This is the same type of tawassul as that of divine people...

This is the same type of tawassul as that of divine people and those who have proximity to God. Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Bukhari thus says in his Sahih : "إن عمر بن الخطاب رضى الله عنه كان إذا قحطوا إستسقى بالعباس بن عبد المطلب فقال: اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبيّنا فتسقينا وإنا نتوسل إليك بعم نبيّنا فاسقنا. فقال: فيسقون." Every time there was draught, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab would pray for rain seeking mediation through ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (uncle of the Prophet) and say: “O God!

We used to seek access to You through our Prophet and You would shower us and now, we seek access to You through the uncle of our Prophet to shower us. And they would be granted their need.”[^7] The issue of tawassul through the saints of God was such common and prevalent that the Muslims of the early period of Islam used to refer to the Prophet (S) as the mediator between them and God.

Sawad ibn Qarib recited a poem before the Holy Prophet (S) and he thus said: وأشهد أن لا رب غيره وأنك مأمون على كل غالب وأنك أدنى المرسلين وسيلة إلى الله يا بن الأكرمين الأطائب. And I bear witness that there is no god but Him and that you are indeed entrusted with all the hidden, And (I bear witness) that among the messengers, you—O son of the honorable and pure ones—are the nearest means {wasilah} to God.

[^8] Albeit the Holy Prophet (S) heard this poem from Suwad ibn Qarib, he neither stopped him from reciting it nor accused him of polytheism { shirk } and innovation in religious beliefs { bid‘ah }. In the two lines we quote below, Imam ash-Shafi‘i also points to this fact: أل النبيّ ذريعتي هم إليه وسيلتي أرجو بهم أعطي غداً بيدي اليمين صحيفتي The progeny of the Prophet are my means {wasilah} to God. I hope that I will for their sake be given my account-book in my right hand.

[^9] Although the transmitted traditions regarding the permissibility of tawassul through divine people are plenty, the traditions which we have mentioned testify to the permissibility of tawassul and its consistency with the Sunnah of the Prophet (S), and the conduct of the and great Muslim scholars, and they need no further comment.

What have been stated proves the groundlessness of the claim of those who say that tawassul through the nearest ones to God is an act of polytheism and innovation in religion. [^1]: Lisan al-‘Arab, vol. 11, p. 724. [^2]: Surah al-Ma’idah 5:35. [^3]: Ad-Durr al-Manthur (Beirut), vol. 2, p. 280, under the stated verse. [^4]: Surah Yusuf 12:97-98. [^5]: Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol.