PROVING THAT TAKING WASEELA FROM THE DEAD IS SHIRQ

PROVING THAT TAKING WASEELA FROM THE DEAD IS SHIRQ

Impermissible Waseela

This is the attempt to draw close to Allah by means of things that He does not
like and that do not please Him, and it is not supported by the teachings of our
beloved Messenger (peace be upon him) and neither is it supported by the
practices of the greatest of Muslims – the companions (sahabah) of the
Messenger (peace be upon him). These could be practices or actions whether
they are words, deeds or beliefs. This particular context has a lot of
subdivisions and examples to quote and explain but however one such
example of this is trying to draw close to Allah by calling on for help to those
beside Allah or using intermediaries who are absent from this world or to
invoke someone other than Allah is considered a form of association (Shirk)
with Him, which is against the principles of tawheed and takes a person out of
the fold of Islam. The venue, place and methodology may differ in this type,
however the concept of calling or seeking help via or from the absent remains
the same.

Calling upon someone, whether it is for a purpose such as asking Him to grant
some benefit or to ward off some harm, or as an act of worship to express
humility and submission before Him, can only be addressed directly to
Allah. If duaas or prayers are addressed to anything or anyone else, that
would amount to shirk. This is the type of waseela i.e. impermissible waseela
which will be explained, proved and described with the will of Allah in this
document in a comprehensive yet brief manner. I have summarized this
document in the form of Questions and Answers hoping that it may have a
better appeal to the reader regarding this significant and sensitive context.
Note: The subject of this document is to speak on the specific kind of
‘Impermissible waseela’ mentioned in the title of this document. Hence
whenever the word waseela is mentioned (unless specified to
point/implied towards something else), kindly consider it to mean
‘Impermissible waseela’ (or in other words waseela through the people
who are dead).

Q1. Will everyone die (face physical death)?

ALLAH says: "Every soul shall have taste of death (Arabic word used here is
Maut); in the end to us shall be brought back.’’ (Quran 29:57)

Q2. Will the Sahabas (RA), (who are the walis of walis, the greatest of
awliyas and the best of Muslims) live forever until the Day of Judgment?
Did they face death?

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"The life span of my followers is between sixty and seventy, very few of them
do exceed this age." (Reported by: Sunan Al Tirmizi, Book 39, Chapter 23,
hadith no. 2338)

Q3. Did the Prophet (peace be upon him) face death? (No disrespect
intended)

1) The holy Prophet was but a Prophet. There had been prophets before him
and they all died (Arabic word used here for dead is ‘Mata’ which comes from
‘Maut’). He also should die or be put to death (Maut); would they (Muslims)
turn back upon him? (Ale-Imran: 144)
2) "Thou (O Mohammad) are surely going to die (Maut) and they surely are
going to die (Maut)" (Al-Zumar: 30)
3) Narrated `Aisha (Umm al Momineen) : The Prophet died when he was sixty
three years old. [Ref: Sahih Al Bukhari Vol. 4, Book 56, Hadith 736]
4) The greatest of wali, the best man after the messengers Abu Bakr as-
Sideeque (RA) said “O ye men, whoever amongst you worshipped

Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead (arabic word used by Abu
Bakr is Maut), and whoever amongst you worshiped ALLAH, let him know
that ALLAH is living, there is no death for him” (reported by: sahih al bukhari)
Note: Some may say Abu bakr (RA) said “worshipped” but we don’t
worship our awliyas

The word worship is the English translation of the Arabic word دُبُع ْي) َYa’budu)
used by Abu bakr (RA) in the above hadith and obviously he didn’t mean to
say “WHO TOOK MUHAMMAD AS GOD” because he was addressing the best of
people after the messengers and the best of Muslims ALLAH has ever raised
i.e. he was speaking to the Sahabas (May ALLAH be pleased with them all) and
obviously the Sahabas didn’t take the Prophet (peace be upon him) as God (
Nauzubillah) because they knew what Tawheed means and no one can follow
Islam better than them. What Abu Bakr (RA) actually meant by the phrase
“those who worshipped Muhammad” was that those who “relied” upon
Muhammad (peace be upon him) for (physical presence) help and other
issues as the sahabas used to personally consult the Prophet (peace be upon
him) in their daily affairs, and henceforth they would not be able to do the
same since he is dead.

Conclusion:
1. From the above verses, it is clear that ALLAH (SWT) has made it apparent
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) will die (Arabic word used in the Quran
verse is Maut) and also that Abu Bakr (RA) “Al Siddique” has called him dead
(Maut), in front of hundreds of thousands of Sahabas . Do we love and respect
the Prophet (peace be upon him) more than him/them? (Definitely Not)
2. However, our beloved master Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
indeed is alive, but not in the human (physical life) form i.e. Various Sahih
Ahadith help us understand that he could either be in the stage of Barzakh
(the intermediary stage) or in the heavens already but where, how and what –
the exact particulars is something between ALLAH and his messenger (peace
be upon him) and Allah knows best. Let us focus on the combination of the
above mentioned verses and the sahih hadith confirming that ‘Every soul has
to taste physical death including Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and
the prophets who passed before him and the biggest of awliyas , the sahabas and
all those who followed them.’

