This concept of tawassul is permissible in the opinion of all 'ulama'.

This concept of tawassul is permissible in the opinion of all 'ulama'. Ibn Taymiyyah has considered it a pious act and has supported his views by citing reports from certain companions of the Prophets, the first generation of Muslims (tabi'in) and jurists such as Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.[^18] The concept of tawassul as supplication or intercession ( shafa'at ) of the Prophet, like the supplication of the second caliph, which reads: "O ALLAH (SWT)!

Whenever drought afflicted us we made tawassul to You through our Prophet (tawassalna ilayka bi-Nabiyyina), and now we make tawassul to You through the uncle of our Prophet, Send down rain for us." The concept of tawassul as making an oath or invoking ALLAH (SWT) by the right of the Prophet (S.A.W.A.). According to Ibn Taymiyyah this form of tawassul was neither done during the lifetime of the Prophet nor after him by his companions.

In this regard contemporary scholars opposed to tawassul have quoted Abu Hanifah as saying: Do not say asaluka bi-haqqi anbiya'ika (I invoke You by the right of Your Prophets).[^19] Rejection of Ibn Taymiyyah's Opinion The claim that the companions of the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) never supplicated in this manner is the understanding and deduction of Ibn Taymiyyah.

How do we know that when the second caliph says "we make tawassul to You through our Prophet" does not mean "for the right of our Prophet (bi-haqqi nabiyyina)", or is not addressed to the Prophet himself? Most Sunni 'ulama' have given the latter meaning and from the wording of the sentence itself the Prophet is being called upon.

Suppose none of the companions had made tawassul by the right of any of the divine Prophets, it does not mean tawassul is Haram even if some of the companions were to explicitly prohibit such an act. The opinion of the companions of the Prophet (S.A.W.A.) is not binding on the Muslim ummah, except perhaps for a few jurisprudents, unless it is related from (S.A.W.A.) himself. Previous…