The upshot is that the recommendedness of tawassul to Allah The Most High – through the living or the dead – is the position of the Shafi’i school, which is why both the author of Shaafi’iyyah, Ibn Naqib Al-Misri, and Imam Nawawi in his “Al-Adhkar (281-282)”, and “al-Majmu” explicitly record that “tawassul” through the Prophet and asking his intercession are recommended.”
We do not have the luxury of time to highlight all the numerous ahaadeeth evidences but another thing worth noting is that there was no one who antagonised tawassul before Ibn Taymiyyah. The Companions and their successors knew, authenticated and acted upon these ahaadeeth. We also find an example from Imam Maalik in his recommending the caliph to turn towards the Prophet’s ﷺ grave and supplicate:
Imam Maalik’s prominence as one of the four jurists of Islam is well-established. Once caliph Abu Ja‘far Mansoor visited Medina and he asked Imam Maalik: “While supplicating, should I turn my face to the Ka’abah [and turn my back to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ)] or should I turn my face to the Holy Prophet (and turn my back to the Ka’abah)?” On this interrogation, Imam Maalik replied: “(O caliph!) Why do you turn your face from the Holy Prophet, as he is the source of mediation for you and for your ancestor Adam on the Day of Judgement? Rather you should (pray and supplicate by) turning towards the Prophet and seek his intercession so that he intercedes for you before Allah on the Day of Judgement. Allah has declared:
“We sent not an apostle, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the will of Allah. If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come unto thee and asked Allah.s forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful”(4:64)
This incident has been narrated by Qaasi ‘Iyaad in his ash-Shifā (2:596) with a sound chain of transmission. Besides, it has been related by a number of other traditionists of impeccable credibility. Subki in Shifa’-us-siqaam fi ziyarat khayr-il-anam, Samhūdī in Khulasat-ul-wafaa, Qastallaani in al-Mawaahib-al-ladunniyyah, Ibn Jama‘ah in Hidayat-us-saalik and Ibn Hajar Haythami in al-Jawhar-ul-munazzam.
From Imam Ash-Shafi’i:
He describes his own experience about the blessings of the tomb of Imam Abu Hanifah: I derive blessing from the person of Imam Abu Hanifah and I visit his grave everyday. When I face a problem, I offer two optional cycles of prayer and visit his grave and (while standing) I pray to Allah to solve my problem. And I have not even left the place that my problem is solved.
Reference:
►Khatib Baghdadi has related the incident with a sound chain of transmission in his Tarikh Baghdad (1:123)
►Ibn Hajar Haythami, al-Khayrat-ul-hisan fi manaqib-il-imam al-a‘zam Abu Hanīfah (p.94)
► Muhammad Zahid Kawthari, Maqalat (p.381)
►Ibn ‘Abidin Shami in Radd-ul-mukhtar ‘ala Durr-il-mukhtār (1:41).
And as for the Hanaabillah. It is reported about Imam Ahmad:
في الإنصاف ( 2:456 “… يجوز التوسل بالرجل الصالح على الصحيح من المذهب، وقيل: يُستحب. قال الإمام أحمد للمروذي : يتوسل بالنبي صلى اله عليه وسلم في دعائه وجزم به في المستوعب وغيره..”
Al-Mardawi said: “The correct position of the [Hanbali] madhhab is that it is permissible in one’s du’a to use as one’s means a pious person (saalih), and it is said that it is desirable (mustahabb). Imam Ahmad said to Abu Bakr al-Marwazi: ‘Let him use the Prophet as a means in his supplication to Allah.’” (Al-Insaf 2:456) This is also cited by Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmu’ Al-Fatawa (1:140).
It is also established that Imam Ahmad would use Imam Shaafi’ as a means in his dua. Till his son (Abdullah) was surprised, then Imam Ahmad said to his son:
إن الشافعي كالشمس للناس و كالعافية للبدن
Verify Imam Shaafi’ is like a sun for people, and like sound health to the body.
I have made another audio wherein I discussed tawassul and tabarruk with its associated matters in relation to the da’wah of Muhammad Ibn AbdulWahhab. In the audio, I read out many of the evidences. We can resort to this audio to become familiar with them. It is available on the WhatsApp group chat.
Also, we would not lay much blame on Ibn Taymiyyah as we should give ourselves excuses as Muslims and interprete people’s actions and statements firstly with ‘Husnu dhann’. Specifically concerning Ibn Taymiyyah, the excuse for him in his statement and actions is because during his lifetime, people went to extremes in their understandings and practices and engaged in many reprehensible practices. His disposition was that of ‘Sadd dharee’ah’ (blocking the means to evil). He declared some things Haraam in order to prevent the people from erring. (His debate with Ibn Ata’illah Al-Iskandari lends some insight into his disposition on Tawassul and Istigaatha).
Then the blame may not majorly be on him for his ijtihaad, but the gullible followers who failed to understand him, his calls, his time; thus trying to blind follow and incorporate all his sayings which are not sacrosanct (wahy) in a very different society and time frame.
So, after Ibn Taymiyyah, if such circumstances cease to exist then we remove such rulings and even if they were to remain, we are more entitled to make proper explanations about the ideal Islamic principles to the people and clarify the misconceptions and ghuluw (transgression) because there is almost no matter of the Deen in which people have not transgressed. In Al-Bidaaya wa An-Nihaaya, Ibn Katheer records the students of Ibn Taymiyyah (not some other Sufi students) drinking the water used to bathe his corpse claiming to seek blessings with (tabarruk) Ibn Taymiyyah and this is the like of what Ibn Taymiyyah was vehemently condemning during his lifetime.
As for seeking blessings (tabarruk), then there are a plethora of evidences affirming its legitimacy right from the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ. Wearing his burda (cloak), drinking from the spot he drank, struggling to get the water of ablution that dripped from his body, collecting his blessed hair, etc. Perhaps at some other time, we shall examine these evidences in detail.
Before I bring this discussion to a close, a necessary food for thought is that the one whom you regard as a righteous scholar/Saint, is it really so and how do you confirm this? Nonetheless, with your belief and certainty about the virtue of such person, making tawassul and tabarruk with such individuals is not blameworthy.
Answering the questions, we should note that the Four Madhaahib (schools of thought) rule tawassul and tabarruk as being permissible and Sunnah. Below are some references from each school.
The Hanafiyyah
Ibn Himam, Sharhu Fathul Qadeer, pg. 39, Dar Kutub Al-Amaliyyah, Beirut, Lebanon. 1st Ed. 1995.
The Maalikiyyah
Qadi Iyaad, As Shifa Chapter: Ibra Al Marda Wa Zil ‘Ahaat Volume : 1 Page: 322.
Feehi Rawa An As Salaf Wal Aaimmah Volume: 2 page: 23.
The Shaafi’iyyah
An-Nawawi, Al-Majmoo, pg. 256-257, Dar Ihya’u turaath Al-Arabi li ittiba’a wa nashra 1997.
As Subki, Shifaa Us Siqaam Volume: 1 Page : 370-372.
The Hanaabilah
Al-Mabdawi, Al-Insaaf, Vol.2 pg. 256.
Imam Ahmad Al-marwazi.
Ibn Qudama, Al-Mughni, Vol. 3, pg. 600.
Original and full audio of this lecture in yoruba language can be found in our Halqah Facebook group below:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1219889145143341/permalink/1280961869036068/
Transcribed by: Ogundele, AbdulQayyum Afolabi