Tawassul

Tamassuk in the Opinion of Abu Hanifah

Ibn Taymiyyah says that taking an oath or invoking by virtue of the creatures isharam according to the creed (madhhab) of Abu Hanifah.[^22]

Abu Hanifah, the founder of the Hanafi sect, also opines that istidlal (rational proof) and tamassuk (bond, holding fast) are matters of doubt or anxiety because of two aspects. Abu Yusuf quoting his teacher Abu Hanifah says: "It is not right for someone to call upon ALLAH (SWT) through any other means than ALLAH (SWT). He (Abu Hanifah) was averse to saying bi-haqqi fulan (by the right of so and so)".

Critique

First, Abu Hanifah has approached this issue with aversion and a purely personal opinion, as is clear from the inclusion of istidlal and tamassuk in Bab al-Karahah of Abu al-Hasan Qaduri's Sharh Karkhi. Abu Yusuf quoting his teacher Abu Hanifah says:

“It is not right for someone to call upon God through any other means than God. He was averse to saying for the sake of so and so”.

Secondly, a closer look at Abu Hanifah's reasoning reveals that he himself has tried to resort to rational argumentation in this regard when he says: "Since the creatures have no rights on the Creator."[^23]

However, Abu Hanifah's analogy falls short of clear proofs, and does not mean the total negation of any right, since God Himself has considered the right of the Prophets and that of the righteous believers as binding upon Him, as is clear from the followingAyah of the Holy Qur'an:

Ultimately We deliver Our Apostles and those who believe, even so it is binding upon Us that We deliver the believers. (10:103)

The Hanafis such as Ibn 'Abidin accept this right, but they say that the creatures have no obligatory right on the Creator.[^24]

This viewpoint, even if it is considered general, is confined to the followers of Abu Hanifah and cannot be imposed on all schools of Islam.