Q4. Can the dead hear the alive? Can the dead answer the alive? Can the
dead do anything for the alive?

‘Verily you cannot make the dead hear and you cannot make the deaf (those
who hear the message of Islam but pretend to be deaf or ignore it) hear the
call when they turn their backs and retreat.’ [Surah an-Naml 27:80]

Note: ALLAH used the word – WALA (In Arabic) to separate the expression
dead from deaf. The word WALA means “Neither/nor” hence obviously
ALLAH is pointing towards the following two separately:
i) The dead who cannot hear you and
ii) Neither (wala) can the deaf hear you
2) ‘The living and the dead are not alike; ALLAH makes whoever he wishes
(to) hear but you cannot make those in the graves hear.’ [Surah Fatir 35:22]
3) ‘Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: "My Lord! Send me back,
so that I may do good in that which I have left behind!'' No! (Kalla) It is but a
word that he speaks; and in front of them is Barzakh (barrier) until the Day
when they will be resurrected.’ [Surah Al-Mu’minoon 23: 99-100]
Commentary on the above verses :

 According to Tafsir Ibn Kathir and various other scholars, in the above
verse of Al Naml (27:80) the word dead has 2 contexts., i.e. dead in the
sense that we cannot cause the dead to hear anything (good or bad) and
secondly dead in the sense that we cannot guide those over whose hearts
Allah has placed a veil/lock (i.e. their hearts are dead). Hence proving that
the dead cannot hear you (your call for help/invocation) or address
(answer/ help) you; be it anyone!

 The second verse of Surah Fatir (35:22) is crystal clear in its stance that
those who are in the grave cannot hear us and Allah is giving a perfect
example to support this by informing us that those who are alive can hear
us, our calls and respond etc. so how can those who are dead have or
share the same capability (hear and answer) as that of the alive when
Allah clearly says “the living and the dead (in the graves) are not alike”?
 According to Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Al Qurtubi and others it states that for
the third verse [23:100] mentioned above,

 Abu Salih and others said that the wordings of the Quran “And in
front of them is a barrier” means Before them (the dead) is a barrier
 Al Mujahid said, Al-Barzakh is a barrier between this world and the
Hereafter

 Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "Al-Barzakh is what is between this
world and the Hereafter, neither they are the people of this world,
eating and drinking, nor are they with the people of the Hereafter,
being rewarded or punished for their deeds
 Abu Sakhr said, "Al-Barzakh refers to the graves. They are neither in
this world nor the Hereafter, and they will stay there until the Day of
Resurrection.''

 If ALLAH says Muhammad (peace be upon him) will die and Abu Bakr (RA)
says that he is dead and ALLAH also says that dead cannot hear you {notice
the same arabic word (maut) is used in all the verses and hadith} then how
are the walis and peers not dead (physically)? How can they hear
us?

 Nowhere has Allah specifically mentioned that Awliyas can hear our
supplication/invocation and address our needs accordingly and neither is
this mentioned in the teachings of our Prophet (Peace be upon him) or his
companions (May Allah be pleased with them All).
Regarding hearing of the dead then there are specifications or restricted
ahadith which show that the dead can hear at only certain "specific
situations" and not in general. One such evidence for this is the hadith
wherein the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
When a person is placed in his grave and his companions (those who escort
him for funeral) depart from him, he hears the sound of their sandal [Ref: Al
Nasaee, Vol. 3, Book 1, Hadith 2052]

There are a few more reports, but all those have been categorized to be
weak or fabricated , by the muhaditheen in accordance to the usool e hadith
(science of hadeeth). However, the above hadith clearly mentions the
specific time when the dead can hear and thus it is clear that the hearing of
the buried is restricted. if the dead could hear in general (at all times), then
why would the Prophet (peace be upon him) describe this specific situation
and this can be better understood below.

Also the only exception of Answering is made with Prophet (Peace be upon
him) but that too only in regards to receiving greetings (Durood/salaam)
that are sent upon him and other than that nothing else can be found from
the Quran, Sunnah & Sahaba supporting the ability of the dead to answer
our prayers/invocation for help and the likes of it.

We learn about this exception recorded in various hadith books, one of
which is narrated by Abu Dawood in Book #10, Hadith 2036; on the
authority of Abu Hurayrah (RA) who said that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no one who sends salaams
upon me but Allah will restore to me my soul so that I may return his
salaams.”. The very fact that Prophet (Peace be upon him) singled out the
word “Salaam” instead of making it a general hearing statement by saying
“no one who calls upon me” proves that he can hear only the salutations and
nothing else and even for hearing and replying to those salutations, he
requires his soul to be given back by Allah.

