Meaning and Concept of Waseelah:
Linguistically, Waseelah (means) every means through which access or closeness to a being can be attained.
In the ancient and well-known Arabic dictionary “Al-Sihah,” it is stated:
الوسيلة : ما يتقرب به إلى الغير.
“Waseelah is called that thing through which someone’s closeness is attained.”
The famous linguist and scholar of Usul, Allama Mubarak bin Muhammad, known as Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari (544 – 606 AH), writes:
في حديث الأذان : اللهم آت محمدا الوسيلة، هي فى الأصل : ما يتوصل به إلى الشيء ويتقرب به، وجمعها : وسائل، يقال : وسل إليه وسيلة وتوسل والمراد به فى الحديث القرب من الله تعاليٰ، وقيل : هي الشفاعة يوم القيامة.
“In the Hadith about the virtue of responding to the call to prayer, these words are present: O Allah! Grant Muhammad (peace be upon him) a Waseelah. Waseelah essentially is that thing through which one reaches something and attains closeness to it. Its plural is Wasail. It is said that so-and-so made so-and-so a Waseelah. In the Prophetic Hadith, Waseelah means closeness to Allah Almighty. One opinion is that it refers to intercession on the Day of Judgment.”
The famous linguist, Allama Abu al-Fadl Muhammad bin Makram bin Ali, known as Ibn Manzur al-Afriki (died 711 AH), writes:
الوسيلة : المنزلة عند الملك، والوسيلة : الدرجة، والوسيلة : القربة.
“Waseelah means a position and rank with the king. Its meaning also includes status and closeness.”
It is understood that Waseelah is that thing through which a servant attains nearness to Allah Almighty and His pleasure, and it refers to righteous deeds, as:
The command of Allah Almighty is:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّـهِ حَقٌّ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّـهِ الْغَرُورُ
“O you who have believed! Fear Allah and seek the means (Waseelah) to Him and strive in His way that you may succeed.”
In this noble verse, the command is given to seek Waseelah to Allah. What is that Waseelah? All Sunni commentators agree that it means righteous deeds.
Intercession in Supplication
When making a supplication to Allah Almighty, the method adopted to bring it to the level of acceptance is also called intercession. Since supplication is an act of worship and the method of every act of worship is known only through the Quran and Sunnah, therefore the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah regarding intercession in supplication will be examined. The methods of intercession in supplication that are proven from the Book and Sunnah will be permissible and legitimate, while other methods will be impermissible and illegitimate. Let us observe:
Types of Intercession
✿ Permissible Intercession
There are three types of means in supplication that are permissible and legitimate:
➊ A person presents to Allah Almighty the means of His beautiful names, for example:
O Allah! By Your mercy, have mercy on our condition. Allah Almighty says:
وَلِلَّـهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا
“Indeed, Allah has excellent names, so call upon Him by them.”
In the exegesis of this noble verse, Allama Abu Abdullah Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 671 AH), states:
قوله تعالىٰ : فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا ، أى اطلبو امنه بأسمائه، فيطلب بكل اسم ما يليق به، تقول : يا رحيم ارحمني …..
“Allah Almighty commands: فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا (Call upon Him by His beautiful names), meaning ask from Him through His names. For each name, ask for something related to it, for example, O Merciful, have mercy on me…”
➋ Another is to present to Allah Almighty the means of one’s righteous deeds, such as:
* In the Holy Qur’an, Allah Almighty describes a characteristic of the believers as follows:
الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
“They say: O our Lord! We have believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire.”
In the exegesis of this noble verse, the concluding mufassir, Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 774 AH), states:
الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا ، أى : بك وبكتابك وبرسولك، فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا ، أى بايماننا بك وبماشرعته لنا، فاغفرلنا ذنوبنا وتقصيرنا من أمرنا بفضلك ورحمتك، وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
“The believers say: O our Lord! We have believed in You, Your Book, and Your Messenger. So, by virtue of our faith and acceptance of Your revealed Shariah, forgive our sins and overlook our shortcomings by Your grace and mercy.”
* Similarly, Allah Almighty has mentioned the statement of the disciples of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) as follows:
رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا بِمَا أَنزَلْتَ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
“O our Lord! We have believed in what You revealed and followed Your Messenger, so include us among those who bear witness.”
* Describing the signs of wise people, Allah Almighty says:
رَّبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلْإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ
“O our Lord! Indeed, we have heard a caller calling to faith, so we have believed. O our Lord! Forgive us our sins, remove our misdeeds, and cause us to die among the righteous.”
From these noble verses, it is understood that while supplicating, presenting one’s righteous deeds as a means to Allah Almighty is permissible. This has been the practice of the righteous and wise people. Muslims should use this permissible means.
* The famous incident of the Companions of the Cave is authentically reported in Sahih Hadith, where they presented their righteous deeds as a means to Allah Almighty during hardship, and their distress was relieved.
➌ The third legitimate form is to have supplication made through a living, pious, and monotheistic person, as evidenced in Surah An-Nisa (64). See the detailed explanation ahead.
* The Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to have supplications made through him during hardship and distress. Many hadiths exist regarding this. A blind man once had the Prophet (peace be upon him) supplicate for him.
* Similarly, Sayyiduna Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) had supplications made through the Prophet’s uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him).
These three types of means are established from the Qur’an and Sunnah. The Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah have adhered to these, and Muslims should confine themselves to these.
✿ Illegitimate Forms of Means
Apart from the three aforementioned cases, all other types of intercession are unlawful, illegitimate, and innovations. Some cases include presenting the person themselves, whether present or absent, alive or deceased, as an intermediary, or telling the owner of the grave to pray and intercede on one’s behalf.
None of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ presented his person as an intermediary during his blessed life or after his death, nor is this established from the pious predecessors and the Imams of Hadith. Then how can adopting these illegitimate and unlawful forms of intercession become part of the religion?
