Author: Hafiz Abu Yahya Noor Puri
Three types of Waseela (intercession) are proven through the Quran and authentic Hadiths: seeking intercession through Allah's names, through one's good deeds, and through the supplication of a pious living person. Thus, these are the only permissible and lawful forms of Waseela. Any other types are considered unlawful and prohibited.
"Whenever there was a drought, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ask for rain through Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, saying: 'O Allah! We used to ask You for rain through our Prophet, and You would bless us with rain. Now, we ask You for rain through the uncle of our Prophet, so bless us with rain.' And it would rain."
[Sahih al-Bukhari, 1/137, Hadith: 1010]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) explained this Hadith:
"In his lifetime, they used to ask the Prophet (peace be upon him) to supplicate to Allah on their behalf, and they would also pray for themselves, thereby seeking his intercession and supplication."
[Mukhtasar al-Fatawa al-Masriyyah, p. 194]
◈ Commentator of Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
"From the story of Al-Abbas, it is understood that it is recommended to seek intercession through righteous people and the family of the Prophet."
[Fath al-Bari, 2/497]
Some individuals attempt to use this Hadith to justify an impermissible form of Waseela. However, this Hadith supports our argument that intercession should be sought only through the supplication of living individuals. If it were permissible to use the personality of deceased individuals, the Companions would not have resorted to presenting anyone other than the Prophet's blessed personality to Allah.
In another narration, it is mentioned that when Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Sayyidina Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) to pray for rain, he supplicated with these words:
"O Allah! No calamity befalls except due to a sin, and no sin is removed except by repentance. The people have turned to You through me because of my position with Your Prophet."
[Tarikh Dimashq by Ibn Asakir, 26/358,359; Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, 2/497; Umdat al-Qari by al-'Ayni, 7/32]
Comment: This is a fabricated narration. The fabricator is Muhammad bin Saib al-Kalbi, who is "discarded" and a liar. Additionally, Abu Salih, another narrator, is "weak" and known for confusion. There are other flaws in the chain of this narration. The narration mentioned by Zubayr bin Bakkar is not available with a chain of transmission.
Note ②
Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated these words from the supplication of Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
"O Allah! We draw near to You through the uncle of Your Prophet and seek intercession through him. So, preserve our Prophet's respect in us as You preserved the two orphans due to the righteousness of their father."
[Al-Isti'ab, 3/92; Al-Tamhid, 23/434; Al-Istidhkar, 2/434]
Comment: This narration is without a chain and, therefore, not reliable.
Note ③
It is narrated from Sayyidina Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
"Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) asked for rain through Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) in the year of drought. He said: 'O Allah! This is the uncle of Your Prophet, we turn to You through him, so bless us with rain.' They were not finished until Allah blessed them with rain. Then Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the people, saying: 'O people! The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to honor Al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) as a son honors his father, respecting and fulfilling his oaths. So follow the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in his attitude toward his uncle, and take him as a means to Allah for rain.'
[Al-Mustadrak by Al-Hakim, 3/334, Hadith 5638; Al-Isti'ab by Ibn Abdul Barr, 3/98]
Comment: The chain of this narration is extremely "weak." The narrator Dawood bin Ata Madani is "weak" and "discarded." No word of affirmation about him is proven.
As Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"This is a supplication that all the Companions approved, and no one objected to it despite its fame. It is one of the clearest consensus agreements. Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan made a similar supplication during his caliphate when he led the people in prayer for rain. If the Companions had sought intercession through the Prophet (peace be upon him) after his death as they did during his life, they would have said: 'How can we seek intercession through Abbas and Yazid bin Aswad or others and leave the intercession of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who is the best of creation and the greatest means before Allah?' But since none of them said this, and it is known that during his lifetime, they sought his supplication and intercession, and after his death, they sought the supplication and intercession of others, it proves that what was permissible for them was the Waseela of the supplication of the person, not the person himself."