(i) But how does the prophet (Peace be upon him) hear our greetings? Is it
. . .directly or via someone?
Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah has angels who
travel about the earth; they [do and will] convey to me the peace greeting
from my ummah." [Narrated by al-Nasaa’ee, 1282;]
This hadith clarifies that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) does not hear the
greetings of peace from Muslims when they pronounce it upon him, for if he
could hear it directly, there would be no need of angels to convey it to him.
 To support this stance furthermore, there is a sahih hadith of the prophet
(Peace be upon him) where he says "When a person dies, all his deeds come
to an end except three: sadaqah jaariyah (ongoing charity, e.g. donation
etc.), beneficial knowledge (which he has left behind), or a righteous child
who will pray for him." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no 1376). From this
hadith we learn that the dead (Awliyas) cannot help themselves after they
die, then how can they help us (Answer our prayers/invocation to help us
and etc.)

(ii) Is the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) aware of the current
happenings today?
Narrated Anas: "The Prophet said, 'Some of my companions will come to me at
my Lake Fount, and after I recognize them, they will then be taken away from
me, whereupon I will say, 'My companions!' Then it will be said, ' YOU DO NOT
KNOW WHAT THEY INNOVATED (NEW THINGS) IN THE RELIGION AFTER
YOU (DIED)
( Sahih Bukhari,, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 584)

Q5. Did ALLAH (SWT) ever ask us to pray to him directly without taking
Waseela? What is the method that ALLAH taught us (Muslims)?

ALLAH (SWT) did not REQUEST but He COMMANDED us to
invoke/supplicate to him DIRECTLY!

1) Direct it solely to ALLAH; “Invoke Him only, making your religion sincere to
Him” (Quran 7:29).
2) ‘You alone we worship and you alone we seek help from.’ (Quran 1:5)
3) ‘So invoke ALLAH making your worship pure for Him’ (Quran 40:14)
4) And your Lord says: “Invoke on Me, I will answer your prayer.” [Quran
40:60]
5) ‘He is the Ever Living; there is no God but Him, so call upon Him, giving Him
sincere devotion’. [Quran 40:65]
6) ‘The most beautiful names belong to ALLAH: So invoke on Him by them.’
[Quran 7:180]
7) ‘Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.’
[Quran 7:55]
8) ‘And Call upon Him, making your devotion sincere as in His Sight.’ [Quran
7:29]
9) ‘And invoke not besides ALLAH any such that will neither Profit you nor
Hurt you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Zalimin.’
[Quran 10:106]
10) Salih ibn Abdullah reported from Ja’far ibn Sulayman from Thabit Bunani
that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Each one of you must ask
his Lord for his needs, even for salt and also for the thong or strap or lace
of his sandal or boot when it is cut off.” (At Tirmidhi – book no. 51 - Book of
supplication, chapter 139, Hadith no. 3624 – classified as Mursal but saheeh
according to muhaditheen (such as Mubasshar Ahmad rabbani) because this
hadeeth has many other corroborating reports narrated in Shuab al Iman
1116, Sahih bin Hibban 2402, Amal al Yawm wal Laila 304, Musnad Bazzar
3135, Musnad Abul Yala 6/130 and the one below )
11) Ummal Momineen Aisha (r.a) said “Ask all of the things from Allah even
for lace of boots. [Abu Yala in his al-Musnad 2/216]
Commentary:
The above and several other verses and hadiths (some of which are
mentioned below) are a clear proof that Allah and his Messenger (peace be
upon him) ordered us to invoke Allah directly, then why do we find a better
way to invoke/pray/ask than what our LORD himself taught us in his Quran?
If Waseela (intercession from the dead) was a better way then why didn’t
ALLAH (SWT) prescribe it in his book?
The best guidance is from ALLAH then how could he have missed out
mentioning WASEELAH intercession/Tawaasul) in the Quran if it were a good
source to draw his slave near to Him? He has mentioned all the ways, sources,
actions and commands that one must adhere to bring himself/herself close to
ALLAH and achieve success in this world and the hereafter except for
Waseela. The Jews/Quraish/Christians etc used to take Waseela even before
the Prophet (peace be upon him) and even during the time of Prophet (peace
be upon him), yet ALLAH didn’t approve of it.

Q6. Did Prophet (peace be upon him) ask Muslims to pray directly to
ALLAH and seek help only from ALLAH or did he ask them to seek his
own waseela to reach to ALLAH after he left this world?

