Islamic Concept of Intermediation - Tawassul (English)

Islamic
Concept of
Intermediation
(Tawassul)
Prof Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
EDITED BY
Prof Iftikhar A. Sheikh
ASSISTANCE
M. Farooq Rana
Minhaj-ul-Qur’an Publications
Lahore, Pakistan
i
ii Islamic Concept of Intermediation
Copyright © 2001 by M inhaj-ul-Qur’an M ovement,

Lahore, Pakistan. All rights reserved. No part of this book
may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without prior permission, except in case of brief quotations
embodied in critical articles and reviews.
è Entire income of Prof Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri’s

books, recorded audio/video cassettes & CDs of his
lectures/addresses, is dedicated forever on his behalf to
M inhaj-ul-Qur’an M ovement.
Composed by: Abdul Khaliq Baltistani
Under the aegis of:

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Published by:
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Printed by M inhaj-ul-Qur’an Printing Press, Pakistan.

Contents iii
Contents
Preface 3
CHAPTER O NE
Reality of Intermediation 13
SECTION ONE
Basic conceptions of intermediation 13
Different views about intermediation 16
True sense of the concept of intermediation 18
Important terminology about tawassul 21
SECTION TWO
Literal and technical meanings of tawassul and its 23
kinds
Literal meaning of tawassul 23
Technical meaning of tawassul 24
1. Highest station 24
2. Proximity to Allah 25
3. Source of intermediation 26
Kinds of tawassul 27
1. at-Tawassul lid-du‘ā’ 28
2. at-Tawassul fid-du‘ā’ 28
Difference between the two 28
Kinds of tawassul fid-du‘ā’ 28
1. Intermediation through words 29
2. Intermediation without words 29
iv Islamic Concept of Intermediation
3. at-Tawassul bid-du‘ā’ 31
4. at-Tawassul bin-nidā’ 32
M utual relation between intermediation, intercession 35
and seeking aid
CHAPTER TWO
The Doctrine of Tawassul (In the Light of 39
Qur’ān)
Argument No. 1: Injunction for seeking means of 42
approach
Argument No. 2: Search for means of approach is a 44
valid act
Argument No. 3: Intermediation through the holy 47
Prophet (A)
Argument No. 4: Relief from distress through the 48
holy Prophet (A) on the Day of Judgement
Argument No. 5: Steadfastness in guidance through 49
the holy Prophet (A)
Argument No. 6: Stalling of punishment through the 50
mediation of the Prophet (A)
Argument No. 7: Zakariyyā’s use of M aryam’s place 52
of worship as means
Rectification of an error 53
Immediate acceptance of prayer through 54
mediation
Argument No. 8: Return of Ya‘qūb’s eyesight 55
through the mediation of Yūsuf’s shirt
Real meaning of supernatural causes 57
Argument No. 9: Self-humiliation and helplessness 60
as a form of means
Argument No. 10: Prayer for the entire Ummah as a 62
Contents v
source of intermediation
Argument No. 11: Addition of the word Rabb to the 62
names of the righteous as a form of means
Argument No. 12: Intermediation through 65
remembering the Lord
Argument No. 13: Intermediation through 66
remembering the prophets and the saints
Argument No. 14: Intermediation through Allah’s 67
blessings
Argument No. 15: Intermediation through the Lord’s 68
promise
CHAPTER THREE
Rejection of Objections against Tawassul 71
SECTION ONE
Rectification of doubts and errors 75
First objection: Tawassul is not valid through 75
another person
Correct Stand on tawassul through another 76
person
Second objection: Good deeds of one’s children are 80
not deeds of others
Correct view 81
Need for a correct understanding of Qur’ānic 85
verses
Third objection: To attain nearness to Allah, 86
tawassul is invalid as worship of anyone except
Allah is invalid
Reply: Worship of non-Allah cannot be proved by 87
the argument for intermediation
First similitude 90
vi Islamic Concept of Intermediation
Second similitude 91
Fourth objection: Prophets and saints were 92
themselves in search of mediation
Proof for the justification of tawassul in the holy 92
verse
SECTION TWO
Tawassul through the prophets and the righteous 95
(In fact tawassul through virtuous deeds)
Objection 95
Answer 95
1. Love of Allah’s favourites as a form of 96
mediation
2. Reciprocal nearness of lover and beloved on 98
the Day of Judgement
3. Love for Allah’s lovers is the cause of divine 101
love
4. Love for the sake of Allah results in higher 103
grades
5. Love of Allah’s friends is the cause of Allah’s 105
love
CHAPTER FOUR
The Doctrine of Tawassul (In the Light of 107
S acred Traditions)
Purging disbelief in M uhammad's followers 109
SECTION ONE
Intermediation through good deeds 113
1. Deliverance from trouble through mediation 113
The virtuous act of the first man—Service of 115
parents
Contents vii
The virtuous act of the second man—Self purity 116

