1 Clearing Misconceptions about Waseelah The popular idea is as below. The Ahlul-Bayt are a conduit to God. We do not call upon them, rather, we call upon God "through" them. This is Waseelah. DETAIL Calling other than God as a divine entity is shirk. What we do when we perform Tawassul, is to call upon God through the Ahlul-Bayt. God has in fact commanded us to seek waseelah (Al-Quran 5:35) "wabtaghu ilayhi waseela". The Ahlul-Bayt are a waseela to God. So invoking them should not be considered "calling upon them", rather, calling upon God through a waseela - since He has commanded us to seek Him through a waseela. There are innumerable references that mention the Ahlul-Bayt as a waseelah, hence there is no problem in calling God "through" them i.e. via calling them. This paper on “Clearing Misconceptions about Waseelah”, will detail out 10 reasons why the above is a misconception. We invite you to read it with sincerity and an open-mind. After that, what you decide is up to you. Thank you very much for your time! May Allah (swt) bless You .
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Clearing Misconceptions about Waseelah
The popular idea is as below.
The Ahlul-Bayt are a conduit to God.
We do not call upon them, rather, we call upon God "through" them. This is Waseelah.
DETAIL Calling other than God as a divine entity is shirk. What we do when we perform Tawassul, is to call upon God through the Ahlul-Bayt. God has in fact commanded us to seek waseelah (Al-Quran 5:35) "wabtaghu ilayhi waseela". The Ahlul-Bayt are a waseela to God. So invoking them should not be considered "calling upon them", rather, calling upon God through a waseela - since He has commanded us to seek Him through a waseela. There are innumerable references that mention the Ahlul-Bayt as a waseelah, hence there is no problem in calling God "through" them i.e. via calling them.
This paper on “Clearing Misconceptions about Waseelah”, will detail out
10 reasons why the above is a misconception. We invite you to read it
with sincerity and an open-mind. After that, what you decide is up to you.
Thank you very much for your time!
May Allah (swt) bless You.
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Responses to the Misconception
(1) We must distinguish between “Waseelah of Hidaayah” and
“Waseelah of Intermediary”
(a) There is an unfortunate tendency to assume that Waseelah means "Intermediary".
It in fact means "a means".
Waseelah is "a means" i.e. something that aids one to move from one station closer to
another. Fuel might help one to move in a car from one city to another, but this does not
mean that fuel is an "Intermediary" between you and the destination. Rather it is an aid
that provided a benefit i.e. a means. Likewise, the Quran has mentioned in innumerable
places that the Prophets are messengers who transmit / provide guidance to us (whether
by theory or by role-modeling). It did not say that they are intermediaries between us and
God. Rather, they provide the guidance required for us to become close servants of Allah.
See: Al-Quran 2:119, 3:144, 7:188, 11:2, 13:7, 27:92, etc.
Besides the Quran, all valid narrations which speak of any human as a waseelah to God,
are in conformance with the same Quranic context i.e. Hidaayah (Guidance).
(b) There is no evidence in the Quran for saying that Prophets and Ahlul-Bayt are
intermediaries.
There is ample evidence showing that there is no intermediary between Man and God (as
far as supplication or worship is concerned). God is closer to us than our Jugular Vein,
God directly listens to us, and asks us to directly call upon Him, in humility, secrecy,
with fear, hope, etc.
See: Al-Quran 50:16, 2:186, 40:60, 4:32, 7:55-56, etc.
Nowhere in the above and similar verses does God refer to the Prophets or Ahlul-Bayt as
"Intermediaries". Nonetheless, as mentioned before, if anyone provides guidance
(whether theoretical or by practical demonstrations), then they are a waseelah (means of
seeking closeness to Allah) in the sense of being a guide who shows the right path to
tread.
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(c) Waseelah in form of Intermediary, is reflected by the word Wakil, and it is
completely rejected by the Quran.