On the authority of Ibn Abbas, who said, "One day I was behind the Prophet
and he said to me: 'Young man, I shall teach you some words (of advice). Be
mindful of ALLAH, and ALLAH will protect you. Be mindful of ALLAH, and you
will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of ALLAH; if you seek help, seek
help of ALLAH. Know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit
you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that ALLAH
had already prescribed for you, and if they gather together to harm you
with anything, they would harm you only with something ALLAH had
already prescribed for you. Then pens have been lifted and the pages have
dried. (Sahih from Al Tirmidhi and hadis qudsi no.19)
The above stated is a wonderful message from Habibullah (peace be upon
him) which makes his orders crystal clear that he didn’t teach anyone to
invoke him or ask him to invoke ALLAH after he left this world, rather he
taught them to seek the help and invoke only Allah alone.

Q7. ALLAH ordered us to ask Him directly, but where did He tell us not to
take Waseela?
This is a very common question however the answer to this is very simple and
logical:-
1. For example we are taught to pray 4 rakats fardh in Zuhr prayer and
nowhere is it said that don’t pray 5 rakats, So will you pray 5 rakats fardh in
zuhur for extra sawab by taking the excuse that nowhere is it mentioned not
to pray 5 rakats fardh? Similarly nowhere is it written that don’t do 4 sajdah in
one rakat, so taking this excuse will you make 4 sujood?
The logical and sane answer to the above question is obviously a ‘No’ because
we know that this is not the way/method taught to us by the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and this point should be remembered always.
Conclusion of the above two points:
(i) It is very important that we stick to the method taught by ALLAH and his
Messenger (peace be upon him) and not our mentality or ideology because
ALLAH says  “And know that ALLAH's Noble Messenger is among you; In
most of the affairs, were he to listen to you (your mentality opinions, logic in
matters of religion), you would surely fall into hardship” [Hujurat 49:7]

(ii) ALLAH says  "Indeed in the Prophet, you have a good example to follow
for him who hopes for (the meeting with) ALLAH and the Last “[Quran: 33:21]
Q8. What is the proof that ALLAH disliked the ‘concept of waseela‘
Under this section, first I will prove that mushriqeen-e-makkah believed in
ALLAH as their supreme lord and sustainer yet they were mushriqeen
because they used to reject their belief in Muhammad (peace be upon him),
the Day of Judgment and some pillars of Islam. Apart from their rejection, one
of the main reasons why they came under the category of Mushriqeen or
Kuffar e Makkah is because they adopted the method of taking waseela
(intercession) to reach Allah. Whenever a pious or notable chief of their tribe
died, they used to make his idol out of pride and also so that they can reach
Allah through him. Apart from saints and notable chiefs they also used to take
the waseela of angels (who are alive), Jins (who are alive) etc. to reach Allah
and to come close to Allah – (Quran, Sahih Hadith and Tafsir ibn kathir states
this fact.)
Note: Idols and dead people both are alike as both can’t hear you (refer Q4
above) while Jins and Angels of whom they took waseela were alive, yet Allah
disliked taking waseela from both equally (be it dead or alive)
1. Proof that Mushriqeen-e-makkah believed in ALLAH as their lord and
sustainer -
 “And (O Messenger) if you ask them (the mushrikeen), “Who created the
heavens and the earth, and subjected the sun and the moon (to their
appointed work).” They would surely say: “ALLAH.” Then how are they
turned away" (Al-Ankaboot-61)
 "And if you (O Messenger) ask them (the mushrikeen): “Who created
the heavens and the earth.” They would certainly say: “ALLAH.” Say: “All

the praises be to ALLAH.” But most of them do not know." (Al-Luqmaan-
25)

 (Al-Zamur-38) (interpretation ) Kuffar-e-Makkah accepted ALLAH sent
down rain and he is the LORD.

 (Al-Zukhruf-9) (interpretation) They accepted ALLAH is their creator
and creator of everything that exists.
 (Al-Zukhruf 87) (interpretation) They accept that ALLAH is their Lord
and the Lord of every creation.
From the above verses it is crystal clear, without any shadow of doubt, that
the Mushriqeen believed Allah was their Lord and the one who controlled
everything
2. Proof that ALLAH disliked the concept/method of waseela.
 “And those who take Auliya (protectors and helpers) besides ALLAH
(they say): "We worship them only that they may bring us near to
Allah." Verily, Allâh will judge between them concerning that wherein
they differ. Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a
disbeliever." {Quran 39:3}
 "And they worship (invoke, make dua, seek help and etc) besides
(Alongside with) ALLAH things (Angels/Jins/Idols) that hurt them not,
nor profit them, and they say: "These are our ‘intercessors’ with
Allah." Say: "Do you inform Allâh of that which He knows not in the
heavens and on the earth?" Glorified and exalted is He above all that
which they associate as partners with Him!" [Quran 10:18]
 “Say (O Muhammad) to these idolaters of your folk: Follow what has
been sent down unto you from your Lord [the Qur’aan and Prophet
Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) Sunnah], and follow not (invoke
for dua, worship etc) any Awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers who
order you to associate partners in worship with Allah), besides Him
(Allah). [Quran 7:3]
 Those [like Prophets, saints, angels, idols, Jins and etc] whom they call
upon (to) desire (to seek) means of nearness (Waseela) to their
Lord (ALLAH), as to which of them should be the nearest; and they
hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily, the Torment of your
Lord is (something) to be afraid of! [Quran 17: 57]
From the above verses, it is apparent that ALLAH (SWT) strongly dislikes the
concept of waseela (tawassul). From Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Sahih Hadith from

