Tawassul – Seeking a Means of Nearness to Allah in Islam

Tawassul – Seeking a Means of Nearness to Allah in Islam” is an authentic Islamic book that explains the concept of tawassul based on the Qur’an and Sunnah. It clarifies the correct forms of tawassul, dispels common misconceptions, and guides Muslims on how to seek closeness to Allah through permissible means. A must-read for those seeking authentic understanding of this important aspect of Islamic belief and worship.

From Author:

Shaikh Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (1914–1999) was a renowned Islamic scholar of hadith and one of the most influential scholars of the 20th century. Known for his deep knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah, his works focus on clarifying authentic Islamic beliefs and practices. His research on tawassul provides clear evidence-based guidance, making him a trusted reference for Muslims worldwide.

Content:

Understanding Tawassul

The book begins by highlighting the widespread confusion and differences among Muslims regarding the types and rulings of Tawassul. It examines practices and supplications in which people seek nearness to Allah through the Prophet ﷺ, the righteous, sacred places, or other created things.

Clarifying What Is Correct

Rather than leaving the reader with general claims, the work examines the Qur’anic verses, Prophetic narrations, and arguments used in discussions about Tawassul. It aims to distinguish between what is established and what is disputed or unsupported.

Addressing Common Doubts

A major part of the book responds to misunderstandings and arguments surrounding Tawassul. It discusses:

The Hadeeth of the Blind Man
Exaggerated respect for the righteous
Additions and interpretations related to the Hadeeth of the Blind Man
Weak Ahaadeeth concerning Tawassul
Reports concerning calling upon others besides Allah for assistance
Making analogies between the Creator and the created
Whether innovated forms of Tawassul can be considered merely permissible
The distinction between Tawassul through a person's status and Tawassul through a righteous action
A Careful Study of an Important Topic

The book encourages readers to examine the evidence behind different forms of Tawassul and to understand their implications within Islamic belief and worship. It provides a structured discussion of the major doubts and evidences surrounding this subject.

Essential Questions Explored

At the heart of the work are important questions:

What is Tawassul? What are its different types? What do the relevant Qur’anic verses and Ahaadeeth mean? And what is the correct ruling concerning Tawassul in Islaam?

Page:01
TAWASSUL-ITS TYPES AND RELATED RULINGS
All praise and thanks are for Allaah, we praise Him, seek His aid, and ask His forgiveness. We seek Allaah's refuge from the evils of our own selves and from our evil actions. Whomever Allaah guides none can misguide him, and whomever Allaah leads astray then none can guide him. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, alone, having no partner, and I tes- tify that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَانِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ )
"O you who believe! Fear Allaah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islaam with complete submission to Allaah."
يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاء وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي نَسَاءَ لُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Aadam), and from him (Aadam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He cre- ated many men and women and fear Allaah through whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allaah is Ever an all Watcher over you."
1. Soorah Aali-'Imraan (3): 102
2. Soorah An-Nisaa (4): 1
Page:02
THE SECOND DOUBT.
The badeeth of the blind man 67
Removal of a misunderstanding and an explanation of the danger of exaggerated respect of the pious 76
Additions to the Hadeeth of the Blind Man 82
the first addition 82
the second addition 85
A note concerning the book: at-Tawassul ilaa haqeeqatit-Tawassul 92
THE THIRD DOUBT.
Weak Abaadeeth Relating to Tawassul 93
The first hadeeth 94
The second badeeth 98 The third hadeeth 100
The fourth hadeeth 101
The fifth badeeth 102 The sixth badeeth 104 The seventh badeeth 116
Two Weak Reports 119
The First Report 119
Calling Upon Others Besides Allaah for Assistance 126 The Second Report 130
THE FOURTH DOUBT.
Making Analogy between the Creator and the Created 134
THE FIFTH DOUBT..
Is there anything to prevent the innovated Tawassul merely being something permissible but not as something recommended? 138
THE SIXTH DOUBT.
Making Analogy between Tawassul by Means of the Person or Status of Somebody and Tawassul by Means of a Righteous Action
Page:03
Tawassul
Seeking a means of nearness to Allaah Its Types and Its Rulings
"The people are in great confusion about the matter of Tawassul and its rulings in the religion, and they greatly differ concerning it, some declaring it lawful and others prohibiting it, some going to extremes and others being over-lenient. Also, a large number of the Muslims have been used to saying in their supplications for centuries such things as: 'O Allaah by the right of your Prophet....' or 'by the right of the Sacred House... forgive me.' 'O Allaah by the right of the Awliyaa and the pious, and so and so, etc.' Or 'O Allaah by the honour of the men of Allaah to You, and by the honour of those in whose presence we are, and under whose assistance we exist, relieve us and the distressed from all distress'...
"...Some people even go so far beyond bounds that they even allow tawassul to Allaah, the Most High, through some inanimate objects from the creation that do not even reach the level of the aforementioned, such as graves of the Awliyaa, metal structures built upon their tombs, and earth, stones and trees found nearby. They claim that whatever is near to those who are honoured itself becomes honoured, and that the honour which Allaah bestows upon the occupant of a grave passes on to the grave itself, so that it becomes a means of Waseelah to draw nearer to Allaah thereby. Indeed some of the later people allow directly seeking aid from others besides Allaah!
"So what is Tawassul? What are its types? What is the meaning of the Aayaat and the ahaadeeth which mention it? And what is the correct ruling for it in Islaam?"
Page:04
Tawassul
Seeking a means of nearness to Allaah - Its Types and Its Rulings
Shaikh Muhammad Naasiruddin al-Albani

