Tawassul

A Glance at the Supplications of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.)

As acknowledged by the prominent Sunni scholar Mahmud Alusi in his exegesis on the Holy Qur'an, in none of the supplications that have been taught by the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.), there istawassul to the person of the Prophet.[^47]

If we go through the books of supplications of the Shi’a such as Mafatih al-Jinan, we find that all supplications of the Infallible Imams (A.S.) are directed solely at God, and all addresses begin with Allahumma, Ya Allah, Ya Rabb, and other attributes of God such as Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim, Ya Dhu al-Jalal wa al-Ikram, etc.

Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Musawi, writing on the famous Du'a'Tawassul , which is directed at the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and the Infallible Imams (A.S.), says:

The purpose of tawassul to the pious believers is that they are being requested to supplicate to ALLAH (SWT) to deliver the person in need from his affliction, since the supplication of these saintly figures is accepted by ALLAH (SWT). [^48]

The Du'a'Tawassul , which is found in Mafatih al-Jinan, is the same supplication oftawassul , which all Sunni narrators of hadith unanimously regard as sahih (authentic) and relate that the Prophet taught it to a blind man who recovered his eyesight by reciting it.[^49]