Is it permissible to make Tawassul (seeking intercession) to Allaah The Almighty through the righteous?
Did the Companions make Tawassul to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, through his uncle Al-‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him?What is the ruling on the one who puts Allaah The Almighty and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, on an equal footing in terms of supplication, making Tawassul to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, just as he makes Tawassul to Allaah The Almighty?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Islam is founded on two major pillars:

First: Allaah The Almighty is the only deity worthy of being worshipped.

Second: He should be worshipped in the manner that is prescribed in the Sharee‘ah (Islamic law): the Quran and Sunnah (Prophetic tradition).

Making Tawassul through the righteous is meant for one of two purposes:

First: To supplicate the righteous, call upon them and seek relief through them. This is considered major Shirk (polytheism) that results in apostasy because this is one kind of worship that is addressed to someone other than Allaah The Almighty.

Second: To supplicate Allaah The Almighty by means of the righteous people. This is a religious innovation that is not supported by any proof from the Quran, Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) or the history of the Companions.

As a matter of fact, ‘Umar and other Companions made Tawassul through Al-‘Abbaas namely through his supplication while he was still living among them. This is clear evidence that it is not permissible to make Tawassul through the dead. They did not make Tawassul through the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who is the best human in the whole world, but instead, they made it through Al-‘Abbaas .

On the other hand, putting Allaah The Almighty and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, on an equal footing is one of the gravest errors and forms of injustice for how can the Creator be treated in the same way as a person who was created? This idea is only tolerated in the principles of disbelieving Sufis, who believe that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is the first personification of the divine essence. Such people believe that there is no difference between Allaah The Almighty and His slave, meaning, they believe in pantheism. This is definitely disbelief in Allaah The Almighty. In this respect, one of the Sufis mentioned that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is like Allaah The Almighty in all his acts, for there is nothing in the universe except Muhammad . Some of them even say that the light of Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is the soul, which Allaah The Almighty breathed into ‘Aadam (Adam) .

It should be noted that the Muslim is prohibited from associating the will of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, with the Will of Allaah The Almighty directly as if they are of equal status. This is like when a person says, "What Allaah The Almighty and Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam willed". This prohibition was mentioned in a Hadeeth (narration) of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. [Ahmad and An-Nasaa'i]

In another Hadeeth on the authority of Jaabir the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, detested saying such things and ordered his Companions to say, “What Allaah then Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, willed." [Ahmad and Ibn Maajah]

In fact, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, prohibited this because it may give the impression that he stands on an equal footing with Allaah The Almighty. Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that people must differentiate between the rights of Allaah The Almighty and those of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This point is highlighted in the Quranic verses where Allaah The Exalted Says (what means):

• {And whoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger and is apprehensive of Allaah and is pious towards Him, then those are they (who are) the triumphant.} [Quran 24:52]

According to this verse, obedience is a right that we owe the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, because whoever obeys him is certainly obeying Allaah The Almighty. However, we have to fear Allaah The Almighty alone.

• {If only they had been satisfied with what Allaah and His Messenger gave them and said, "Sufficient for us is Allaah; Allaah will give us of His bounty, and [so will] His Messenger; indeed, we are desirous toward Allaah," [it would have been better for them].} [Quran 9:59]
• {And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from.} [Quran 59:7]
• {And they said, "Sufficient for us is Allaah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs."} [Quran 3:173]

In these three verses, it is clear that the act of giving is attributed to Allaah The Almighty as well as to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. However, supplication must be made only to Allaah The Almighty and only He should be relied on.

Therefore, the believers did not associate the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, with Allaah The Almighty neither in sufficiency nor in supplication.

Further corroborative evidence is the verse (what means): {So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship]. And to your Lord direct [your] longing.} [Quran94:7-8 ]

Therefore, worship, fear, reliance, supplication and hope are the exclusive rights of Allaah The Almighty. On the other hand, we must obey, love and seek to please both Allaah The Almighty and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. In fact, obeying, loving and pleasing the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, are part of our obedience and love for Allaah The Almighty.

Allaah Knows best.