Wakil is the kind of waseelah that refers to Intermediary, or any of its derivatives such as
"Agent", "Representative", "Attorney", "Custodian", etc. Allah (swt) did not ask us to
seek a Wakil (intermediary) for the sake of supplicating Him. Infact he distinctively
forbade it. In at least three places Allah (swt) clarifies that the Prophet is not a Wakil for
us (nor is anyone else).
See: Al-Quran 10:108, 11:12, 39:41.
And finally, in 39:36, Allah (swt) makes it clear that He is sufficient for His servants.
They need no one to be supplicated to as an intermediary.
(2) The main Waseelahs (Wasail) mentioned in Quran and Hadith
tend to be ignored as Waseelah
(a) Main Wasail in the Quran.
The Quran and Ahadith mention key-items of Waseelah, that should be the first elements
that come to mind when the word Waseelah is mentioned. Unfortunately popular culture
has ignored these main wasail, in place of a morphed waseelah concept unsupported by
the Quran. So what are these main wasail that Quran and hadith talk about?
Firstly, Belief and Good Deeds are Wasilah, as in the verse 34:37:
م زاا ئك ل وما أموالكم ول أولدكم بالت ت قربكم عندنا زلفى إل من آمن وعمل صالا فأول عف با عملوا وىم ف الغرفات آمنون [٤٣:٤٣]الض
And not your wealth nor your children, are the things which bring you near Us in
station, but whoever believes and does good, these it is for whom is a double reward for
what they do, and they shall be secure in the highest places.
Secondly, the Names of God (such as Al-Rahmaan - Most Beneficent) are a Wasilah, as
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in 7:180 and 17:110:
سيجاون ما كانوا سائو وذروا الذين ي لحدون ف أ وللو السا السن فادعوه با[٣:١:٧]ي عملون
Allah has the most excellent names. So call on Him by His names and shun those who
distort them. They shall soon be requited for their deeds.
ا تدعوا ف لو السا السن قل ادعوا اللو أو ادعوا الرحن ول تهر بصلتك أيا ملك سبيل [١٣:١١٧]ول تافت با واب تغ ب ي ذ
Say: Call upon Allah or call upon, the Rahmaan (Most Beneficent); (by) whichever
you call upon (Him), He has the best names; and do not utter your prayer with a very
raised voice nor be silent with regard to it, and seek a way between these.
A good example of this is in the Dua-e Kumayl of Imam Ali (a) wherein he says: “O’
Allah! I ask You by Your mercy (Rehmah)……by Your strength (Quwaah)….by Your
invincibility (jabaroot)…..by Your honour (Izzat)……….by Your tremendousness……
Your authority (sultaan)……and so on.
Even more forceful are these lines of the dua: “O’ my Master, So I ask You by (the
waseela of) Your Izzat (Honour)….”, and “….So by (the waseela of) Your Izzat, comply
with my supplication..”. and further more, “..wa yatawassalu ilaika bi rububiyyatika..”
(“..and who invokes the waseela of Your Lordship..”) “….I ask You by (the waseela) of
Your Truth, Your Holiness and the Greatest of your Attributes and Names…”.
There are likewise many other wasail mentioned in the Quran, such as Taqwa,
Ikhlaas, Sabr, Salah, Tawakkul-ala-Allah, etc.
Let us now take a look at Wasilah in Ahadith:
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(b) Main Wasail in the Khutbah-of-Waseelah Hadith from Imam Ali.
Imam Ali (as) has addressed the question of Waseelah in what is arguably the best
possible elucidation of the "seek wasilah" verse 5:35 that we can find, which is Khutba
no. 110 of Nahjul Balagha; here Imam Ali (as) talks about the best Waseelahs that can
bring us close to Allah (swt), and interestingly enough, there is no mention of the Ahlul
Bayt (as) in the Khutbah, showing us that when Allah (swt) commands us to seek means
of nearness to Him, He is asking us to focus on those actions which bring us close to Him
– which the Imam then goes on to list. Allah (swt) is not asking us to seek intercessors as
is implied by the contention. The functions of Imams is guidance i.e. “mentioning wasail
to us”.. not as intermediaries (that is: waseelah of hidaayah, not waseelah of mediation).
