Bab at-Tawassul bis-Saliheen
Tawassul Through the Righteous and Tabarruk From Their Relics
made through him; rather, the Prophet ﷺ himself taught the method of supplicating through his means (Tawassul), and Allah accepted the supplication for the sake of this means. Even after the Master's ﷺ veiling from this world, the Sahaba (RA) supplicated through the means of the Master ﷺ during times of need and hardship. Whether it was the blind receiving their sight or fresh blood running in a numb foot, supplicating through means (Tawassul) is proven and established. Those who declare seeking help through Prophets and Awliya (Saints) (Isti'anat bil-Anbiya wal-Awliya) as impermissible are essentially ignoring the difference in ranks. When a supplicant asks through the means of the Noble Prophet ﷺ or the saints, their gaze remains fixed on Allah alone. Who would be such a person to consider any Prophet or saint as God? Unwarranted suspicion, false accusations against the servants of Allah, and satanic efforts to distance the servants from God are things from which one should pray to be saved. اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ اَسْئَلُكَ وَاَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّ الرَّحْمَةِ *(O Allah, I ask You and I turn to You through Your Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ, the Prophet who is mercy personified)* fulfill whatever my need is.
بَابٌ : اَلتَّوَسُّلُ بِالصَّالِحِيْنَ وَالتَّبَرُّكُ بِاٰثَارِهِمْ
This chapter is regarding the explanation of taking the righteous as a means (Tawassul) and taking their relics for blessings (Tabarruk). قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی: يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَابْتَغُوٓا اِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيْلَةَ ۖ وَجَاهِدُوْا فِيْ سَبِيْلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُوْنَ - (آیت ۳۵ - المائدہ) *(Allah the Exalted says: O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek the means [of nearness] to Him and strive in His cause that you may succeed. - Verse 35, Al-Ma'idah)* Translation: Allah the Exalted says: O believers! Save yourselves from the wrath of Allah and seek a means (Waseela) towards Him, and strive (with utmost effort) in the path of God so that you may attain success and prosper.
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی : وَاتَّخِذُوْا مِنْ مَّقَامِ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ مُصَلًّى - (آیت ۱۲۵ - بقرہ) *(And Allah the Exalted says: And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer. - Verse 125, Al-Baqarah)* Translation: And this is also the command of Allah the Exalted: "And make the place where Ibrahim (AS) used to stand your place of prayer (place of prostration)."
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی : وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اٰيَةَ مُلْكِهِ أَنْ يَّأْتِيَكُمُ التَّابُوْتُ فِيْهِ سَكِيْنَةٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْ وَبَقِيَّةٌ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ اٰلُ مُوْسٰى وَاٰلُ هٰرُوْنَ تَحْمِلُهُ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ ۚ إِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيَةً لَّكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ - (آیت ۲۴۸ - بقرہ) *(And Allah the Exalted says: And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers." - Verse 248, Al-Baqarah)* Translation: And this is also the command of Allah the Exalted: "And their Prophet said to them, 'Undoubtedly, the sign of his (Talut's) kingship is that the "Ark of Tranquility" (Taboot-e-Sakeenah) (which is a chest) will come to you; in it, there is peace and tranquility from your Lord, and whatever the associates of Musa (AS) and Harun (AS) had left behind, the angels will bring it carrying it. In this, there is a sign of God for you, if you are believers.'"
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O friends! A chest used to be passed down among the Bani Israel, in which there were the relics (Tabarruk) of the Prophets. Meaning, the relics of Hazrat Musa (AS) and Hazrat Harun (AS), some items of the nature of a staff, garments, etc., which the Jewish nation had kept safe in a chest. At the time of battle, the Jews would carefully carry this chest ahead of their leaders and army, and would come to fight the enemy. Whenever the Jews attacked their enemy, they would place this chest in front. Through the blessing of these sacred relics, Allah the Exalted would grant the Jews victory every time. But when the Jewish nation became ill-intentioned and rebellious, and began to disobey Allah the Exalted, Allah the Exalted had this chest taken away from them, and in a battle, it fell into the hands of the enemy. The enemy had it thrown into the sea. Now, once again, Allah the Exalted sent that same chest to King Talut through the angels.
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی حِكَايَةً : اِذْهَبُوْا بِقَمِيْصِيْ هٰذَا فَاَلْقُوْهُ عَلٰى وَجْهِ أَبِيْ يَأْتِ بَصِيْرًا - (آیت ۹۳ - یوسف) *(And Allah the Exalted says narrating: "Take this, my shirt, and cast it over the face of my father; he will become seeing." - Verse 93, Yusuf)* Translation: Allah the Exalted says on behalf of Hazrat Yusuf (AS): "Take this shirt of mine and cast it over my father's face, he will regain his sight."