Sahih Al Bukhari we learn in detail that in the above verses, ALLAH (SWT)
strictly warns Muslims and those who believe to stay away from such Kufr
practices of the people of Quraish and other disbelievers as the method of
waseela which they (Mushriqeen) adopted to reach Allah was by means of
invoking both the dead (idols/walis) and alive (previous messengers, Jins
Angels) and this method is strongly rebuked and disliked by ALLAH (SWT).

Q9. Who are the righteous people and the best of generations as affirmed
by Rasool (peace be upon him)?

 The first generation – (also known as the generation of the Prophet (peace
be upon him) are Sahabas)
 Second are taba’een - (who have seen the Sahabas and have learned Islam
from them and have died upon Islam)
 Third are taba taba’een - (who have seen the taba’een and have learned
Islam from them and died upon Islam)
Narrated Zahdam bin Mudrab: I heard Imran bin Husain saying, "The Prophet
said, “The best people are those living in my generation (Sahabas), then those
coming after them (second generation i.e. taba’een), and then those coming
after (the second generation i.e. taba taba’een)."
{Narrated in Sahih Al Bukhari , Volume 3, Book 48, Number 819}
Even ALLAH (SWT) confirms the above fact in the Quran that He (ALLAH)
is pleased with these sahabas and those who followed them! No one can
reach their level because even the dust that went in their nose in the
company of Prophet (peace be upon him) is better than our current or
past walis all put together.
Allah praising the sahabas and telling us that those who follow them are
successful and righteous.
1. And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun and the Ansar and also
those who followed them exactly {in Faith}. Allah is well- pleased with
them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them

Gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein forever. That is the
supreme success [Quran 9:100]
2. Indeed Allah is pleased with the believers who gave you (Muhammad)
a pledge under the tree [Quran 48:18]
3. But the Messenger and those who believed with him strove hard and
fought with their wealth and their lives. Such are they for whom are
the good things, and it is they who will be successful [Quran 9-88]
4. Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirin and the Ansar who
followed him in the time of distress. [Quran 9-117]
Commentary:
After reviewing the above powerful verses, how can we question the
religious practice of those people (Sahabas) who have been praised and
mentioned by the Lord of lords (Allah) in his own book and by the Prophet
(peace be upon him)? Hence we should look upon them and learn from
them how they practiced Islam. We should cross check our religious
actions with them to have a better idea so as to what we do is right or
wrong. If our actions in matters of religion don’t match with theirs then it is
a sign of danger because ALLAH loved them the way they practiced the
religion and hence it is unacceptable if we perform an act of religion which
contradicts or deviates from their action/method.

Q10. Proof that the sahabas refrained from taking waseela of the
Prophet (Peace be upon him)

Whenever drought threatened them, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-
Abbas bin 'Abdul Muttalib to invoke ALLAH for rain. He used to say, "O

ALLAH! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke (make dua) you for rain and
You would bless us with rain and now we ask his uncle to invoke (make dua)
you for rain. O ALLAH ! Bless us with rain. And so it would rain. [Narrated in
Sahih al Bukhari - Volume 2, Book 17, Number 123]
Important points and observations to be noted here regarding the
above hadith -

1. The word ‘Whenever’ used in the above hadith is the English translation of
the Arabic word “KANA or نَ َكا “used in the original hadith in Arabic. This
word explains that after the passing away of Prophet (peace be upon him)
“Everytime/whenever” the sahabas were threatened by drought, they didn’t
go to the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him), instead they asked Abbas
(RA) to make dua to ALLAH for rain.
2. No one could love the messenger (peace be upon him) more than them. The
virtue of Abbas (RA) was not greater than that of the Prophet (peace be upon
him) still Umar (RA) and other Sahaba, who loved the prophet (peace be upon
him) immensely avoided taking the Waseela of Prophet (peace be upon him)
knowing the seriousness of such an action and hence instead took the waseela
of Abbas’ (RA) by asking him to make dua to Allah (Alone).
3. If the practice of Waseela after someone has left the world was a better way
to make dua, then the Sahabas would have done it because they practiced
Islam in the best possible way. They faced the most difficult time that history
could witness. Numerous wars, several important decisions for the Muslim
ummah to take, undefined troubles and yet they invoked upon Allah rather
than ask the prophet (peace be upon him) to pray for them only because the
sahabas knew that seeking intercession of someone who has left the world is
prohibited and an act which the mushriqeen used to do in the times of
Ignorance. There is not a single sahih hadith which proves that the sahaba
(RA) ever took the waseela or asked Prophet (peace be upon him) for
anything or for help after he left this world to another world.
Son of Hussain (RA) strictly warns not to take waseela
Ali ibn al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man entering
through a gap at the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and making
duaa. He told him not to do that and said, “Shall I not tell you a hadeeth that
I heard from my father, from my grandfather and from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him)? ‘Do not take my grave as a place of festivity
(which you visit repeatedly) and do not take your houses as graves. Send
blessings upon me for your greeting will reach me no matter where you are.’
[Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2042 – Also (Ahmad 2: 367]
The Importance of sticking to the exact teachings of Islam by Prophet
(Peace be upon him)

