Trying to comprehend on the matters of Tawasul
Please help, I've seen the pro's and con's of it however it makes me feel very uneasy regarding this issue. I've seen from different sides of the argument, however. If I wanted to accept a particualr school of fiqh (as for my inclination of the hanabilah), is it 'wajib' to accept along the lines of tawasul if I'm not confortable with it, I would just prefer to focus on other matter of Islam & leave dua strictly to Allah.
Your thoughtful replies would help
Ibrahim al-Harbi said, ‘I heard Ahmad Ibn Hanbal say, ‘If you love that Allah should keep you upon that which you love, then remain upon that which He loves, and the good is in the one who sees no good in himself.”
Refer to al-adab shariah (2/31) by Ibn Muflih
I have a similar attitude to yours. I basically came to the conclusion that although it is a valid opinion, I just prefer to abstain from practising tawassul, as I am somewhat uncomfortable with it. After all, it is supposed to mustahab, not wajib, right?
Yep. Mustahab. Don't worry yourself over its intricacies.
I thought that it was incumbent to follow along the practices of it, so basically their are different 'understandings' regarding this.
Ibrahim al-Harbi said, ‘I heard Ahmad Ibn Hanbal say, ‘If you love that Allah should keep you upon that which you love, then remain upon that which He loves, and the good is in the one who sees no good in himself.”
Refer to al-adab shariah (2/31) by Ibn Muflih
Tawassul is something of fiqh and not `aqeedah. I repeat tawassul is a matter of fiqh not `aqeedah.
There is much difference on tawassul between the scholars. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was the first to classify tawassul as bid`ah (we believe erringly) and Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhab was the first to call it shirk. The Deobandis are Sunnis that do not like tawassul - maybe you could join them.
The tawassul which is agreed upon without difference of opinion is asking Allah to give you something by the rank of something else. Tawassul has been accepted by the major scholars of the Ummah (i.e. Imam Nawawi, etc.). I used to be just like you and I thought tawassul was like shirk, same with istighatha until I understood the entire thing.
You are doing tawassul if you ask Allah something and go "bi Haqqi al-`Arsh" "By the truth of the `Arsh" you are just emphasizing your request. For example if you say "Oh Allah I did this good deed - please give me xyz because of it" then that is tawassul.
The Tawassul Du`a is a Sahih Hadith. We in Sunni Islam believe that - just as Shaykh Nuh Keller said: every single other part of Islam did not change after the Prophet's death not Hajj nor Salat nor Ramadan - so therefore Tawassul is still valid.
The Tawassul which there is difference of opinion about is actually going to the Prophet
If you join a madhab you can just go with the position that this Tawassul is the halal one:
O Allah you love Muhammad
It's by the rank of the person - not asking the person (asking the person is the 2nd disagreed upon form of Tawassul).
Shaykh Sayyid al-Maliki al-`Alawi wrote a great text regarding this in Arabic.
I understand that it's a matter of fiqh and therefore I feel more comfortable in just going 'straight to the source' (Allah aza wajal).
And yes I'm aware of this particular hadith however people have given different interpretations of this hadith (allahu alim)
Ibrahim al-Harbi said, ‘I heard Ahmad Ibn Hanbal say, ‘If you love that Allah should keep you upon that which you love, then remain upon that which He loves, and the good is in the one who sees no good in himself.”
Refer to al-adab shariah (2/31) by Ibn Muflih
It's okay - it's alright that you feel uncomfortable. I did too at first. There is an entire Sunni madrassa, albiet a newer one, that sprung up because they were uncomfortable with this - the Deobandi school. So you would not be alone.
Shaykh Nuh says this in his talk on Masud.co.uk "And the Deobandis they agreed with the Wahhabis on Tawassul - not that it was shirk - but that they didn't like it"
For proofs on Tawassul I have the book by Shaykh Sayyid al-`Alawi al-Maliki al-Hassani called Abwab al-Faraj with a whole section, along with some small Du`a books from the Middle East which have proofs. I also have the refutation Shaykh `Uthamayin (Rahihuhullah)'s incorrect comprehenstion of the verse of the Qur'an which proves tawassul.
I know this is off topic but maybe I can get those one day insha Allah, maybe not - we'll see.
Originally Posted by Omar HH
Please do post the refutation (ie, Rebuttal)
Hopefully it's in english!
Furthermore does the Deobandi's follow the fiqh of Imam Ahmed and are they Athari in aqeedah as well, or can it be that way?
Ibrahim al-Harbi said, ‘I heard Ahmad Ibn Hanbal say, ‘If you love that Allah should keep you upon that which you love, then remain upon that which He loves, and the good is in the one who sees no good in himself.”
Refer to al-adab shariah (2/31) by Ibn Muflih
deobandis are hanafi in fiqh and maturidi in aqeedah
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