Three Shar‘i Principles of Seeking Waseelah After the Prophet’s ﷺ Passing
Derived from: Fatāwā Arkan-e-Islam
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
Waseelah (الوسيلة) refers to seeking a means or intermediary to draw nearer to Allah ﷻ or to attain acceptance of supplication. Islam permits only three forms of Waseelah which are clearly established through the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Evidence from the Qur’an:
﴿وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَٱدۡعُوهُ بِهَاۖ﴾
(Surah Al-A‘rāf: 180)
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them.”
Example from Hadith:
The Prophet ﷺ taught Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنه) the following supplication:
"اللهم إني ظلمت نفسي... إنك أنت الغفور الرحيم"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 834)
This du‘ā invokes Allah’s Names: al-Ghafūr and ar-Raḥīm, showing a valid form of waseelah.
Evidence from Hadith:
"اللهم بعلمك الغيب وقدرتك على الخلق..."
(Sunan an-Nasā’ī: 1306)
This supplication utilizes Allah’s attributes of knowledge of the unseen and power over creation, indicating that it is permissible to seek closeness through Allah’s صفات (attributes).
This form includes asking a pious, living individual to supplicate to Allah ﷻ on one’s behalf.
The companions would request the Prophet ﷺ to pray for rain:
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 847)
During the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه), when there was drought, he asked the Prophet’s uncle, al-‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه), to make du‘ā instead of invoking the Prophet ﷺ directly:
"اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبينا فتسقينا، وإنا نتوسل إليك بعم نبينا فاسقنا"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1010)
This clearly proves that the Companions did not seek waseelah through the deceased Prophet ﷺ, but rather through the du‘ā of a living righteous person.
Some claim that after the Prophet’s ﷺ death, one may call upon Allah ﷻ “through his person” because “his du‘ā is never rejected.” However:
✘ This is not supported by the practice of the Companions
✘ There is no authentic hadith or report that permits using the Prophet ﷺ himself as a waseelah after his passing
✔ The only three permissible forms of waseelah are:
➊ Through Allah’s Names
➋ Through His Attributes
➌ Through the du‘ā of a righteous, living person
✘ Using a deceased person, even the Prophet ﷺ, as a waseelah is impermissible
✘ This act has no basis in the Qur’an, Sunnah, or practice of the Ṣaḥābah
✘ Believing that the Prophet ﷺ must be used as a waseelah due to the “acceptance of his du‘ā” after his death is not correct and is bid‘ah (innovation)
وبالله التوفيق
Derived from: Fatāwā Arkan-e-Islam
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
❖ Definition of Waseelah
Waseelah (الوسيلة) refers to seeking a means or intermediary to draw nearer to Allah ﷻ or to attain acceptance of supplication. Islam permits only three forms of Waseelah which are clearly established through the Qur'an and Sunnah.
✦ ① Waseelah Through the Beautiful Names of Allah ﷻ
Evidence from the Qur’an:
﴿وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَٱدۡعُوهُ بِهَاۖ﴾
(Surah Al-A‘rāf: 180)
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them.”
Example from Hadith:
The Prophet ﷺ taught Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنه) the following supplication:
"اللهم إني ظلمت نفسي... إنك أنت الغفور الرحيم"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 834)
This du‘ā invokes Allah’s Names: al-Ghafūr and ar-Raḥīm, showing a valid form of waseelah.
✦ ② Waseelah Through the Attributes of Allah ﷻ
Evidence from Hadith:
"اللهم بعلمك الغيب وقدرتك على الخلق..."
(Sunan an-Nasā’ī: 1306)
This supplication utilizes Allah’s attributes of knowledge of the unseen and power over creation, indicating that it is permissible to seek closeness through Allah’s صفات (attributes).
✦ ③ Waseelah Through the Du‘ā of a Righteous, Living Person
This form includes asking a pious, living individual to supplicate to Allah ﷻ on one’s behalf.
❖ During the Prophet’s ﷺ Life:
The companions would request the Prophet ﷺ to pray for rain:
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 847)
❖ After His Passing:
During the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه), when there was drought, he asked the Prophet’s uncle, al-‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه), to make du‘ā instead of invoking the Prophet ﷺ directly:
"اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبينا فتسقينا، وإنا نتوسل إليك بعم نبينا فاسقنا"
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1010)
This clearly proves that the Companions did not seek waseelah through the deceased Prophet ﷺ, but rather through the du‘ā of a living righteous person.
✦ Clarification Regarding the Prophet’s ﷺ Du‘ā "Never Being Rejected"
Some claim that after the Prophet’s ﷺ death, one may call upon Allah ﷻ “through his person” because “his du‘ā is never rejected.” However:
✘ This is not supported by the practice of the Companions
✘ There is no authentic hadith or report that permits using the Prophet ﷺ himself as a waseelah after his passing
Summary and Ruling
✔ The only three permissible forms of waseelah are:
➊ Through Allah’s Names
➋ Through His Attributes
➌ Through the du‘ā of a righteous, living person
✘ Using a deceased person, even the Prophet ﷺ, as a waseelah is impermissible
✘ This act has no basis in the Qur’an, Sunnah, or practice of the Ṣaḥābah
✘ Believing that the Prophet ﷺ must be used as a waseelah due to the “acceptance of his du‘ā” after his death is not correct and is bid‘ah (innovation)
وبالله التوفيق