Nafi reported that a man sneezed in the presence of Sayyidina Ibn Umar (RA)
and said, “al Hamdu-Lillah-WAS-Salaamu ala Rasul-Lillah (All praise is for

Allah and Salam on the Messenger of Allah).” He said, “I also agree and say al-
Hamdu Lillah was-Salaamu ala Rasul-Lillah But note that at this occasion

(when someone sneezes), Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) did not teach us in this
way. He taught us to say ‘al Hamdu-Lillah ala kulli haal’ (praise belongs to
Allah in all circumstances). (Tirmidhi hadith no. 2747)

Q11. What are the reasons people give in support of Waseela? Why do
people resort to intercession?

Reason no. 1:
People say that we arent as pious (religious) as those earlier awaliyas were,
hence we ought to take/adapt the method of Waseela.
Refute to the above reason:
Allah even listens to non-Muslims/Mushriqeen then why wouldn’t he listen to
sinful Muslims? He is indeed oft forgiving and merciful, the proof of which is
found below
 “And when they (Mushriqeen) board on a ship, they Invoke Allah,
making their faith pure for Him only, but when He delivers/answers
their prayers/ brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of
their worship to others” (Surah Ankaboot - 29:65)
 Also Surah Al A'naam, verse 63-64 proves the same context that Allah
helps Mushrikeen many times by answering their prayers.
Reason no. 2:
Generally, people have the idea that they are so sinful, they aren’t pious
Muslims etc, so how will their prayers be Answered if they Invoke Allah
directly?
Refute to the above reason

Yet again a different angle of the previous reason and a very common
question, however the answer to this is also very simple and logical.
 Say: "O my servants who have transgressed (sinned) against
themselves! Despair not of the mercy of ALLAH, verily, ALLAH forgives
all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. {Quran 39:53}
 Anas (RA) said that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him)
say: “ALLAH the Exalted said: “O son of Adam, so long as you call upon
Me, and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall
not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the
sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive
you. O son of Adam were you to come to me with sins nearly as great as
the earth, and were you then to face me, ascribing no partner to Me, I
would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it (earth).’ (Hadith e
Qudsi recorded in Al-Tirmidhi, Book 45, Hadith number 3540)
With regards to the above excuses; a few more logical arguments &
questions to ponder upon:
1. Since the Sahabas weren’t more pious or better (obviously) than the
Prophet (peace be upon him) they should have taken his intercession and
should have applied the same excuse but it is a fact that no Sahih/Hasan
hadith (tradition of the prophet) or Athar (tradition of the sahabas) ever
prove that the Sahabas were taught to seek prophet’s (peace be upon him)
intercession after he died or the sahabas ever themselves sought the
Prophet’s (peace be upon him) intercession. As explained above, through such
difficult and severe times, they invoked upon Allah rather than go to the grave
of the prophet to ask him to pray to Allah as he is more close to Allah. Hence
this is clear evidence which proves that if waseela from the dead was an
acceptable action, the sahabas would have been the first to do it.
2. Similarly the taba’een (students of the sahabas aka the second best
generation) didn’t take the Waseela of the dead sahabas or of the Prophet
(peace be upon him) despite knowing that they were not more pious than
them.

3. Also the taba taba’een (students of the taba’een aka 3rd best generation)
didn’t take the Waseela of the dead taba’een or sahabas or Prophet (peace be
upon him) being aware that they weren’t more pious than the previous three.

Reason no. 3:
Other common Question/Doubt/reason some put forward in their support of
the practice of Waseela is that In Order to visit or contact a judge you need a
lawyer, then how is it that Allah can be reached directly?
Refute to the above reason:
(i) Let us suppose that you are sick and (God Forbid) have a heart disease
and the world’s best heart specialist is in Germany and he openly says
that “Anyone with any heart disease may come directly to me for free
treatment”, then will you go elsewhere? Obviously No! Hence when
Allah the most Exalted, the most gracious, the most merciful and the
All-powerful and capable is commanding you to invoke him directly
(Refer Q5 and above 2 reasons) then we have no need to go elsewhere.
(ii) Some people say “when you go to the court of Law, you require a
lawyer to convey your appeal to the judge hence we should also take
some waseela to reach Allah”. Well this excuse can be refuted in 5
ways :
 Let us assume it is a murder case. The judge we go to, doesn’t know
who the murderer is and who’s guilty and who isn’t, hence he requires
a lawyer for the proceedings. But when u seek Allah’s help, he knows
everything and does not require anyone or anything to interpret or
justify hence you wouldn’t be needing any lawyer or any source to act
as a lawyer when you call upon Allah (who is the All knower)
 A judge cannot address several cases or people simultaneously (at
once) but even if 6 billion people altogether speak and invoke Allah
(Exalted is the lord of the worlds) he can address them all at once.
 Comparing Allah’s justice to the Human court of Justice is a very big
sin, because not only are we comparing Allah to his own creation
(human judge), but also demeaning him and his powers/capabilities.