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی : وَلٰكِنَّا حُمِّلْنَا أَوْزَارًا مِّنْ زِيْنَةِ الْقَوْمِ فَقَذَفْنٰهَا فَكَذٰلِكَ أَلْقَى السَّامِرِيُّ - فَاَخْرَجَ لَهُمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارٌ ۔۔۔ (آیت ۸۷ ، ۸۸ - طہٰ) *(And Allah the Exalted says: "But we were made to carry burdens from the ornaments of the people, so we threw them [into the fire], and thus did the Samiri throw." Then he brought out for them a calf - a body with a lowing sound... - Verses 87, 88, Ta-Ha)* Vocabulary: حُمِّلْنَا: We were made to carry. اَوْزَارًا: Burdens (plural of وِزْرٌ). قَذَفَ: Threw, hurled stones, cast far, distant destination. عِجْلًا: Calf, a young cow. خُوَارٌ: The lowing sound of a cow or bull. Translation: And Allah the Exalted says on behalf of the nation of Musa (AS): "But we carried the goods of the nation's adornment (the Coptic nation was laden with the burden of jewelry). Due to the deception of the Samiri, we threw our burden (jewelry) (into the fire). Then the Samiri also threw it in the same manner. Then he (the Samiri) extracted for them (meaning, for the Coptic nation) a statue of a calf that made a sound like a bull."
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی حِكَايَةً عَنِ السَّامِرِيِّ : " فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُوْلِ فَنَبَذْتُهَا وَكَذٰلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِيْ نَفْسِيْ - (آیت ۹۶ - طہٰ) *(And Allah the Exalted says narrating from the Samiri: "And I grasped a handful [of dust] from the track of the messenger and threw it, and thus did my soul entice me." - Verse 96, Ta-Ha)* Vocabulary: قَبَضْتُ: I picked up, I filled, I took into possession. مِنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُوْلِ: From the footprint of the sent one (Jibreel (AS)). نَبَذْتُهَا: I threw it. سَوَّلَتْ: Made it seem good, enticed. Translation: Allah the Exalted narrates the statement of the Samiri as a recounting: "I threw the dust from the footprint of the messenger (meaning Jibreel (AS)) (which I had taken and kept at that time) into the mouth of the calf, and my soul enticed me in this manner, and
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my heart liked this very thing."
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی : وَلَمَّا جَاءَ هُمْ كِتٰبٌ مِّنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُوْنَ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا فَلَمَّا جَاءَ هُمْ مَّا عَرَفُوْا كَفَرُوْا بِهِ فَلَعْنَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَى الْكٰفِرِيْنَ - (آیت ۸۹ - بقرہ) *(And Allah the Exalted says: And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming that which was with them - although before they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved - but [then] when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers. - Verse 89, Al-Baqarah)* Vocabulary: مُصَدِّقٌ: One who proves true, testifier. يَسْتَفْتِحُوْنَ: They used to seek victory. They would pray for success. Translation: And Allah the Exalted also says thus: "And when a Book came to them from God, which confirmed the books they had with them, and previously these people used to seek victory over the disbelievers, and when the Prophet came to them whom they recognized, they rejected him. Therefore, the curse of God is upon these disbelievers."
وَفِي التَّحِيَّاتِ : اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ - اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلٰى عِبَادِ اللّٰهِ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ - *(And in At-Tahiyyat: Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah.)* Translation: (In the prayer, in "At-Tahiyyat", meaning the supplication of Tashahhud, it is:) "Peace be upon you, O Prophet! And the mercy of Allah and blessings." "Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah." (Point: Being physically present is not necessary.)
عَنْ أُمَيَّةَ بْنِ خَالِدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بْنِ اُسَيْدٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَسْتَفْتِحُ بِصَعَالِيْكِ الْمُهَاجِرِيْنَ - (رواہ فی شرح السنة - مشکوٰۃ) *(From Umayyah bin Khalid bin Abdullah bin Usaid from the Prophet ﷺ that he used to seek victory by means of the poor among the Emigrants. - Narrated in Sharh as-Sunnah - Mishkat)* Vocabulary: صَعَالِيْكَ: Poor, dervishes. Its singular is صُعْلُوْک. يَسْتَفْتِحُ: He seeks victory. Translation: It is narrated from Hazrat Umayyah bin Khalid bin Abdullah bin Usaid (RA); he narrates from the Noble Prophet ﷺ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to seek victory by taking the means of the poor among the Muhajireen.