These forms of intercession are unlawful, illegitimate, and forbidden firstly because they are innovations; there is no proof for them in the Qur’an and Hadith, and the Companions and pious predecessors did not practice them.
The noble saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is:
مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ.
“Whoever does an action which is not in accordance with our matter (religion), it will be rejected.”
In this regard, consider the statement of the Companion of the Prophet, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas, which Imam Ishaq ibn Rahwayh (may Allah have mercy on him, died 238 AH) narrated with its chain of transmission:
أخبرنا عيسي بن يونس، نا ابن جريج، عن عطاء، قال : سمعت ابن عباس يقول : عجبا لترك الناس هذا الإهلال، ولتكبير هم ما بي، الا أن يكون التكبيرة حسنا، ولكن الشيطان ياتي الإنسان من قبل الإثم، فاذا عصم منه جاءه من نحو البر، ليدع سنة وليبتدي بدعة.
“Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It is surprising that people abandon the Talbiyah and say Takbir. In my view, Takbir is a good thing, but Satan comes to a person through the door of sin. When he avoids that trap, he comes to him through the door of good deeds so that he abandons the Sunnah and adopts innovation.”
It should be noted that Imam Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) is a “Mudallis” (one who sometimes conceals the chain), but his narration from Imam Ata ibn Abi Rabah (may Allah have mercy on him) is based on hearing (Sama‘) even if he does not explicitly mention hearing in words.
He himself states:
عطاء فانا سمعته منه، وان لم أقل سمعت
“I have heard from Imam Ata ibn Abi Rabah, even if I do not explicitly mention hearing.”
Therefore, the chain of this narration is completely authentic. And all praise is due to Allah!
The second reason these forms of intercession are unlawful and illegitimate is that they are based on exaggeration (ghuluww), whereas the noble saying of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is:
واياكم والغلو فى الدين، فانما أهلك من قبلكم الغلو فى الدين
“Beware of exaggeration in religion, for those before you were destroyed because of exaggeration in religion.”
This Hadith has been declared authentic by Imam Ibn al-Jarud (d. 473 AH), Imam Ibn Hibban (d. 971 AH), Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 AH), and Imam Al-Hakim declared it authentic according to the conditions of Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim. Hafiz Dhahabi also agreed with this.
The origin of every innovation is exaggeration in religion. Exaggeration means not being content with the limits, restrictions, and methods prescribed by the Shariah in acts of worship, but adding self-invented methods in their performance. Since exaggeration in religion leads to destruction and ruin, it is necessary to be content with the Qur’an and Sunnah alone in performing acts of worship.
↰ Intercession and the Holy Quran
Some people believe in and practice forms of intercession that are not established by the Book and Sunnah. Like other holders of misguided beliefs, these people also try to carve out their arguments from the Holy Quran to console their followers, even though the forms they adopt are explicitly contradictory to the Book and Sunnah. For the sake of reforming the situation, an academic and investigative review of the Quranic arguments they present is offered:
Argument No. 1
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُوا فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
“O you who have believed! Fear Allah and seek means (intercession) to Him and strive in His way that you may succeed.”
✔ Commentary:
By consensus of the commentators, the term “wasilah” (means) in this noble verse refers to attaining nearness to Allah through personal righteous deeds. Some people’s argument for intercession through the deceased from this verse is tantamount to a distortion of the Quranic meaning. Now let us examine in detail the statements of the honorable commentators:
Imam al-Mufassireen, Allama Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir ibn Yazid al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 310 AH), writes:
وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ يقول : واطلبو القربة إليه بالعمل بما يرضيه، والوسيلة : هي الفعيلة من قول القائل : توسلت إلى فلان بكذا، بمعني : تقربت إليه…. وبنحو الذى قلنا فى ذلك قال أهل التاويل، ذكر من قال ذلك : حدثنا ابن بشار، قال : ثنا أبو أحمد الزبيدي، قال : ثنا سفيان،… عن منصور، عن أبى وائل : وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ [المائده 35:5] , قال : القربة فى الأعمال.
“وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ
”
“Seek means to approach it,” meaning Allah Almighty commands to attain nearness to Him through deeds that please Him. Wasilah is the verbal noun of the verb “tawassala,” which means: to attain nearness to a person through something. The meaning and concept of wasilah, according to the commentators, is exactly what we have stated. We mention their narration here (with our chain). Muhammad ibn Bashar (trustworthy, Hafiz) told us. He was told by Abu Ahmad Zubayri (trustworthy, reliable), and he was told by Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (trustworthy, authoritative, jurist, worshipper). He narrates through Mansur (trustworthy, reliable) that (trustworthy Tabi’i) Imam Abu Wa’il Shaqiq ibn Salamah, may Allah have mercy on him, said in the interpretation of this verse: وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ
“Seek means to approach it,” that is, attain nearness to Allah Almighty through righteous deeds.
The master of grammar, linguistics, and Arabic literature, the renowned commentator Allama Zamakhshari (d. 538 AH), writes in the interpretation of this noble verse:
الوسيلة : كل ما يتوسل به، أي، يتقرب من قراية أو صنيعة أو غير ذلك، فاستعيرت لما يتوسل به إلى الله تعالىٰ، من فعل الطاعات وترك المعاصى، وأنشد للبيد : أري الناس لا يدرون ما قدر أمرهم… ألاكل ذى لب إلى الله واسل
“Wasilah (in the linguistic sense) is every relationship or deed through which nearness to someone can be attained. Then its use became to perform righteous deeds and avoid sins, and through it, nearness to Allah Almighty is attained. A verse of Labid means: I see that people do not realize their status; every wise person should seek nearness to Allah Almighty.”
The famous commentator, theologian, philosopher, and usuli scholar, Allama Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606 AH), states:
وقال : يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ ، كأنه قيل : قد عرفتم كمال جسارة اليهود على المعاصي والذنوب، وبعدهم عن الطاعات التى هي الوسائل للعبد إلى الرب، فكونو ياأيّهاا المؤمنون ! بالضد من ذلك، وكونوا متقين عن معاصي الله، متوسلين إلى الله بطاعات الله.