One of the most powerful surah named Surah Al Ikhlas has a verse
stating
“ Wa Lam ya kullahu Kufuan Ahad” meaning “there is nothing
like/similar to him (Allah)”. After such a verse, how can we even
possibly imagine to compare Allah’s justice, power and treatment to
that of a human court or a human judge or anything at all?
 According to the law no judge can say “ come to me directly and I will
solve your problem” but Allah ( the All-powerful) as mentioned above,
has already said this repeatedly in several verses and ahadith that “Oh
son of Adam, Invoke me/Call upon me directly and I shall address
your needs”
 The last refute is that Allah says – “We are nearer to
him than his jugular vein (Quran 50:16) “which is self-explanatory.
Also Allah says: And whether you keep your talk secret of disclose
it, verily, He Is the all knower of what is in the breasts (of men)
[Quran 67:13] . Hence Allah (the All-powerful and Mighty) is
completely aware of what we think, do and every other task of ours to
the minutest of bit, then why do we make excuses of seeking an
external source to reach Allah or inform Allah? Remember that Allah
says: "Do you inform Allâh of that which He knows not in the
heavens and on the earth?" (Quran 10:18)

Q12. What are the 7 (basic but very) important questions & answers one
needs to know?

Q1) Whom are we (Muslims) ordered to follow?
A) Obey ALLAH and His Messenger {Quran - 8:46 & several other surahs)
Q2) What is the order of our Prophet (peace be upon him)?
A) "Hold firmly to my example (sunnah) and that of the Rightly Guided
Caliphs" (Ibn Majah, Abu Dawood).
Q3) Did Prophet (peace be upon him) reveal/teach the entire/complete
message and method of Islam?
A) Prophet said : “Be my witness, O ALLAH, that I have conveyed your
message to your people"

( Bukhari Hadith 1623, 1626, 6361, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ibn
Majah)

Q4) Is Islam incomplete? Is there a chance of further modification?
A) Allah said: "Today I have perfected your religion for you, and
completed my grace upon you, and approved Islam as your religion.
(Quran 5:3)
Q5) After reviewing Questions 3&4 What will happen if we modify/bring
something new into Islam?
A) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The worst deeds of all
are innovations (in Islam) and every innovation is bidah and every
bidah is deviation and every deviation will be in hellfire.” (Reported by
Al Nasai Vol.1 pg 179, Minhaaj ul Muslimeen pg 514,)
Q6) Practicing any act of religion (small, big, or medium) which is not
taught by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and not practiced by the
Sahabas is?
A) The Prophet (peace be upon him), said, "Whoever introduces to our
matter (religion) that which is not a part of it, will have it (his
innovation) rejected. [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
Q7) After knowing the answer to Qno. 3, 4, 5 & 6 if one still continues to
practice an innovation (something not taught by the messenger and
practiced by the sahabas altogether) considering it as a good deed
(sawaab) then?
A) And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad)
after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other
than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen,
and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!” [Quran 4:115]

Q13. The most popular reason to take Waseela by people is that, “Quran
mentions the word Waseela” so we take it or why shouldn’t we take it?’’

In Urdu there is a word or a term called as 'Waseela' and in Arabic too the
word 'Waseela' exists, but both the words have a different meaning or
context with regards to this verse.
WASEELA IN URDU LANGUAGE MEANS OR REFERS TO - INTERCESSION -- >
(“VIA” SOMEONE OR SOME SOURCE)
ARABIC WASEELA (USED IN QURAN) IMPLIES - MEANS OF APPROACH.
The word Allah (s.w.t) has used to mean intercession in the Quran is
“Shafa'ah” and the proof for this is the verse: Then guard yourselves against
a day when one soul shall not avail another nor shall intercession ( عة ـ
( شف
be accepted for her, nor shall compensation be taken from her, nor shall
anyone be helped (from outside). [Al-Baqarah: 48] The same word is also
used at "2:123, 2:254, 4:85, 19:87, 20:109, 21:28, 34:23, 36:23, 39:44, 43:86,
53:26, 74:48]
Those who want to learn, when Allah (s.w.t) has used the term Shi’fah and in
what context, please visit the below link:

http://messageofislaam.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/al-waseelah-and-al-
shafaah-in-the-light-of-quran/


“O you who believe!, Be careful of (your duty to) ALLAH and SEEK MEANS OF
NEARNESS TO HIM and strive hard in His way that you may be successful”
[Surah Maidah, verse no.35].