عَنْ اَنَسٍ اَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ كَانَ إِذَا قُحِطُوْا اِسْتَسْقٰى بِالْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ فَقَالَ اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّا كُنَّا نَتَوَسَّلُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَبِيِّنَا فَتَسْقِيْنَا وَإِنَّا نَتَوَسَّلُ إِلَيْكَ بِعَمِّ نَبِيِّنَا فَاسْقِنَا فَيُسْقَوْا - (رواہ البخاری - تجرید) *(From Anas that Umar bin Al-Khattab, when they suffered drought, used to ask for rain through Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, saying: "O Allah, we used to ask You through our Prophet and You would give us rain, and now we ask You through the uncle of our Prophet, so give us rain," and they would be given rain. - Narrated by Al-Bukhari - Tajrid)* Translation: It is narrated from Hazrat Anas (RA) that it was the habit of Hazrat Umar bin Al-Khattab (RA) that when the people were afflicted with drought, he would pray for rain by taking the means of Hazrat Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib (RA) (the uncle of the Noble Prophet ﷺ) and would say, "O Allah! (Previously) we used to pray for rain by taking the means of the Noble Prophet ﷺ and You would send rain, now we pray by taking the means of the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ. So have mercy now as well and
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send rain." (The narrator, Hazrat Anas (RA), says that) it would start raining. *(The narrator of this Hadith is Hazrat Imam Bukhari (RH). This Hadith is also in Tajrid al-Bukhari)*
عَنْ اَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِبْغُوْنِيْ فِيْ ضُعَفَاءَ كُمْ فَإِنَّهَا تُرْزَقُوْنَ أَوْ تُنْصَرُوْنَ بِضُعَفَاءِ كُمْ - (رواہ ابوداؤد ۔ مشکوٰۃ) *(From Abu al-Darda' from the Prophet ﷺ, he said: "Seek me among your weak ones, for you are provided sustenance or given victory by your weak ones." - Narrated by Abu Dawud - Mishkat)* Vocabulary: إِبْغُوْنِيْ: Search for me, look for me. تُرْزَقُوْنَ: You are given sustenance. اَوْ: Or. تُنْصَرُوْنَ: You receive aid, help. Translation: Hazrat Abu al-Darda' (RA) narrates from the Noble Prophet ﷺ; the Noble Prophet ﷺ said, "Search for me, look for me among the weak (crippled) of your nation. It is nothing but through the means of your weak ones that Allah the Exalted has given you sustenance and granted you victory and aid." *(The narrator of this Hadith is Abu Dawud and it is also in Mishkat)*
رُئِيَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ وَاضِعًا يَّدَيْهِ عَلٰى مَقْعَدِ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الْمِنْبَرِ ثُمَّ وَضَعَهَا عَلٰى وَجْهِهِ - (شفا ج ۱) *(Ibn Umar (RA) was seen placing his hands on the seating place of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the pulpit, then placing them on his face. - Shifa Vol. 1)* Vocabulary: وَاضِعًا يَّدَيْهِ: Placing both his hands. مَقْعَدِ: Seating place. رُئِيَ: Was seen. Translation: Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (RA) was seen placing both his hands on the seating place of the Noble Prophet ﷺ on his pulpit, and then wiping those hands over his face. *(This Hadith is in the first volume of "Shifa" by Qadi Iyad)*
O friends! Seeking means (Tawassul) is proven from the verses of the Holy Quran and from the Ahadith. So much so that the Samiri also thought this and picked up the dust from under the hoofs of Hazrat Jibreel's (AS) horse, which he later threw into the mouth of the calf idol he had made by melting jewelry. Due to the effect of that dust, a type of spirituality entered that metal idol and it began to call out, making the sound of a calf. It is also narrated in many Ahadith that some Companions of the Noble Prophet ﷺ used to keep the blessed hairs of the Prophet ﷺ in their helmets, turbans, and caps, and Allah would grant them victory. Some Companions even bequeathed that the blessed nails and hairs of the Prophet ﷺ be placed in their burial shrouds. We just mentioned that by placing the cloak of Hazrat Yusuf (AS) (which was originally Hazrat Ibrahim's (AS) and was received by Hazrat Yusuf (AS) as inheritance) over the face of Hazrat Yaqub (AS), his lost eyesight was restored and he became seeing. *Fa'tabiru ya ulil-absar!* (Take a lesson, O people of vision!)
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