This is perhaps why Imam Ali (a) did not mention them in his khutbah.
Here’s the text of the Khutba (of Waseelah) outlining the main items of Waseelah:
“Verily, the best means by which the seekers of nearness to Allah, the Glorified, the
Exalted, seek nearness, is the belief (Al-Imaan) in Him and His Prophet, struggling in
His cause, for it is the high pinnacle of Islam, and (to believe in) the Kalimatul Ikhlaas
(the expression of Divine Purification) for it represents the Fitra (Sound innate
disposition/nature with which human beings are created), and the establishment of
prayer for it is (the basis of) community, the payment of Zakat for it is a compulsory
obligation, fasting for the month of Ramadhan for it is a shield against the punishment
of God, the performance of Hajj of the House of Allah and its Umra for these two acts
repel poverty and wash away sins; regard for kinship (Silatu Rahim) for it increases
wealth and length of life, giving alms secretly for it protects against bad deaths, and
extending benefits (to people) for it saves one from disgrace…………”
Source: Nahjul Balagha, Sermon no. 110 (or 109 in some versions)
(3) Taking of Awliyaa, or any person, as an Intermediary to God is
forbidden in the Quran and Hadith
(a) The "Waseelah of Intermediary" is a rejected kind of worship, per the Quran.
The Quran and Ahadith specifically reject the notion of individuals - such as awliyaa -
being intermediaries to God. As discussed earlier, Wasilah means "a means" and not "an
intermediary". Below are more evidences from the Quran and Ahadith against the
interpretation of Wasilah as "Intermediaries".
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Verse 39:3
ين الالص والذين اتذوا من دونو أوليا ما ن عبدىم إل لي قربونا إل اللو أل للو الدن هم ف ما ىم فيو يتلفون اللو ل ي هدي من ىو كاذب إن زلفى إن اللو يكم ب ي
ار [٤::٤]كف
Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion. And those who take protectors (Awliya)
besides Him [say], "We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in
position." Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that over which they differ.
Indeed, Allah does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever.
They worshiped these entities but justified it by saying it brings them closer to God.
Although this verse is talking about Ibada (worship), we know that Dua is a component
of worship. You are essentially submitting your requests to someone that cannot hear
you, cannot answer you, cannot benefit you nor harm you in any way. You choose to
stop using your intellect and humble yourself unconditionally in front of another human
being. Does this not equate to outright worship?
If Allah (swt) had allowed it, then it would be accepted worship to supplicate "entities as
intermediaries". But in the above, Allah has rejected the claim of such a notion as a lie.
Verse 10:18
ؤل فعاؤنا عند اللو وي عبدون من دون اللو ما ل يضرىم ول ينفعهم وي قولون ى قل ماوات ول ف الرض ا يشركون أت نبئون اللو با ل ي علم ف الس [:١٧:١]سبحانو وت عال عم
And they worship beside Allah what can neither harm them nor profit them, and they say:
These are our intercessors with Allah. Say: Do you (presume to) inform Allah of what He
knows not in the heavens and the earth? Glory be to Him, and supremely exalted is He
above what they set up (with Him).
This verse shows that the excuse of making dua to one "in the capacity of an intercessor",
is rejected. All worship, including dua, is to be directed to Allah (swt) alone and directly
(not via dua to an intercessor).
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If Allah (swt) had allowed it, then it would be accepted worship to supplicate "entities as
intermediaries". But in the above, Allah has rejected the claim as unknown in His
dominion.
(b) The "Waseelah of Intermediary" is a sin, slip, and stumble, according to dua-hadith
from Imam Zayn al-Abideen.
A very direct exposition of the matter can be observed in Dua # 13 (Talab-e Hawaij) of