Not only do the
Deobandis
misunderstand
the permissible
forms of
Waseelah but
they also
misunderstand
the prohibited
form of Waseelah.
They consider
direct
invocation of
the Prophets or
Awliya as an
impermissible
form of Waseelah.
Mufti Abdur
Rahim Lajpuri
says, “The
impermissible
mediation (Waseelah)
is that in which
a person or
thing other than
Allah is
considered a
helper and a
redresser that
they alone will
help one and
will fulfill
one’s need with
their help. To
cherish such a
belief is not
proper.”[1]
Moulana Ashraf
Ali says, “To
supplicate (or
make Du’aa)
directly to
created beings
is the way of
the Mushrikeen
(the
polytheists).
This form of
Tawassul is
unanimously
Haraam
(prohibited).”[2]
What is
mentioned here
in the two
quotes is not a
case of Waseelah
at all because
to directly call
upon a Prophet
or a Wali is not
intercession,
but is outright
invocation to
other than Allah
for fulfilling
one’s needs.
This is openly
making partners
in the worship
of Allah.
As for the
Aqeedah that, “a
person … other
than Allah is
considered a
helper and a
redresser
that they alone
will help one
and will fulfill
one’s need”
Then even the
Mushrikeen (the
Arab pagans),
who supplicated
to idols seeking
their
intercession (Waseelah)
with Allah, did
not consider the
idols of pious
men to be
independent and
self-sufficient
helpers. This is
clearly evident
from their
Talbiyah of Hajj
when they would
say, “Here I am
at Your service,
O Allah! There
is no associate
with You. Except
a partner,
whom You own and
He does not own
anything.”[3]
And when the
Messenger of
Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
asked the father
of Imran Ibn
Husayn:
“How many gods
do you worship
today, Husayn?”
His father
replied, “Seven,
six in the earth
and one in
Heaven.” He
asked,
“Which of them
do you take
account of
regarding your
hopes and your
fears?”
Husayn replied
the one in the
Heaven.[4]
The Shirk of the
Mushrikeen (the
Pagan Arabs) was
that they called
upon their dead
righteous people
and Angels to
intercede for
them with Allah.
And Allah said
regarding their
actions:
“They worship
besides Allah
things that hurt
them not, nor
profit them, and
they say:
“These are only
our intercessors
with Allah.”[5]
And thus their
practice was
declared as
Shirk and
worship to other
than Allah.
[1]
Fatawa
Rahimiyyah
vol: 3 by
Mufti Sayyid
Abdur Rahim
Lajpuri,
p.5.
[2]
Quoted from
Kitabul
Janaiz (Hanafee),
p.21-24.
[3]
See Saheeh
Muslim (Eng.
Trans.),
vol. 2, The
Book of
Hajj, Hadeth
no. 2671.
