Tawassul

Salafiyyah Interpretation of Ayahs 13-14 of Surah al-Fatir

The Salafiyyah also resort to the followingAyah of the Holy Qur'an as part of their attempt to discouragetawassul :

...And those whom you call upon other than Him, own not (even) a straw. If you call on them they shall hear not your call; and even if they hear they shall answer you not; and on the Day of Judgment they will deny your associating them (with Allah); and none can (ever) inform you as the All-Aware. (35:13,14)

Critique

ThisAyah refers to the polytheists who worship idols instead of the One and Only God and supplicate to these man-made objects in their hour of need. ALLAH (SWT) says here that these idols do not own even a straw, so how can they grant anything to those who worship and prostrate before them? No matter how fervently these idols are called upon, they do not listen since they are inanimate objects, and suppose even if they were to listen, they cannot answer since they do not have the tongues.[^26]

As is crystal clear for any discerning person, it has no connection whatsoever concerningtawassul to the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and the Infallible Imams (A.S.) or saints.

First and foremost, it is a gross mistake to place those who seektawassul in the same category as the polytheists, since idolaters seek their needs from idols and not from the Almighty Creator. But those who maketawassul beseech ALLAH (SWT) for their needs and regard Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) as awasilah or means for the acceptance of their supplications, since he is the Messenger of ALLAH (SWT). To quote Rashid Rida himself, those who seektawassul are like guests who approach the host for some of their needs, and at times request the members of the household or friends of the hosts who have been appointed to serve the guests, since they consider everything to be the favor of the host.[^27]

Secondly, it is a manifest error to equate with idols the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) who has been sent by ALLAH (SWT) as a divine sign and is called Habib-Allah (Friend of God) by all Muslims. Even Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab maintains that Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.A.) is alive in his grave and his life in the intermediary world (barzakh) is superior to the life of the martyrs, since he hears the voices of those who send blessings upon him.[^28]