ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Tawassul Definition of Tawassul The lexical meaning of tawassul is 'nearness' or a 'means' through which to reach a certain goal. For instance, when it is said wa wassala ila Allah, it means to perform a certain act for gaining proximity to God.

Accordingly wasil here means being 'desirous of God'.[^1] According to the prominent Sunni scholar, Sayyid Muhammad Alusi al-Baghdadi, wasilah is a means of imploring in order to gain nearness to God through good deeds and abstaining from sins. For example when it is said "wasala ila kadha," it means a thing through which nearness is gained.

As is clear from the wordings of ayah 35 of Surah al-Ma'idah, which we quoted at the beginning of the article, "fear Allah" is a commandment to abstain from sin, while "seek an approach unto Him" is an order to perform worship and acts of devotion.[^2] Both Raghib Isfahani and 'Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Tabataba`i opine that al-wasilah means to reach a certain goal through desire, inclination or willingness, and in fact wasilah towards God means observance of His path with knowledge and worship through adherence to the Shari'ah.

In other words wasilah is a means of communication and spiritual link between mankind and God. According to a narration al-wasilah is a position in paradise, which is reserved for only one person, and (S.A.W.A.) has asked the ummah to pray that this status be granted to him.[^3] a) Tawassul to the Prophet and Saints during their Lifetime In the opinion of the founder of the Wahhabi sect, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, and other like-minded 'ulama' of the past, it is permissible to seek help from fellow humans, as during wars and other affairs, if the person or the group who is being asked or entreated has the power and ability to help.[^4] Alusi believes that appealing to people, making them a wasilah or means and requesting them to supplicate to God is permissible without the least doubt, provided that the one who is being requested is alive, whether or not the one who is petitioned is superior than the petitioner, since the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) used to say to some of his companions: "O brother do not forget us in your supplications to ALLAH (SWT)." However, Alusi is of the opinion that if the one who is being petitioned is not alive, it is not permissible to request him for supplication.