“The command of the Lord Almighty is:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ
‘O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek means of nearness to Him,’ meaning Muslims! You have seen how boldly the Jews committed disobedience and how far they were from obeying Allah, which is the means for a servant to attain nearness to his Lord. You should be the complete opposite: avoid disobedience to Allah and keep seeking nearness to Him through obedience and compliance.”
The renowned commentator, Allama Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad, known as Khazin (d. 741 AH), writes:
قوله تعالىٰ : ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ﴾ أى خافو الله بترك المنهيات، ﴿وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾ يعني : واطلبوا إليه القرب بطاعته والعمل بما يرضي، وانما قلنا ذلك، لأن مجامع التكاليف محصورة فى نوعين، لا ثالث لهما، أحد النوعين : ترك المنهيات، وإليه الإشارة بقوله : ﴿اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ﴾ ، والثاني : التقرب إلى الله تعالي بالطاعات، وإليه الإشارة بقوله: ﴿وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾
“The command of the Lord Almighty is: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ﴾ ‘O you who believe! Fear Allah,’ meaning fear Allah by abandoning what is forbidden, ﴿وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾ ‘and seek means of nearness to Him,’ meaning attain nearness to Him through obedience and deeds that please Him. We say this because all religious obligations ultimately fall into two categories, no third: one is abstaining from prohibitions, indicated by the command to fear Allah, and the second is drawing near to Allah Almighty through acts of obedience, indicated by the command to seek nearness to Him.”
The Sunni commentator, Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 774 AH), writes:
وهذا الذى قاله هولاء الأئمة، لا خلاف بين المفسرين
“What the Imams of the religion have said is the unanimous decision of these noble commentators.”
Dear readers! These were the well-known commentators of the Muslim Ummah whose interpretation of this noble verse you have just read. All unanimously interpret wasilah as personal righteous deeds. No commentary affirms the permissibility of using the deceased as an intercessory means in supplication from this verse. The surprising thing is that our brothers who argue for personal taqlid (imitation) in subsidiary issues, claiming we are incapable of understanding the Quran and Sunnah ourselves, bypass all commentators in this matter of belief and become self-appointed commentators of the Quran, giving this noble verse an innovative and self-invented meaning that none of the predecessors of the Ummah ever stated.
It is thus established that this noble verse does not prove the permissibility of presenting the deceased righteous persons or their deeds as a means in supplication; rather, this verse explicitly negates it, as:
Allama Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 544-606 AH) writes:
إنه تعالىٰ حكي عنهم، أنهم قالوا : ﴿نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّـهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ﴾ (Al-Ma’idah 18:5) أى : نحن أبناء أنبياء الله، فكان افتخار هم بأعمال آبائهم، فقال تعالىٰ : ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا﴾ ليكن مفاخرتكم بأعمالكم، لا بشرف آبائكم وأسلافكم، ﴿فاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾.
“Allah Almighty has reported the statement of the Jews and Christians: ﴿نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّـهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ﴾
‘We are the sons of Allah and His beloved,’ meaning the Jews and Christians used to take pride in being the children of the Prophets. They boasted of the deeds of their forefathers. Allah Almighty said: O you who believe! Do not boast of the honor of your fathers and ancestors, but rather look to your own deeds, fear Allah, and seek nearness to Him.”
It is understood that using the personalities of righteous elders and the deeds of the ancestors of the Ummah as a means for one’s salvation was the practice of the Jews and Christians, which Allah Almighty abrogated by revealing this noble verse. But praise be to the audacity of some people today who prove intercession through deceased pious persons from this very verse. May Allah protect us!
Argument Number 2
Allah Almighty’s noble statement is:
﴿أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾
“These people whom the polytheists call upon, they seek a means to their Lord.”
✔ Commentary :
Imam al-Mufassireen, Allama Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 310 AH), interprets this noble verse as follows:
يقول تعالىٰ ذكره : هؤلاء الّذين يدعوهم هؤلاء المشركون أرباباً ﴿يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾ , he says: The called ones seek lords as intermediaries to their Lord for nearness and closeness because they are people of faith in Him, while the polytheists worship them besides Allah.
“Allah Almighty says that those (righteous) people whom the polytheists consider as their Lord, they themselves seek means to their Lord, meaning these righteous people seek closeness to their Lord. They believe in Allah, whereas those who associate partners with Allah worship others besides Allah.”
Allama Abu al-Laith Nasr bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Ibrahim Samarqandi, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 373 AH), writes:
﴿يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾ He says: They seek nearness, virtue, and honor to their Lord through righteous deeds.
“These righteous people seek means to their Lord, meaning they try to attain closeness, virtue, and honor with their Lord through good deeds.”
The well-known Quranic commentator, Hafiz Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Qurtubi (d. 671 AH), says:
و ﴿يَبْتَغُونَ﴾ They seek from Allah nearness and closeness, and they supplicate to Allah Almighty in seeking Paradise, which is the means.
“These righteous people seek closeness to Allah Almighty and supplicate earnestly to Allah in seeking Paradise, and this is the means.”
Allama Abu Saeed Abdullah bin Umar Shirazi Baydhawi (d. 685 AH) writes:
﴿أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾ , these gods seek nearness to Allah through obedience.
“The command of Allah Almighty is:
﴿أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾
These people whom the polytheists call gods, they seek means to their Lord,” meaning these righteous people strive to attain closeness to Allah Almighty through obedience and submission.”
In the famous Tafsir “Jalalayn,” this verse is interpreted as:
يطلبون إلى ربهم الوسيلة، القربة بالطاعة
“Those righteous people (whom the polytheists consider as their gods) make means to their Lord, meaning they attain closeness to Him through righteous deeds.”
Allama Abu al-Qasim Mahmood bin Amr Zamakhshari (d. 538 AH) interprets this verse as:
ضمن يبتغون الوسيلة معنى يحرصون، فكانه قيل : يحرصون أيهم يكون أقرب إلى الله، وذلك بالطاعة، وازدياد الخير والصلاح
“The greed and desire in seeking means means that they are eager to gain more closeness to Allah Almighty. And this closeness is attained by obedience to Allah and advancing in good and righteous deeds.”
