“Calling someone besides Allah for help” fatwa of Mufti Muhammad Ibn Adam al-Kawthari

[ImamGhazzaali]

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Urgent and important message from Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari:

“In 2004, I wrote a short answer titled “Calling someone besides Allah for help” posted on my website www.daruliftaa.com and elsewhere, discussing the issue of ‘using intermediaries in supplication to Allah (tawassul)’ and ‘seeking help from other than Allah (istigatha)’. However, the answer was deficient, vague and failed to address the issues properly. Thus, as of this moment, it has been removed from the Darul Iftaa website, and I retract whatever was stated in it, and I request that you do not attribute the contents of the article to me anymore. This is not to say that I consider the answer as wholly incorrect; and as such, I hope to clarify the matter in much more detail soon, InshaAllah.”

Please take the above in consideration and if you can post this in some other threads that are discussing that fatwa from daruliftaa, that would be great.

جزاكم الله خيرا
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

[Ansari]

The traditionalists are going to have a big time swallowing that.

[Jadeed]

That's good. I wonder what his actual stance is, whether it's in line with Shaykh Sarfaraz Khan Safdar:

‘Allamah Sarfaraz Khan Safdar (d. 1430H / may Allah have mercy on him) mentions that seeking help is of two types: (a) Within the means (ma taht al-asbab) and (b) beyond the means (ma fawq al-asbab).

Regarding the difference between help which is within the normal means and beyond normal means, he explains that while the first type is established through the Qur’an, hadith, the Companions (Sahabah) and the Pious Predecessors (Salaf), the second type has no basis in Islam and has been declared haram and shirk in Shari’ah by jurists.

[godilali]

I'm afraid much damage has already been done, although it is better late than never to retract.

[Ahmad_shakeel]

[Saad]

I hope to clarify the matter in much more detail soon, InshaAllah.”

This should be interesting.

[faisal ahmad]

What was his 2004 stance? Along brelevi/sunnipath lines?

[IbnIsmail]

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Urgent and important message from Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari:

“In 2004, I wrote a short answer titled “Calling someone besides Allah for help” posted on my website www.daruliftaa.com and elsewhere, discussing the issue of ‘using intermediaries in supplication to Allah (tawassul)’ and ‘seeking help from other than Allah (istigatha)’. However, the answer was deficient, vague and failed to address the issues properly. Thus, as of this moment, it has been removed from the Darul Iftaa website, and I retract whatever was stated in it, and I request that you do not attribute the contents of the article to me anymore. This is not to say that I consider the answer as wholly incorrect; and as such, I hope to clarify the matter in much more detail soon, InshaAllah.”

Please take the above in consideration and if you can post this in some other threads that are discussing that fatwa from daruliftaa, that would be great.

جزاكم الله خيرا
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

Firstly, where did you get this from and can you prove this has been said by Mufti Muhammad al Kawthari?

Secondly, with or without Mufti Muhammad al Kawthari's fatwa, there are sufficient proofs and fatawa for Tawassul, Istighathah and Tashaffu' by much greater scholars such as Imam 'Ali al Qari, Imam Shamsuddeen ar Ramli, Imam Taqiuddeen as Subki, Imam Ahmed al Qastalani, Imam Ahmed ibn Hajar al Haytami (radhiyallahu 'anhum) and many other great 'Ulama.

[Hafiz Gee]

Salam

mufti has posted this statement on his facebook page as well as on the darul iftaa facebook page.

anyways hold back on the arguments until he reposts the fatwa and clarifies whatever points he felt needed clarification.

[Hafiz Gee]

Muft:

What I meant by the article/answer being “deficient” was that it was unclear and not explained fully. As such, many people drew up their own conclusions of what I intended by it.