[Majmu' al-Fatawa, 1/284, 285]
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"During his lifetime, they sought his supplication, requesting him to pray for them, and they would say Ameen to his supplication, as in the case of praying for rain and other situations. But when the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, and they went out to pray for rain, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'O Allah! We used to ask You for rain through our Prophet, now we ask You through the uncle of our Prophet.' This means that Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) will pray for them and intercede for them. It does not mean that they swore by him or asked for rain because of his status. If that had been the case, then the status of the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have been much greater than that of Abbas."
[Sharh al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, p. 237, 238]
Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Deobandi) (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
"Umar's words 'O Allah! We used to seek intercession through our Prophet' do not indicate the commonly understood type of intercession, where one intercedes through an absent person who may not even be aware that someone is seeking his intercession. This Hadith proves the method of intercession of the early generations, which was that they would present a person with a respectable position before Allah and ask him to pray for them. Then they would refer to that prayer in their supplication, as Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did with Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him). If this Hadith mentioned the intercession created by later people, then the Companions would not have needed to bring Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) along with them. It would have sufficed for them to use the Prophet's name after his death or to use Abbas's name even if he was not present."
[Fayd al-Bari, 2/379]
It is thus proven that the Hadith regarding Sayyidina Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) does not support the intercession of personalities or deceased individuals.
Three types of Waseela (intercession) are proven through the Quran and authentic Hadiths: seeking intercession through Allah's names, through one's good deeds, and through the supplication of a pious living person. Thus, these are the only permissible and lawful forms of Waseela. Any other types are considered unlawful and prohibited.
Permissibility of Waseela through the Supplication of a Pious Living Person
❀ It is narrated from Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that:"Whenever there was a drought, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ask for rain through Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, saying: 'O Allah! We used to ask You for rain through our Prophet, and You would bless us with rain. Now, we ask You for rain through the uncle of our Prophet, so bless us with rain.' And it would rain."
[Sahih al-Bukhari, 1/137, Hadith: 1010]
◈ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) explained this Hadith:
"In his lifetime, they used to ask the Prophet (peace be upon him) to supplicate to Allah on their behalf, and they would also pray for themselves, thereby seeking his intercession and supplication."
[Mukhtasar al-Fatawa al-Masriyyah, p. 194]
◈ Commentator of Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
"From the story of Al-Abbas, it is understood that it is recommended to seek intercession through righteous people and the family of the Prophet."
[Fath al-Bari, 2/497]
Some individuals attempt to use this Hadith to justify an impermissible form of Waseela. However, this Hadith supports our argument that intercession should be sought only through the supplication of living individuals. If it were permissible to use the personality of deceased individuals, the Companions would not have resorted to presenting anyone other than the Prophet's blessed personality to Allah.
- It is evident from the statements of the Hadith scholars and the jurists of the Ummah that this Hadith refers to the Waseela of supplication, not the Waseela of the person themselves. If the predecessors of the Ummah did not take this Hadith to imply the Waseela of deceased individuals, then today's non-mujtahid, non-jurist followers do not have the right to interpret it differently.
- It is clear from the statements of the scholars that the Waseela of the Prophet's supplication meant that people would request him to supplicate for them, and then they would present his supplication to Allah, saying, "O Allah! Your Prophet is supplicating for us, so accept his supplication and fulfill our needs!"
- No credible Hadith scholar or reliable jurist has stated that this Hadith proves the Waseela of the Prophet or Sayyidina Abbas's (may Allah be pleased with him) personality.
Additional Insights
Note ①In another narration, it is mentioned that when Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Sayyidina Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) to pray for rain, he supplicated with these words:
"O Allah! No calamity befalls except due to a sin, and no sin is removed except by repentance. The people have turned to You through me because of my position with Your Prophet."
[Tarikh Dimashq by Ibn Asakir, 26/358,359; Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar, 2/497; Umdat al-Qari by al-'Ayni, 7/32]
Comment: This is a fabricated narration. The fabricator is Muhammad bin Saib al-Kalbi, who is "discarded" and a liar. Additionally, Abu Salih, another narrator, is "weak" and known for confusion. There are other flaws in the chain of this narration. The narration mentioned by Zubayr bin Bakkar is not available with a chain of transmission.
