The Permissibility of Asking Allah for Things by Some of His Creation

If performing tawassul had been blasphemy, then the believers, i.e., the Holy Nabi, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, his Companions, and the Salaf and Khalaf of this nation would not have done it. Yet it is mentioned in the sahih hadith of the Holy Nabi that the Holy Nabi used to ask Allah by saying:

اللھم انی اسالک بحق السائلین علیک

which means: [O Allah, I ask You by the status of those who ask You.{10}] Without doubt, this is tawassul. The Holy Nabi, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, used to teach this supplication (du'a') to his Companions and order them to say it. This issue was expounded upon in different books and treatises refuting Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab.

There is a hadith related by al-Hakim that mentions after Adam ate from the tree, he performed tawassul by our Holy Nabi, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim. He did that, because he saw the name of the Holy Nabi written on the 'Arsh, Adam said: <<O Allah, by the dignity of this son [Muhammad], forgive this father [Adam].>>

It was also related by Ibn Hibban, that upon the death of Fatimah Bint Asad, may Allah raise her rank, the Holy Nabi, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, with his own honorable hands, put her in her grave and said: <<O Allah, forgive my mother{11}, Fatimah Bint Asad, and widen her place by the status of Your Holy Nabi and the prophets who came before me. You are the most Merciful.>>

There is a hadith classified as sahih{12}, that a blind man asked the Holy Nabi, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, to make a supplication (du'a') to Allah to return his sight. The Holy Nabi ordered him to make ablution (wudu’) and pray two rak'ahs and then say:

"O Allah, I ask You and direct myself to You by Your Holy Nabi, Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad, I ask Allah by you to fulfill my need. O Allah, enable him to intercede for me."

The blind man did what the Holy Nabi taught him to do{13} and Allah brought his sight back. Moreover, as related by at-Tabaraniyy, the tawassul made by the blind man was used by the Companions and Salaf after the death of the Holy Nabi.

'Umar Ibn al-Khattab performed the tawassul by al-'Abbas (the uncle of the Holy Nabi), may Allah reward their deeds, when he prayed the Salah of ’Istisqa’{14} with the people. There are other proofs mentioned in the books of the Islamic scholars but we will not recount them at length here.

The one who pursues the saying of the Companions and their followers will find a great deal of proof about the validity of calling the prophet by saying "O Muhammad" in his presence as well as in his absence and in his life as well as after his death. In fact, many texts include the phrase which means, "O Muhammad". Calling the name of the Holy Nabi, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, is permissible. An example is the saying of the Companion, Bilal Ibn al-Harith, may Allah reward his deeds, when he went to the grave of the Holy Nabi. He said: "O Messenger of Allah, ask Allah to send rain to your Nation." His saying contains this format{15}.

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Sulayman al-Kurdiyy{16} was among the authors who wrote refuting Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab. He was Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab’s own shaykh. Among what he said is as follows:

O Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab, I advise you, for the sake of Allah, ta'ala, to hold your tongue regarding the Muslims. If you hear from anyone who asks for help from other than Allah that one has the power to effect things without the Will of Allah, then teach him the right thing about this issue, and show him the proofs which state no one other than Allah brings things from non-existence into existence. The one who rejects that is blasphemous. You have no right to label the majority of the Muslims as blasphemers{17} while you are deviant from the majority of the Muslims. In fact, it is more reasonable to consider the one who deviates from the majority of the Muslims as a blasphemer then to consider the Muslims as a nation as blasphemers--because the deviant one has followed a path other than the path of the believers. In Surat an-Nisa’, Ayah 115, Allah said:

وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ

This ayah means: [Whomever contends with the Messenger after the right path was exposed to him and follows other than the way of the believers, Allah will leave him to whatever he followed and put him in Hell (Jahannam)].

The Permissibility Of Visiting The Grave Of The Holy Nabi Visiting the grave of the Holy Nabi, Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim, was performed by the Companions and the Salaf and Khalaf who came after them. Many hadiths cite the benefit of this deed and the scholars of Islam have written books about this matter{18}