Abdur Rahim al-Mubarakpori, Tuhfatul Ahwazi ba-Sharah Tirmidhi

[Abdur Rahim al-Mubarakpori, Tuhfatul Ahwazi ba-Sharah Tirmidhi Volume 10, Page 36]

Imam Qadhi Shawkani’s  writes: Regarding what those who forbid tawassul to Allah through the Prophets (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Saint’s cite to support their position, such as Allah’s sayings: “We only worship them in order that they may bring us nearer” (39:3) and “Do not call on any other god with Allah, or you will be among those who will be punished” (26:213) and “Say: Call on those besides Him whom ye fancy; they have no power to remove your trouble from you or to change them. Those unto whom they cry seek for themselves the means of approach to their Lord, which of them shall be the nearest; they hope for His mercy and fear His wrath: for the wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of” (17:57) These verses are irrelevant. Rather: they support exactly the reverse of what the objectors to tawassul claim, since the verses are related to another issue.To wit: the verse “We only worship them in order that they may bring us nearer” explicitly states that they worship them for that purpose, “whereas the one who makes Tawassul through a scholar, for example, never worships him, but knows that he has a special distinction (maziyya) before Allah for being a carrier of knowledge; and that is why he uses him as a means”. Similarly irrelevant to the issue is Allah’s saying: “Do not call on any other god with Allah.” This verse forbids that one should call upon another together with Allah, as if saying: “”O Allah and O So-and-so.” However, the one who makes tawassul through a scholar, for example, never calls upon other than Allah. He only seeks a means to Him through the excellent works that one of His servants achieved, just as the three men in the cave who were blocked by the rock used their good works as a means to have their petition answered”. Similarly irrelevant to the issue is Allah’s saying: “Those unto whom they cry…” for it refers to people who call upon those who cannot fulfill their request, at the same time not calling upon Allah Who can; whereas one who makes tawassul through a scholar, for example, never called except upon Allah, and none other besides Him. The above shows the reader that these objectors to tawassul are bringing forth evidence that is irrelevant to the issue at hand. Even more irrelevant is their citing of the verse: “The Day when no soul shall have power to do anything for another: for the Command, that Day, will be all with Allah.” (82:19) For that noble verse contains nothing more than the fact that Allah alone decides everything on the Day of Judgment, and that none other will have any say at that time. However, the maker of tawassul through one of the Prophets (Peace Be Upon Him) or one of the scholars, never believes that the one through whom he makes tawassul is in partnership with Allah on the Day of Judgment! Whoever believes such a thing in relation to a Prophet or non-Prophet is in manifest error. Equally irrelevant is their objection to tawassul by citing the verses: “Not for you is the decision in the least” (3:128) “Say: I have no power over over good or harm to myself except as Allah wills” (7:188) for these two verses are explicit in that the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has no say in Allah’s decision and that he has no power to benefit or harm himself in the least, let alone someone else: but there is nothing in those two verses to prevent Tawassul through him or any other of the Prophets or Friends of Allah or scholars. Allah has given His Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) the Exalted Station (al-maqam al-mahmud) — the station of the Great Intercession (al-shafa`a al-`uzma), and He has instructed creation to ask for that station for him and to request his intercession, and He said to him: “Ask and you shall be granted what you asked! Intercede and you shall be granted what you interceded for!” And in His Book He has made this dependence on the fact that there is no intercession except by His leave, and that none shall possess it except those whom He pleases… (Continued on page 37)
Equally irrelevant is their adducing as proof against tawassul: “And admonish your nearest kinsmen” (26:214) Whereupon the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) said: “O So-and-so son of So-and-so, I do not have any guarantee on your behalf from Allah; and O So-and-so daughter of So-and-so, I do not have any guarantee on your behalf from Allah.” For in the preceding there is nothing other than the plain declaration that he cannot benefit anyone for whom Allah has decreed harm, nor harm anyone for whom Allah has decreed benefit, and that he does not have any guarantee from Allah from any of his close relatives, let alone others. [Abdur Rahim al-Mubarakpori, Tuhfatul Ahwazi ba-Sharah Tirmidhi Volume 10, Page 37]