Sheikh al-Hadith of Dar al-Uloom Deoband, Janab Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi (d. 1352 AH), says:
أما وقله تعالىٰ : ﴿وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾ , and although it requires seeking an intermediary, there is no proof in this noble verse for the well-known means of intercession by names alone. Ibn Taymiyyah declared it forbidden, while the author of Durr al-Mukhtar permitted it, but he did not bring any narration from the Salaf.
“The command of Allah ﴿وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ﴾ although it necessitates seeking a means, but this noble verse does not provide evidence for the commonly practiced intercession by names alone in our community. Allama Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, declared it impermissible, whereas the author of Durr al-Mukhtar allowed it, but he did not cite any report from the Salaf regarding this.”
Janab Kashmiri Sahib admits that the means adopted by the later Hanafi scholars is not transmitted from the Salaf. No trustworthy Imam has established the theory of intercession through the dead or through persons from this noble verse. The interpretation and explanation of the Quran that is authentic is that which is transmitted from the Salaf. Everything else is futile. It is not correct for the author of Durr al-Mukhtar to permit it in opposition to the righteous predecessors.
None of the predecessors of the Ummah ever presented any deceased personality as a means to attain closeness to Allah. But today some people invoke their names to present means to Allah Almighty. These people are misguided.
Evidence Number 3
﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّـهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّـهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا﴾
“And if they had wronged themselves, then they would come to you, [O Muhammad], and ask forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger would ask forgiveness for them, they would find Allah Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.”
✔ Commentary :
From this blessed verse, it is proven that sinful people come to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), seek forgiveness for their sins directly from Allah Almighty, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also intercedes for their forgiveness from Allah Almighty, then Allah will forgive them. We have already explained that seeking prayers from living people is a legitimate means. There is no disagreement on this. This blessed verse does not provide any evidence regarding seeking intercession through the deceased. This blessed verse is our proof based on the legitimate form of intercession, not for those who believe in and practice intercession “with the living and the dead.”
This matter of coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him) was limited to his lifetime. After the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), no companion, follower, or trustworthy imam came to his blessed grave to request intercession. Centuries later, some people innovated this practice and began to distort the meanings in the Qur’an to prove it.
Observe their actions:
➊ Ibn Hajar Haytami (d. 909/974 AH) says about this verse:
دلت على حث الأمة على المجيء إليه صلى الله عليه وسلم، والاستغفار عنده والاستغفار لهم، وهذا لا ينقطع بموته، ودلت أيضا على تعليق وجدانهم الله توابا رحيما بمجيئهم، واستغفار هم، واستغفار الرسول لهم
“This blessed verse encourages the Ummah to come to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and seek forgiveness from him, and it indicates that he should intercede for them. This matter did not cease after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It also shows that if they come to him, seek forgiveness for their sins, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) intercedes for them, then Allah will accept their repentance and have mercy on them.”
➋ In the most authentic book of the Hanafi school, regarding the etiquettes of visiting the blessed grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him), it is written:
ويبلغه سلام من أوصاه، فيقول : السلام عليك يا رسول الله ! من فلان بن فلان، يستشفع بك إلى ربك، فاشفع له ولجميع المسليمن
“(The visitor to the blessed grave) conveys the greeting by saying: O Messenger of Allah! This is from so-and-so. He seeks your intercession before Allah. Please intercede for him and all Muslims.”
➌ The founder of Darul Uloom Deoband, Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi (d. 1248/1297 AH), after mentioning this blessed verse, writes:
“Because there is no specification in it, whether you are contemporaries or later followers, and if there is any specification, how can it be? Your existence is a universal mercy for the entire Ummah, so the coming of the previous unlettered ones to your service and seeking forgiveness is only conceivable if you are alive in the grave.”
➍ Zafar Ahmad Usmani Thanvi Deobandi (d. 139 AH) writes:
فثبت أن حكم الآية باق بعد وفاته صلى الله عليه وسلم
“It is established that the command of this blessed verse remains even after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).”
➎ Ali bin Abdul Kafi Sabki (d. 683/756 AH) also writes:
“This verse is explicit on this matter.”
➏ Ali bin Abdullah bin Ahmad Samhudi (d. 844/911 AH) wrote:
والعلماء فهموا من الآية العموم بحالتي الموت والحياة، واستحبوا لمن أتي القبر أن يتلوها ويستغفر الله تعاليٰ، وحكاية الأعرابي فى ذلك تقلها جماعة من الأئمة عن العتبي
“Scholars have understood this verse to be general for both states of death and life, and they have recommended reciting this verse at the blessed grave and seeking forgiveness from Allah. In this regard, a Bedouin story has been narrated by a group of imams from ‘Utbi.”
Among the righteous predecessors, none says this; the interpretation of later people holds no place in understanding religion. Which scholars among the predecessors understood from this verse that even after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), one should seek forgiveness through him?
Allama Sabki also made this claim. Hafiz Ibn Abdul Hadi (d. 704/744 AH), a contemporary scholar, refuted him, saying:
من فهم هذا من سلف الأمة وأئمة الإسلام، فاذكر لنا عن رجل واحد من الصحابة أو التابعين أو تابعي التابعين أو الأئمة الأربعة، أو غيرهم من الأئمة وأهل الحديث والتفسير أنه فهم العموم بالمعني الذى ذكرته، أو عمل به أو أرشد إليه، فدعواك على العلماء بطريق العموم هذا الفهم دعوي باطلة ظاهرة البطلان
“Which of the predecessors of the Ummah and the imams of Islam understood this verse as you claim? Show us from among the Companions, the great Followers, the Followers of the Followers, the four Imams, or the people of Hadith and Tafsir, even one person who understood this generality from this verse as you mentioned, or acted upon it, or guided towards it. Your claim that all your scholars understood this generality from this verse is a clear falsehood and a blatant lie.”
