and strive for His cause, so that you may prosper.), 5: 35
2. “أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا“; (Those whom they call upon, desire a means of access to their Lord, as to which of them should be the nearest; and they hope for His mercy and fear His torment. Verily, the torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!), 17: 57.

Tawassul in the light of Hadith
The second source of Islamic law is Hadith. There are many Hadiths which imply the legitimation of Tawassul. According to a Hadith narrated by Abu-Sa’eed al-Khodri, the Messenger of Allah has said: “الوسيلة درجة عندالله ليس فوقها درجة فسلوا الله أن يؤتينی الوسيلة؛” (Means (waseelah) is a position before the Almighty, there is no any position above it. So ask Allah to give me the means.); [Musnad Ahmad: Hadith No. 45]
As Muslims get distance from the era of the prophet, peace be upon him, they become weaker in tenets and the false sects grow up presenting their wrong beliefs in society. As nowadays, some people misuse the tenet of Tawassul to get involved Shirk. They urge on an allowed point to make it as obligation and then seek waseelah from dead ones. It is a door to perversity in tenets as they are prone to supplicate those dead persons directly. It may end up with more dangerous detours in beliefs and tenets, and it is possible people may lose their faith.

By Qasem Firouzi