Al Hidaayah Publishing

• Shaikh Muhammad Naasiruddin al-Albani

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Page:01
TAWASSUL-ITS TYPES AND RELATED RULINGS
All praise and thanks are for Allaah, we praise Him, seek His aid, and ask His forgiveness. We seek Allaah's refuge from the evils of our own selves and from our evil actions. Whomever Allaah guides none can misguide him, and whomever Allaah leads astray then none can guide him. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, alone, having no partner, and I tes- tify that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَانِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ )
"O you who believe! Fear Allaah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islaam with complete submission to Allaah."
يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاء وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي نَسَاءَ لُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Aadam), and from him (Aadam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He cre- ated many men and women and fear Allaah through whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allaah is Ever an all Watcher over you."
1. Soorah Aali-'Imraan (3): 102
2. Soorah An-Nisaa (4): 1
Page:02
THE SECOND DOUBT.
The badeeth of the blind man 67
Removal of a misunderstanding and an explanation of the danger of exaggerated respect of the pious 76
Additions to the Hadeeth of the Blind Man 82
the first addition 82
the second addition 85
A note concerning the book: at-Tawassul ilaa haqeeqatit-Tawassul 92
THE THIRD DOUBT.
Weak Abaadeeth Relating to Tawassul 93
The first hadeeth 94
The second badeeth 98 The third hadeeth 100
The fourth hadeeth 101
The fifth badeeth 102 The sixth badeeth 104 The seventh badeeth 116
Two Weak Reports 119
The First Report 119
Calling Upon Others Besides Allaah for Assistance 126 The Second Report 130
THE FOURTH DOUBT.
Making Analogy between the Creator and the Created 134
THE FIFTH DOUBT..
Is there anything to prevent the innovated Tawassul merely being something permissible but not as something recommended? 138
THE SIXTH DOUBT.
Making Analogy between Tawassul by Means of the Person or Status of Somebody and Tawassul by Means of a Righteous Action
Page:03
Tawassul
Seeking a means of nearness to Allaah Its Types and Its Rulings
"The people are in great confusion about the matter of Tawassul and its rulings in the religion, and they greatly differ concerning it, some declaring it lawful and others prohibiting it, some going to extremes and others being over-lenient. Also, a large number of the Muslims have been used to saying in their supplications for centuries such things as: 'O Allaah by the right of your Prophet....' or 'by the right of the Sacred House... forgive me.' 'O Allaah by the right of the Awliyaa and the pious, and so and so, etc.' Or 'O Allaah by the honour of the men of Allaah to You, and by the honour of those in whose presence we are, and under whose assistance we exist, relieve us and the distressed from all distress'...
"...Some people even go so far beyond bounds that they even allow tawassul to Allaah, the Most High, through some inanimate objects from the creation that do not even reach the level of the aforementioned, such as graves of the Awliyaa, metal structures built upon their tombs, and earth, stones and trees found nearby. They claim that whatever is near to those who are honoured itself becomes honoured, and that the honour which Allaah bestows upon the occupant of a grave passes on to the grave itself, so that it becomes a means of Waseelah to draw nearer to Allaah thereby. Indeed some of the later people allow directly seeking aid from others besides Allaah!
"So what is Tawassul? What are its types? What is the meaning of the Aayaat and the ahaadeeth which mention it? And what is the correct ruling for it in Islaam?"
Page:04
Tawassul
Seeking a means of nearness to Allaah - Its Types and Its Rulings
Shaikh Muhammad Naasiruddin al-Albani