Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 35

(Ayah 35) ➊{ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ ……:} That is, any good deed done in obedience to the Messenger is accepted (because now, to attain nearness to Allah, there is no means except obedience to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him), and if done by intellect alone without this, then (it) is not accepted. (Muwaddih) The word {’’ الْوَسِيْلَةَ ‘‘} is on the pattern of {’’ فَعِيْلَةٌ ‘‘} from {’’ تَوَسَّلْتُ إِلَيْهِ ‘‘}. Its plural is {’’وَسَائِلُ ‘‘}, its literal meaning is nearness, and it refers to anything by which nearness to Allah Almighty is attained. In this verse, after commanding the attainment of Allah’s taqwa and His nearness, the command of jihad is given, so it is understood that the means of attaining Allah’s taqwa and His nearness is striving in His path (especially fighting). For this purpose, it is also permissible to ask a living person to pray, but to say by mentioning the name of any living or dead person, “O Allah! Accept our prayer by the means or intercession of so-and-so,” is neither proven from the Qur’an nor from any Sahih hadith. However, one can supplicate by means of Allah’s essence and attributes or by presenting one’s own sincere deed; this is proven from the Qur’an and Sunnah. Wasilah is also the name of a rank, in which the meaning of nearness is also considered. Amr bin Al-As, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “When you hear the mu’adhdhin, say as he says, then send blessings upon me. Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah will send mercy upon him ten times. Then supplicate for wasilah for me. Wasilah is a rank in Paradise which will be granted to only one of Allah’s servants, and I hope that I am that servant. Therefore, whoever supplicates for wasilah for me, my intercession will become obligatory for him.” [ مسلم، الصلاۃ، باب استحباب القول مثل قول المؤذن…… : ۳۸۴] The nearness of Allah (wasilah) is such a great blessing that the closer a person is to Allah Almighty, the more he prays and strives for further nearness. See Bani Isra’il (57).

➋ {لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُوْنَ:} The Jews were proud of their lineage and, in this delusion, continued to commit all kinds of crimes and considered themselves beloved of Allah, as has been mentioned in the previous verses. Now, in this verse, Muslims are taught that although you are the best ummah and your Prophet is also the most excellent, you should strive to attain nearness to Allah Almighty through righteous deeds and strive in the path of Allah, so that you may attain success in the Hereafter, that is, do not become evil-doers like the Jews. (Kabir)

35. 1. The meaning of waseelah is such a thing that becomes a means for attaining an objective or for drawing near to it. The meaning of 'seek waseelah to Allah' will be to adopt such deeds through which you may attain Allah's pleasure and His nearness. Imam Shawkani states, 'Waseelah, in the sense of nearness, applies to piety and other good qualities through which servants attain nearness to their Lord. Similarly, refraining from those things which have been prohibited is also a waseelah for nearness to Allah. However, in hadith, that Maqam Mahmood (the praised station) has also been called waseelah, which will be granted to the Prophet in Paradise. That is why he said, whoever after the adhan supplicates for waseelah for me, he will become deserving of my intercession. (Sahih Bukhari)

35. O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek a means [68] of nearness to Him, and strive in His way [69] so that you may succeed.

[68]
Definition of Wasilah and Its Pursuit:

Any means or cause adopted to attain closeness to Allah Almighty is called wasilah, and there are only two permissible forms of wasilah. One is to make a living person a means for the acceptance of one's supplication, and the evidence for this is the following hadith. Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik ؓ narrates that in the time of Sayyiduna Umar ؓ, when there was a drought, they would supplicate through the wasilah of Sayyiduna Abbas ؓ and say: O Allah, previously we used to bring the wasilah of Your Prophet to You, and You would send down rain. Now we have brought the wasilah of the Prophet’s uncle, so send rain upon us. The narrator says that then it would rain.
[بخاری کتاب الاستسقاء۔ باب سوال الناس الامام]
And the second form is to make one's own righteous deeds a wasilah. The evidence for this is the lengthy hadith which is mentioned in several places in Bukhari, that three men from Bani Israel once went on a journey and were caught in a storm of wind and rain, so they took refuge in a cave. Coincidentally, a large rock rolled down from the mountain and blocked the mouth of the cave, and now all three despaired of their lives. They thought that at this time only supplication to Allah could help, so each of them should supplicate to Allah by presenting a deed which he had done purely for Allah’s pleasure. Thus, the first person supplicated by presenting his deed, and a third of the rock moved away from the mouth of the cave. Then the second supplicated, and another third of the rock moved. Then the third supplicated through his deed, and the entire rock moved away from the mouth of the cave, and they came out.
[بخاری۔ کتاب البیوع۔ باب من اشتری شیا لغیرہ نیز کتاب الاجارات۔ باب من استاجرا جیرا۔ نیز کتاب ابواب الحرث و المزارعۃ وما جاء فیہ باب اذا زرع بمال قوما بغیر اذنھم]
However, among us, a very incorrect concept of wasilah has become prevalent. [تفصيل كے لئے ديكهئے سورة بني اسرائيل كا حاشيه نمبر 70 اور سورة زمر كا حاشيه نمبر 94]
Also, Wasilah is the name of a station near the Throne of the Most Merciful in Paradise. In the supplication taught after the adhan, every Muslim prays for the Messenger of Allah, saying: O Allah, grant him wasilah. Also, the Prophet ﷺ said: Whoever supplicates for wasilah for me, I will intercede for him.
[بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب الدعاء عندالنداء]

[69]
The Real Wasilah is Jihad in the Path of Allah:

That is, the best wasilah for success in the Hereafter is jihad, and this too is a type of the second form. The highest form of jihad is fighting in the path of Allah, however, jihad can also refer to any effort by a person that proves helpful in the propagation of Islam and the establishment of the Islamic system, or that removes obstacles in this path, whether it is by speech, writing, or by hand. As is clear from the following ahadith.

Jihad Against Evils:

The Prophet ﷺ said: Whenever Allah sent a prophet to his ummah, he had some disciples and companions who adhered to his sunnah and followed his command. Then, after them, there would come such unworthy successors who would not do what they said and would do things they were not commanded to do. Now, whoever strives against such people with his hand, he is a believer; and whoever strives with his tongue, he is also a believer; and whoever strives with his heart (considers it evil), he is also a believer, and after that, there is not even a mustard seed’s worth of faith. [مسلم كتاب الايمان]
The first target of jihad should be one’s own self, then relatives, then others in order of priority. Thus, the Prophet said: “Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot do so, then with his tongue (by speech or writing); and if he cannot do that, then at least consider it evil in his heart, and that is the weaker level of faith.” [مسلم۔ حواله ايضاً]