The virtuous act of the third man—To return to 117
the deserving what belongs to him
2. Prayer as mediation 118
3. Nearness of Allah through voluntary prayer 119
4. Deliverance from the hellfire through better 120
upbringing of daughters
5. Deliverance from punishment through the 122
mediation of the penitent
SECTION TWO
Mediation in supplication 123
1. Intermediation through Allah’s names and 123
attributes
2. Prayer through the mediation of Allah’s Personal 126
names
3. Prayer through the mediation of divine acts and 126
attributes
4. Intermediation through the Prophet’s high station 127
5. Sending blessings on the Prophet (A) as 128
mediation for the acceptance of prayer
How to turn presumptuous worship into 131
absolutely acceptable worship
Sending blessings on the holy Prophet (A) as 132
the last act in the universe
6. The Prophet’s supplication through the mediation 133
of his own person and other prophets
7. Intermediation through the supplicant 136
8. Intermediation through the weak 137
9. Intermediation through the supplication of the 138
prophets
viii Islamic Concept of Intermediation
CHAPTER FIVE
Intermediation through the Prophet (A) 141
The doctrine of intermediation through the holy 143
Prophet (A)
Four forms of intermediation through the holy 143
Prophet (A)
SECTION ONE
Intermediation through the holy Prophet (A ) 145
before his birth
1. Adam’s intermediation through the holy Prophet 145
2. The Prophet (A) as a source of intermediation 153
for Jews
1. Imam Qurtubī 156
2. M ahmūd Ālūsī 157
3. Imam Rāzī 158
4. Imam Jalāl-ud-Dīn M ahallī and Imam Jalāl- 159
ud-Dīn Suyūtī
5. Qādī Thanā’ullāh Pānī Patī 159
6. Imam Ibn Kathīr 159
7. Imam Suyūtī 160
Justification for intermediation through the Prophet 163
(A) after his death
SECTION TWO
Intermediation through the holy Prophet (A ) 165
during his physical existence
First argument: Waiving of punishment against the 166
Ummah through the holy Prophet’s mediation
Intermediation through the Prophet (A) is a 167
precondition for the acceptance of repentance
Challenge of infidels and disbelievers 168
Contents ix
Qur’ānic reply 170

Subtle point 172
Second argument: Forgiveness of the Companions 173
through the Prophet’s mediation
Third argument: M edina as the source of charity of 176
intercession
Fourth argument: Return of eyesight through the 177
Prophet’s mediation
Fifth argument: Descending of rain through the 181
First happening 183
Second happening 183
Third happening 186
Fourth happening 192
Fifth happening 195
Summary of the discussion 195
SECTION T HREE
Intermediation through the holy Prophet (A ) 197
after his death
1. God’s bounty through the Prophet’s mediation 197
A similitude 200
Expression of Providence through Prophethood 202
2. Forgiveness through the means of the holy 206
Prophet (A)
Faith-boosting review by M uhammad bin ‘Alawī 213
al-M ālikī
3. Intermediation through the Prophet’s request for 213
forgiveness after his death
4. Descension of rain through the Prophet’s means 215
5. Intermediation through the Prophet’s grave during 229
‘Umar’s tenure
x Islamic Concept of Intermediation
6. Fulfilment of needs through the Prophet’s 240

mediation
Ibn Taymiyyah’s endorsement 243
Proof of ritualistic assignment 244
7. Intermediation through the Prophet (A) on the 244
Day of Judgement
The Prophet (A) wields authority even after his 251
death
Seek his help today 253
SECTION FOUR
Intermediation through the Prophet’s relics 257
1. Desire to be buried in the Prophet’s vicinity 260
2. The small water bag of leather as a source of 262
blessing
3. Cure through the mediation of the Prophet’s 263
gown
4. The Prophet’s ring 264
5. Blessing through the Prophet’s blanket 265
6. Blessing through the Prophet’s sandals 266
7. Blessing through the holy goblet 270
8. Blessing through the holy hair 272
9. Victory in war through the mediation of the 276
Prophet’s hair
10. M aking a coffin out of the clothes worn by 277
the Prophet (A)
11. Blessings through the Prophet’s spittle 282
12. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s 287
perspiration
13. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s 288
handwash
14. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s nail 290
Contents xi
15. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s staff 290