As for the Bedouin story, the scholars mentioned it to discharge their responsibility, not as proof or evidence. Many scholars have exposed this fabricated story. Its reality has been clarified in the same context.
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 661/728 AH) said about this:
فدعا هم سبحانه بعد ما فعلوه من النفاق إلى التوبة، وهذا من كمال رحمته بعباده يأمرهم قبل المعصية بالطاعة، وبعد المعصية بالاستغفار، وهو رحيم بهيم فى كلا الأمرين… فأما مجيء الإنسان إلى الرسول عند قبره وقوله استغفر لي أو سل لي ربك، أو ادعو لي، أو قوله فى مغيبه : يا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ادع لي، أو استغفر لي، أو سل لي ربك كذا وكذا، فهذا لا أصل له، ولم يأمر الله بذلك، ولا فعله واحد من سلف الأمة المعروفين فى القرون الثلاثة، ولا كان ذلك معروفا بينهم ولو كان هذا مما يستحب لكان السلف يفعلون ذلك، ولكان ذلك معروفا فيهم بل مشهورا بينهم ومنقولا عنهم، فإن مثل هذا إذا كان طريقا إلى غفران السيئات وقضاء الحاجات لكان مما تتوفر الهمم والدواعى على فعله وعلى نقله، لا سيما فيمن كانوا أحرص الناس على الخير، فإذا لم يعرف أنهم كانوا يفعلون ذلك، ولا نقله أحد عنهم، علم أنه لم يكن مما يستحب ويؤمر به، بل المنقول الثابت عنه ما أمر الله به النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم من نهيه عن اتخاذ قبره عيدا ووثنا، وعن اتخاذ القبور مساجد
“Allah Almighty invited those people to repent and abandon hypocrisy. This is Allah’s utmost mercy towards His servants that He commands obedience before sin and forgiveness after sin. In both cases, Allah is very compassionate towards His servants… For a person to come to the blessed grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and say: ‘Seek forgiveness for me, ask my Lord for me, pray for me,’ or in his absence say: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Pray for me, seek forgiveness for me, ask your Lord for such and such for me,’ this is an act without any evidence. None of the well-known predecessors of the Ummah in the three centuries did such a thing, nor did they know of it. If this act were recommended, the righteous predecessors would have adhered to it, and it would have been well-known and transmitted from them. When such an act is a cause for forgiveness and fulfillment of needs, there would be many reasons and means to perform and transmit it, especially among those eager for good deeds. Since it is not known or transmitted from them, it is clear that this act is neither recommended nor obligatory. On the contrary, the divine command and the Prophet’s prohibition of turning his grave into a place of festivity and idols, and graves into places of prostration, are established.”
He also said:
وأيضافإن طلب شفاعته ودعائه واستفاره بعد موته، وعند قبره ليس مشروعا عند أحد من أئمة المسلمين، ولا ذكر هذا أحد من الأئمة الأربعة وأصحابهم القدماء
“Moreover, after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), seeking intercession, prayer, and forgiveness at his grave is not permissible according to any of the Imams of the Muslims. Neither the four Imams nor their earlier students mentioned this.”
Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Gujrati (d. 1324/1391 AH) writes:
“There is no restriction in this verse regarding oppression, oppressor, time, or place. Every kind of sinner, in every era, regardless of the type of sin, may come to your threshold. There is no restriction that it must be in the purified Medina. Rather, attention to them is also considered attendance before their presence. If one is blessed with the presence in the pure Medina, then what a great blessing that is…”
Mufti Sahib interpreted the Divine Word in a way that was not even imagined by the righteous predecessors. Interpreting the Divine Word on one’s own is a grave sin. Mufti Sahib neither feared Allah nor felt remorse for opposing the predecessors, nor did he have any sense of scholarly integrity. What can be done?!!!
Now, detailed answers to the doubts raised by those people regarding this blessed verse will be mentioned so that readers may benefit.
Hafiz Ibn Abdul Hadi (d. 704/744 AH) says about this matter: Now, detailed answers to the doubts raised by those people regarding this blessed verse will be mentioned so that readers may benefit.
Hafiz Ibn Abdul Hadi (d. 704/744 AH) says:
فأما استدلاله بقوله تعالى: ﴿وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ﴾
The verse is discussed in two respects: first, that it does not indicate what is claimed; second, that it indicates the opposite. Both matters become clear by understanding the verse, its intended meaning, the context in which it was revealed, and what the most knowledgeable of the Ummah in the Qur’an and its meanings understood from it, namely the predecessors of the Ummah and those who follow their path. None of the predecessors or successors understood from it except coming to him during his lifetime to seek forgiveness for them. Allah condemned those who refrained from this coming, as they wronged themselves and He declared them hypocrites, saying:
﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لَوَّوْا رُؤُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُمْ مُسْتَكْبِرُونَ﴾
“And when it is said to them, ‘Come, the Messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you,’ they turn away arrogantly.”