Note ②
Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated these words from the supplication of Sayyidina Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
"O Allah! We draw near to You through the uncle of Your Prophet and seek intercession through him. So, preserve our Prophet's respect in us as You preserved the two orphans due to the righteousness of their father."
[Al-Isti'ab, 3/92; Al-Tamhid, 23/434; Al-Istidhkar, 2/434]
Comment: This narration is without a chain and, therefore, not reliable.
Note ③
It is narrated from Sayyidina Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
"Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) asked for rain through Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) in the year of drought. He said: 'O Allah! This is the uncle of Your Prophet, we turn to You through him, so bless us with rain.' They were not finished until Allah blessed them with rain. Then Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the people, saying: 'O people! The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to honor Al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) as a son honors his father, respecting and fulfilling his oaths. So follow the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in his attitude toward his uncle, and take him as a means to Allah for rain.'
[Al-Mustadrak by Al-Hakim, 3/334, Hadith 5638; Al-Isti'ab by Ibn Abdul Barr, 3/98]
Comment: The chain of this narration is extremely "weak." The narrator Dawood bin Ata Madani is "weak" and "discarded." No word of affirmation about him is proven.
- Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi said: "He is not strong, weak in hadith, and denounced in hadith."
- Imam Abu Zur’ah also called him "denounced in hadith."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil, 3/421] - Imam Bukhari also considered him "denounced in hadith."
[Al-Du'afa al-Kabir by Al-'Uqayli, 2/35] - Imam Al-Daraqutni considered him "discarded."
[Sualat al-Barqani li-Daraqutni, 138] - Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said: "He is nothing."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 3/241] - Imam Ibn Adi said: "There is some denial in his hadith."
[Al-Kamil, 3/87] - Hafiz Al-Dhahabi called him "discarded."
[Talkhis al-Mustadrak, 3/334]
As Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"This is a supplication that all the Companions approved, and no one objected to it despite its fame. It is one of the clearest consensus agreements. Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan made a similar supplication during his caliphate when he led the people in prayer for rain. If the Companions had sought intercession through the Prophet (peace be upon him) after his death as they did during his life, they would have said: 'How can we seek intercession through Abbas and Yazid bin Aswad or others and leave the intercession of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who is the best of creation and the greatest means before Allah?' But since none of them said this, and it is known that during his lifetime, they sought his supplication and intercession, and after his death, they sought the supplication and intercession of others, it proves that what was permissible for them was the Waseela of the supplication of the person, not the person himself."
[Majmu' al-Fatawa, 1/284, 285]
Allama Ibn Abi al-Izz Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"During his lifetime, they sought his supplication, requesting him to pray for them, and they would say Ameen to his supplication, as in the case of praying for rain and other situations. But when the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, and they went out to pray for rain, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'O Allah! We used to ask You for rain through our Prophet, now we ask You through the uncle of our Prophet.' This means that Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) will pray for them and intercede for them. It does not mean that they swore by him or asked for rain because of his status. If that had been the case, then the status of the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have been much greater than that of Abbas."
[Sharh al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, p. 237, 238]
Anwar Shah Kashmiri (Deobandi) (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
"Umar's words 'O Allah! We used to seek intercession through our Prophet' do not indicate the commonly understood type of intercession, where one intercedes through an absent person who may not even be aware that someone is seeking his intercession. This Hadith proves the method of intercession of the early generations, which was that they would present a person with a respectable position before Allah and ask him to pray for them. Then they would refer to that prayer in their supplication, as Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did with Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of the Prophet (peace be upon him). If this Hadith mentioned the intercession created by later people, then the Companions would not have needed to bring Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) along with them. It would have sufficed for them to use the Prophet's name after his death or to use Abbas's name even if he was not present."
[Fayd al-Bari, 2/379]
It is thus proven that the Hadith regarding Sayyidina Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) does not support the intercession of personalities or deceased individuals.