16. Blessing through the Prophet’s pulpit 293
17. Blessing through the gold given by the 293
Prophet (A)
18. Blessings through the Prophet’s hands and 295
feet
Summary 297
CHAPTER SIX
Intermediation through persons other 299
than prophets
Proof of purgatorial life 310
The life and capacity of the soul 317
The dead as a source of benefit for the living 319
SECTION ONE
Intermediation through the pious 323
1. M ediation of pious parents 323
2. ‘Abbās as a means of help 324
The meaning of ‘Umar’s intermediation through 325
‘Abbās
The blessing of the Prophet’s family 329
3. Command for supplication through the mediation 331
of Uways Qaranī
4. Victory through the Companions and the 334
Successors
5. Stalling of punishment through the mediation of 335
the Substitutes
6. Fulfilment of people’s needs through the 336
mediation of the righteous
7. Intermediation through Allah’s favourites in the 337
jungle
xii Islamic Concept of Intermediation
8. Subsistence through the blessing of the weak and 338

the decrepit
Summary 338
SECTION TWO
Intermediation through the relics of the pious 339
1. Intermediation through Ibrāhīm’s site 339
Ibrāhīm’s site 340
2. Relics of the saints as a means of life 340
3. Consensus of exegetes on acquisition of blessing 341
and on intermediation through the relics of the
saints
1. Khazā’in-ul-‘irfān fī tafsīr-il-Qur’ān 342
2. Tafsīr Mājidī 344
3. Bayān-ul-Qur’ān 345
4. Evidence from tradition about receiving blessing 346
from the relics of the saints and the prophets
5. Construction of mosques beside the tombs of the 347
saints
Who deserves the benefit through mediation? 349
CHAPTER SEVEN
Religious Leaders who Believe in 353
Intermediation: their Experiences and
Observations
Ideas and beliefs of religious leaders 357
1. Imam Zayn-ul-‘Ābidīn 357
2. Imam M ālik 358
3. Imam Qurtubī 359
4. Imam Hākim 359
5. Imam Bayhaqī 360
6. Qādī ‘Iyād 360
Contents xiii
7. Imam Nawawī 360

8. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah 361
9. Subkī 363
10. Imam Ibn Kathīr 363
11. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī 364
12. ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān Jāmī 364
13. Suyūtī 364
14. Qastallānī 365
15. Ibn Hajar Haythamī 366
16. Nūr-ud-Dīn Qārī 367
17. Ahmad Shihāb-ud-Dīn Khafājī 368
18. M uhammad bin ‘Abd-ul-Bāqī Zurqānī 368
19. M uhammad bin ‘Alī Shawkānī 368
20. Ibn ‘Ābidīn Shāmī 368
21. M ahmūd Ālūsī 370
22. Shāh ‘Abd-ul-Haqq M uhaddith Dihlawī 373
23. M uhammad Zāhid Kawtharī 373
24. M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī 373
25. Ahmad bin Zaynī Dahlān 375
26. M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī 376
27. M uhammad Hishām Kabbānī 376
28. M ahmūd Sa‘īd M amdūh 376
Experiences and observations of the great saints 377
1. The tomb of Umm Harām bint M ilhān 377
2. The tomb of Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī 378
3. Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī 379
4. Imam Shāfi‘ī 379
5. Ibn-ul-Jawzī 381
6. ‘Abd-ul-Ghanī M aqdisī Hambalī 381
7. Abū al-Qāsim Qushayrī 382
8. M ujaddid Alf Thānī 382
xiv Islamic Concept of Intermediation
9. Shāh Walī Allah M uhaddith Dihlawī 383