Similarly, this verse concerns the hypocrite who accepted the judgment of Ka’b ibn al-Ashraf and other tyrants instead of the judgment of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), thus greatly wronging himself. Then he did not come to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to seek forgiveness for him. Coming to him to seek forgiveness is repentance and renunciation of sins. This was the habit of the Companions with him (peace be upon him): whenever any of them committed something requiring repentance, he would come to him and say: O Messenger of Allah! I have done such and such; seek forgiveness for me. This distinguished them from the hypocrites. But when Allah Almighty took His Prophet (peace be upon him) away and transferred him from among them to His noble abode, none of them ever came to his grave and said: O Messenger of Allah! I have done such and such; seek forgiveness for me. Whoever narrates this from any of them has openly lied and slandered the Companions and Followers—who are the best generations by far—regarding this obligation, which Allah condemned those who neglected and made neglecting it a sign of hypocrisy. He granted success to those who are insignificant among the people and not counted among the scholars. How could the Imams of Islam and guides of mankind among the people of Hadith, jurisprudence, and Tafsir, who have truthful tongues in the Ummah, have overlooked this, not called to it, not encouraged it, not guided to it, and none of them ever did it? Rather, what is transmitted from them is known to displease the extremists, concerning what they dislike and forbid of excess and polytheism, and their harshness against what they love and command of monotheism and servitude. Since this transmission is a thorn in the throats of the extremists, a speck in their eyes, and a doubt in their hearts, they met it with denial and attacking the narrator. Those among the scholars who were ashamed of the narrations met it with distortion and alteration. But Allah will surely raise the beacon of truth and manifest its proofs so that the guided may be guided and the argument against the deniers be established. Allah raises with truth whom He wills and humiliates with His rejection and arrogance whom He wills. How astonishing is it that the Ummah’s oppression of themselves and their Prophet was present openly, while they were called to come to him to seek forgiveness, and those who refrained were condemned, but when the Prophet (peace be upon him) died, their oppression ended so that none of them needed to come to him to seek forgiveness. This shows that the interpretation imposed by the objector on this verse is utterly false. If it were true, the predecessors would have preceded us in knowledge, action, guidance, and advice. It is not permissible to introduce an interpretation in a verse or Sunnah that was not known or explained to the Ummah during the time of the predecessors, for it implies that they were ignorant of the truth and misguided, while this later objector found the truth! When the later interpretation contradicts and opposes the predecessors’ interpretation and its falsehood is evident without lengthy discussion, this is the necessary conclusion. We will give some further warnings on this…
What also decisively invalidates Sabki’s interpretation is that every Muslim certainly knows that whoever wronged himself during the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and was invited to seek forgiveness through him but refused despite being able to come is extremely blameworthy and considered a hypocrite. But after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), if someone is invited to come to his grave to seek forgiveness and refuses, this ruling does not apply. Whoever applies the same ruling to both cases, persons, and invitations is a bearer of falsehood and has lied against Allah, His Word, His Messenger, and the protectors of His religion…
Now we explain how this blessed verse contradicts Sabki’s interpretation. Allah Almighty began this verse by saying:
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ﴾
“We sent every messenger to be obeyed by Allah’s command. If they come to you after wronging themselves…”
This shows that coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him) after wronging oneself is obedience to the Prophet, and thus the one who does not come to this obedience is condemned. Yet, no Muslim has ever said that it is obligatory for a sinner to come to the Prophet’s blessed grave after his death and request forgiveness for himself. If this were obedience to the Prophet, would the best generations (Companions, Followers, Followers of Followers) have disobeyed this command? And would the extremists and disobedient have fulfilled it?
This also contradicts the command of Allah Almighty:
﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾
“By your Lord, they will not believe until they come to you for judgment.”
In this verse, Allah denies faith to the one who does not come to the Prophet (peace be upon him) for judgment. This judgment was made by him during his life by divine revelation, and after his death by his deputies and successors. This is further clarified by the Prophet’s command: “Do not make my grave a place of festivity.”
If it were permissible for every sinner to come to the Prophet’s blessed grave to seek forgiveness, it would become the greatest festival place for sinners, which is entirely contrary to the religion and teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Sabki says that coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him) relates to both his life and death.
The falsehood of this interpretation is now very clear. Sabki’s interpretation requires, and his other statement means, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is alive in his blessed grave (with worldly life). If this is accepted, it itself suffices to refute his interpretation.
Because if after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), requesting forgiveness from him were permissible in Shariah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have commanded and encouraged his Ummah to do so, and the Companions and their sincere followers would have preceded others in this.
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) are our guiding light. Not even one of them, even with a weak chain, is reported to have come to the Prophet’s grave to seek forgiveness, complain, or ask for anything.
Among the Companions, only Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) is proven to have come to the blessed grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and that only upon returning from travel to greet him and his companions (Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them). He did nothing beyond greeting. Then, Ubaidullah ibn Umar al-Umari, the great student of Nafi’, the freed slave of Ibn Umar, states that they do not know any Companion who did this except Ibn Umar.
It is accepted that the way of the Companions is the most perfect way, and no one can show greater respect to the Prophet (peace be upon him) than they did. No one recognizes the value and status of the Prophet (peace be upon him) more than the Companions.
Whoever opposes the Companions is either (God forbid) more guided than them (which is impossible) or is committing an innovation (and certainly this is the case). Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) saw some people gathered in one place, engaged in a remembrance together. Seeing them, he said: Either you are more guided than the Companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him) or you are committing misguidance.
This shows that if after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), it were possible or permissible to seek forgiveness from him at his blessed grave, then his utmost compassion and mercy and the mercy and kindness of Allah who sent him would have required him to command and encourage his Ummah in this, and the best generations would have preceded others in this.
Sabki says that although this verse was revealed about some specific people during the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), it is general in its cause.
This is correct. We also say that whoever came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his life after sinning and requested forgiveness, his repentance was accepted. As for coming to the blessed grave after his death, its falsehood has been established from our previous arguments.
Sabki also says that scholars have understood from this verse the generality of seeking forgiveness from the Prophet (peace be upon him) both during his life and after his death.