Let us understand the meaning, context, content and application of the above
verse from the greatest of Awliyas, i.e. The Salaf us saliheen (first three
generations) because who could understand the Quran better than them?
One of the most authentic and famous tafsirs of Quran written hundreds of
years ago by Imam ibn kathir from the seventh generation after the Hijrat of
Prophet (peace be upon him) called as ‘Tafsir ibn kathir ‘that
Sufyan Ath-Thawri said that Talhah said that `Ata' said that Ibn `Abbas said
that Waseelah means `the means of approach'. Mujahid, Abu Wa'il, Al-Hasan,
Qatadah, `Abdullah bin Kathir, As-Suddi, Ibn Zayd and others gave the same
meaning for Waseelah as Qatadah had said that the ayah means, "Seek the

means of approach to Him(Allah) by obeying Him and performing the
acts that please Him.'' [Surah Maidah, verse no.35]
Hence several famous tafsirs help us understand that the below mentioned
sahabas and earlier salaf namely –

1) Sufyan Ath-Thawri
2) Talha
3) ‘Ata
4) Ibn ‘Abbas
5) Mujahid,
6) Abu Wa'il
7) Al-Hasan
8) Qatadah
9) Abdullah bin Kathir
10) As-Suddi
11) Ibn Zayd

And various other salaf’s said and agreed that the term Waseela in the verse
of Surah Maidah imply that one should seek the means of approach to
Him (Allah) by obeying Him and performing the acts that please Him.
In other words, by doing everything that falls under the category of
‘Permissible waseela’ discussed in the beginning of this document or in other
words by doing everything that our beloved Messenger (peace be upon him)
taught.

Conclusion:
After reading all the virtues of the Sahabas and the earlier salaf (first three
generations) and understanding their status, value and importance in Islam, if
one still persists to continue believing or understanding this particular verse
of Surah Maidah according to what anyone understands which is in
contradiction to the above explained then that is truly a grave error because
If we believe and follow something (action or understanding or Quran) in
contradiction to what the sahabas and salaf explained and understood
(the Quran), then it means that we claim to understand the Quran better
than them (nauzbullilah).

Yet another strong reason to stick to the teachings/Understanding of
Quran by the Sahabas:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The stars are the custodians
(guardians) of the sky, so when the stars depart, there will come to the sky
what is promised for it (i.e. on the Day of Judgment). I am the custodian of my
Companions, so when I depart, there will come to my Companions what is
promised for them (i.e. great trials and tribulations). My Companions are the
custodians for my Ummah, so when my Companions depart, there will come
to my Ummah what is promised for it (i.e. schisms, spread of innovations
etc).’’ [Sahih Muslim 4: 1344)/ Sahîh - related by Muslim (16/82), Ahmad
(4/398) and al-Baghawî in Sharh as-Sunnah (14/71-72) ]

I end my document with the following verses of Quran and few thought
provoking hadiths -
ALLAH says:-
(i) And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger
(Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him,
and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in
the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil
destination!” [Quran 4:115]
(ii) Whomsoever Allah guides, he is the guided one, and
whomsoever He leaves astray, those! They are the losers.(
Quran 7:178)

Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
(i) Narrated ‘Abdullah (RA): ALLAH’s apostle (May peace and blessings be
upon him) said “The best talk (speech) is ALLAH’s Book (Quran),
and the best way is the way of Muhammad (peace be upon him)
and the worst matters are the innovations (those new things
which are introduced into the religion i.e. Bidat); and whatever
you have been promised will surely come to pass, and you cannot
escape (it).” (Sahih Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 92, Number 382)

(ii) Narrated Irbad ibn Sariyah that the Prophet (peace be upon him)said : Those of you who live after me will see great disagreement (contradictions and new practices in Islam etc). You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs (Abu bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali) .Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation (In Islam) and every innovation is an error. (Narrated by Abu Dawud and a similar narration is found in Ahmad (4/126), Ibn Maajah (no. 43), al-Haakim (1/96)
Umar Ibn Khattab (RA) said: Actions are by intention and every person will receive what he intended. (Sahih Al bukhari vol. 1 pg. 47 hadith no.51) I repeat that this is a message from one Muslim to another solely intending to share the knowledge and practice of Islam in accordance to the Quran and Sunnah. This particular topic is indeed a very sensitive and a lengthy topic and I have endeavored to explain and convey the message as briefly and clearly to the best of my capability. I began this work seeking the help of my creator Allah and I end the same seeking his help too. May Allah forgive me for whatever mistakes that I may have made unknowingly and may Allah guide me, every reader and every Muslim to the path of guidance for verily none can open our hearts to guidance but Allah alone.