Our question to him is: Which of the predecessors and Imams of Islam understood this from the verse? Show us from among the Companions, great Followers, Followers of Followers, the four Imams, or the people of Hadith and Tafsir, even one person who understood this generality as you mentioned, acted upon it, or guided to it. Your claim that all your scholars understood this generality from this verse is a clear falsehood and a blatant lie…
Regarding this blessed verse, we conclude with the decisive words of Allama Fahama Muhammad Bashir Sahaswani Hindi (d. 1252/1326 AH). A person named Ahmad bin Zaini Dahlan (d. 1304 AH) wrote a treatise titled “Al-Durar al-Saniyyah fi al-Radd ‘ala al-Wahhabiyyah” on this issue, which the esteemed scholar refuted thoroughly. He writes in this context:
أقول: فى هذا الاستدلال فساد من وجوه:
الأول : إن قوله : دلت الآية على حث الأمة على المجيء إليه صلى الله عليه وسلم، ماذا أراد به ؟ إن أراد حث جميع الأمة فغير مسلم، فإن الآية وردت فى قوم معينين كما سيأتي، وليس هناك لفظ عام حتى يقال : العبرة لعموم اللفظ لا لخصوص المورد، بل الألفاظ الدالة على الأمة الواقعة فى هذه الآية كلها ضمائر، وقد ثبت فى مقره أن الضمائر لا عموم لها، ولذا لم يتشبث أحد من المستدلين بهذه الآية على القربة من التقي السبكي والقسطلاني وابن حجر المكي بعموم اللفظ، حتى إن صاحب الرسالة أيضاً لم يذكره. وأما ما قال صاحب الرسالة تبعاً للتقي السبكي والقسطلاني وابن حجر المكي من أن الآية تعم بعموم العلة، ففيه أنه على هذا التقدير لا يكون الدليل كتاب الله بل القياس، وقد فرض أن الدليل كتاب الله، على أن المعتبر عند من يقول بحجة القياس قياس المجتهد الذى سلم اجتهاده الجامع للشروط المعتبرة فيه المذكورة فى علم الأصول، وتحقق كلا الأمرين فيما نحن فيه ممنوع، كيف وصاحب الرسالة من المقلدين، والمقلد لا يكون من أهل الاجتهاد، مع أن الاجتهاد عند المقلدين قد انقطع بعد الأئمة الأربعة، بل المقلد لا يصلح لأن يستدل بواحد من الأدلة الشرعية، وما له وللدليل ؟ فإن منصبه قبول قول الغير بلا دليل، فذكرُ صاحب الرسالة الأدلة الشرعية هناك خلاف منصبه، وإن أراد حث بعض الامة فلا يتم التقريب.
و الثاني : أن صاحب الرسالة جعل المجيء إليه صلى الله عليه وسلم الوارد فى الآية عاماً شاملاً للمجيء إليه صلى الله عليه وسلم فى حياته، وللمجيء إلى قبره صلى الله عليه وسلم بعد مماته، ولم يدر أن اللفظ العام لا يتناول إلا ما كان من أفراده، والمجيء إلى قبر الرجل ليس من أفراد المجي ء إلى الرجل، لا لغة ولا شرعا ولا عرفا، فإن المجي إلى الرجل ليس معناه إلا المجيء إلى عين الرجل، ولا يفهم منه أصلاً أمر زائد على هذا، فإن ادعى مدع فهم ذلك الأمر الزائد من هذا اللفظ، فنقول له: هل يفهم منه كل أمر زائد، أو كل أمر زائد يصح إضافته إلى الرجل، أو الأمر الخاص أى القبر ؟ والشق الأول مما لا يقول به أحد من العقلاء. فإن اختير الشق الثاني يقال: يلزم على قولك الفاسد أن يطلق المجيء إلى الرجل على المجيء إلى بيت الرجل وإلى أزواجه، وإلى أولاده، وإلى أصحابه، وإلى عشيرته، وإلى أقاربه، وإلى قومه، وإلى أتباعه، وإلى أمته، وإلى مولده، وإلى مجالسه، وإلى آباره، وإلى بساتينه، وإلى مسجده، وإلى بلده، وإلى سككه، وإلى دياره، وإلى مهجره، وهذا لا يلتزمه إلا جاهل غبي، وإن التزمه أحد فيلزمه أن يلتزم أن الآية دالة على قربة المجيء إلى الأشياء المذكورة كلها، وهذا من أبطل الأباطيل. وإن اختير الشق الثالث فيقال: ما الدليل على هذا الفهم ؟ ولن تجد عليه دليلاً من اللغة والعرف والشرع، أما ترى أن أحداً من الموافقين والمخالفين لا يقول فى قبر غير قبر النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا جاءه أحد أنه جاء ذلك الرجل، ولا يفهم أحد من العقلاء من هذا القول أنه جاء قبر ذلك الرجل. فتحصل من هذا أن المجيء إلى الرجل أمر، والمجيء إلى قبر الرجل أمر آخر، كما أن المجيء إلى الرجل أمر، والمجيء إلى الأمور المذكورة أمور أخر، ليس أحدها فرداً للآخر. إذا تقرر هذا فالقول بشمول المجيء إلى الرسول: المجيء إلى الرسول والمجيء إلى قبر الرسول، كالقول بشمول الإنسان الإنسان والفرس، وهذا هو تقسيم الشيء إلى نفسه وإلى غيره، وهو باطل بإجماع العقلاء، وهكذا جعل الاستغفار عنده عاماً شاملاً للاستغفار عند القبر بعد مماته، مع أن الاستغفار عند قبره ليس من أفراد الاستغفار عنده. فإن قلت: لا نقول إن المجيء إليه صلى الله عليه وسلم شامل للمجيء إليه فى حياته وللمجيء إلى قبره بعد مماته حتى يرد ما أوردتم، بل نقول إن المجيء إليه شامل للمجيء إليه فى حياته الدنيوية المعهودة والمجيء إليه فى حياته البرزخية، ولما كان المجيء إليه فى حياته البرزخية مستلزماً للمجيء إلى قبره ثبت من الآية المجيء إلى قبره صلى الله عليه وسلم الذى هو المسمى بزيارة القبر. قلنا: لا سبيل إلى إثبات الحياة البرزخية من لغة ولا عرف، فلا يفهم من هذا اللفظ – بحروف اللغة والعرف – إلا المجيء إليه فى حياته الدنيوية المعهودة، فلا يكون المجيء إليه فى حياته البرزخية فرداً للمجيء إليه بحسب اللغة والعرف، إنما تثبت الحياة البرزخية ببيان الشرع، لكن يبقى الكلام فى أن كون المجيء إليه فى حياته البرزخية فرداً من المجيء إليه هل يثبت من الشرع أم لا ؟ وعلى مدعي الثبوت البيان .
Sabki used a verse from Surah An-Nisa (64) to argue for seeking forgiveness at the Prophet’s grave, but this argument is wrong for several reasons.
➊ Sabki said that this verse encourages the Ummah to come to the Prophet (peace be upon him). Who knows what he means by “Ummah”? If he means the entire Ummah, this is unacceptable because this verse was revealed for specific people and contains no general term that would justify a general application.
All the words in this verse that could be evidence for the Ummah are pronouns, and Sabki himself has stated that pronouns do not imply generality. This is why none of those who argue from this verse, such as Taqi Sabki, Qastalani, and Ibn Hajar Makki, have used the generality of the word as evidence. Even the author of the treatise (Ibn Dahlan) did not mention this. However, he imitated Sabki, Qastalani, and Ibn Hajar Makki by saying that the ruling of this verse is general due to the generality of its cause.
But in this case, his evidence is not the Qur’an but personal conjecture. He thinks his evidence is the Qur’an, whereas the scholars of Usul al-Fiqh say that valid analogy must not contradict the texts and must meet all conditions mentioned in the books of Usul. This analogy does not meet these conditions.
His clear evidence is that Ibn Dahlan is a follower (muqallid), and followers cannot perform Ijtihad. Moreover, followers believe that the door of Ijtihad closed after the four Imams (Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal). Furthermore, followers are not allowed to argue from Shariah evidence. What relation does a follower have with evidence? His job is only to accept the opinion of a scholar without evidence. The author of the treatise is not permitted to argue from Shariah evidence. This applies if he means the entire Ummah in this verse. If he says some of the Ummah is meant, his purpose is not fulfilled.
➋ Ibn Dahlan included coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this verse as general, including both coming during his life and coming to his blessed grave after his death.
He does not understand that no general word is general for everything under that word. Coming to someone’s grave is not linguistically, legally, or customarily equivalent to coming to the person. Coming to someone means coming to his person only. Understanding more than this is absolutely wrong.
If someone claims that more than this can be understood, we ask: Does this include every additional thing or only those related to the person or only the grave?
No sensible person would say every additional thing is included. If the second is chosen—that all things related to the person are included—then it follows that coming to someone’s house, wife, children, friends, family, relatives, tribe, followers, birthplace, residence, wells, gardens, mosque, neighborhood, or migration place is coming to the person. Only a fool or madman would say this.
If someone says that coming to the Prophet’s blessed grave is equivalent to coming to his person, he must also say that coming to all those related things is coming to him, which is utterly false.
If he says he chooses the third option—that only coming to the blessed grave is equivalent to coming to the person—then ask him for evidence. He will find no evidence from language, custom, or Shariah. Neither supporters nor opponents say that going to someone’s grave means going to the person. No sane person considers going to a grave as going to the owner of the grave.
This shows that just as there is a difference between going to a person and going to things related to him, there is also a difference between going to a person and going to his grave. None of these is equivalent to the other. When this is established, including both coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and coming to his grave in “coming to him” is like including a human and a horse in “human.” This necessitates dividing things into self and other, which is false in the eyes of the wise. This is what Ibn Dahlan did by including both coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his life and coming to his blessed grave after death as coming to him, whereas coming to the grave is not equivalent to coming to the person.
If these people say they do not accept this objection and say that coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him) means coming to him in worldly life and in the Barzakh (intermediate) life, and since coming to him in Barzakh is only possible by coming to his blessed grave (i.e., visiting the Prophet’s grave), then this verse proves that seeking forgiveness at the Prophet’s grave is permissible…
We say that linguistically and customarily, the verse indicates coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his worldly life only, because in any sense, coming to his blessed grave in Barzakh is not equivalent to coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Barzakh life is established by Shariah, but whether coming in Barzakh is equivalent to coming in worldly life is the claimant’s burden to prove…”
From this lengthy discussion, it is proven that some people’s arbitrary interpretation of the verse is false. Going to the Prophet’s grave to request forgiveness is an innovation. If it were part of the religion, the righteous predecessors would certainly have adopted it, as they were very eager for good and righteous deeds. The stories and narrations mentioned by other scholars under this verse are not authentic.
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ﴾
﴿فَلا وَرَبِّكَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ﴾
ومعلوم أنه لا هدي أكمل من هدي الصحابة، ولا تعظيم للرسول الله فوق تعظيمهم، ولا معرفة لقدرة فوق معرفتهم، فمن خالفهم إما أن يكون أهدى منهم، أو يكون مرتكباً لنوع من البدع، كما قال عبد الله بن مسعود رضى الله عنه لقوم رآهم اجتمعوا على ذكر يقولونه: لأنتم أهدى من أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم … أو أنتم على شعبة الضلال. فتبين أنه لو كان استغفاره لمن جاءه مستغفراً بعد موته ممكناً أو مشروعاً، لكان كمال شفقته ورحمته بل رأفة مرسله ورحمته بالأمة يقتضي ترغيبهم فى ذلك، وحضهم عليه. ومبدرة خير القرون إليه، وأما قول المعترض : وأما الآية وإن وردت فى أوقام معينين فى حال الحياة، فإنها تعم بعمو العلة فحق، فإنها تعم ما وردت فيه، وكان مثله عامة فى حق كل من ظلم نفسه وجاءه كذلك، وأما دلالتها على المجيء إليه فى قبره بعد موته فقد عرف بطلانه، وقوله : وكذلك فه العلماء من الآية العموم فى الحالتين، فيقال له : من فهم هذا من سلف الأمة وأئمة الإسلام، فاذكر لنا عن رجل واحد من الصحابة أو التابعين، أو تابعي التابعين أو الأئمة الأربعة، أو غير هم من الأئمة وأهل الحديث والتفسير أنه فهم العموم بالمعني الذى ذكرته، أو عمل به أو أرشد إليه، فدعواك على العلماء بطريق العموم هذا الفهم دعوي باطلة ظاهرة البطلان .
﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّـهِ لَوَّوْا رُءُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ﴾