A brief summary 384
The Last Word 386
Glossary 391
Bibliography 397
Indices 415
Preface
Islam is a comprehensive religion as it covers all aspects of
human life. It is a religion of balance and moderation; it
avoids extremes. Other religions overplay one aspect of
human life and underplay the other, and are, therefore,
lopsided. For example, in some religions the spiritual
component of life is overstressed and man is raised to the
level of a mere abstraction; in other religions, the physical
and the palpable aspect is overemphasized and man is
reduced to the level of an animal or a machine. Their
extremistic attitude not only creates imbalance but also
encourages a variety of splits and contradictions, which not
only disillusion their more sensitive followers but also give
rise to a sense of general apathy, even revulsion, towards
their high-sounding claims. Islam acknowledges the
relevance of both aspects of human life, the physical and
the spiritual. But it does not dissociate them from each
other; rather it weaves them into a higher form of unity.
Islam acknowledges the pressure of physical compulsions
but it does not give them a free ride. On the other hand, it
frames a set of definite rules to channelize them into more
positive outlets; similarly, it acknowledges man’s spiritual
yearnings and tries to cast them into a mould that is
compatible with practical realities. Thus, by blending
man’s basic aspirations and needs into a practicable
framework of action and contemplation, it caters most
2 Islamic Concept of Intermediation
comprehensively to the undeniable reality of human

existence.
The springboard of Islamic faith is the concept of
divine unity, belief in the oneness of Allah. All other values
flow from this basic belief. Allah is the Supreme Creator.
He has engendered no one nor has He been engendered by
anyone. Anyone who denies divine unity commits the most
heinous sin and this sin is unpardonable. All other sins may
be condoned by Him but the sin of associating partners
with Him cannot be redeemed. Thus, in our present chaotic
world, Islam is a message of hope and salvation as it gives
a shape and a binding to the sprawling diversity of natural
and human phenomena. People without faith are overawed
by this apparent lack of focus and connection but the
people of faith are convinced that man’s drifting condition
is propelled by a sense of direction, and the first step in that
direction is to acknowledge the oneness of the Supreme
Creator. Those who deny the reality of this ultimate source
spend their lives floundering in the dark of confusion and
uncertainty. But those who embrace it as the blood jet of
their lives find it a source of continuous physical and
spiritual nourishment. The need for belief in divine unity is
far more urgent in the present time. With all technological
progress, modern man is still a moral cipher. He is a slave
to his greed and lust for material objects. This has induced
in him a sense of rampant selfishness, which in fact is a
denigration of the very purpose of his creation. In this
murky scenario, Islam is the only religion that provides
them a glimmer of salvation; it practically demonstrates to
them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that
every cloud has a silver lining.
Preface 3
Belief in divine unity gives human life a sense of

purpose and direction, and this sense of purpose inculcates
in man a sense of responsibility and accountability. His
actions spring from the belief that he will be ultimately
judged by the Supreme Creator on the day fixed by Him.
This is the day when his evil acts will be punished and his
virtuous acts will be rewarded. And, in the light of this
basic belief, Islam has framed a set of rules and laws to
help human beings steer themselves towards the right
direction and eschew the path of evil. Those who perform
good deeds will earn great dividends and those who do evil
on this earth will be appropriately penalized. And the
beauty of Islamic faith is that it has not clamped these
prescriptions on its followers in a rigid conceptual frame.
While devising rules, Islam has generously provided with a
set of exemptions and relief. For example, the holy Qur’ān
has prepared a limited inventory of forbidden acts and
declared all other acts as categorically lawful or observed
discreet silence about them. This reflects the deepest divine
wisdom and His sharp insight into human psychology. By
not mechanically restricting lawful acts, it has provided
man with an almost unrestricted range of valid options and,
instead of curtailing his freedom; it has blessed him with
unprecedented latitude of expression and mobility of
action. This is in express contrast with other religions
where human freedom is drastically slashed and human
beings are reduced to mere puppets without any possibility
of choice.
Allah, being the Supreme Creator, has tailored divine
laws to human expectations and aspirations. It is this aspect
of Islam, which brings it closest to human nature. Allah
knows that man is genetically weak; his willpower and

resistance break down in trying circumstances. Therefore,
to make things easier for man, He has, in His infinite mercy
and magnanimity, consciously narrowed down the list of
prescriptions and has showered countless concessions and
choices on man. So Islam is not a straitjacket religion; it
does not enjoin upon its followers to lead a pressure cooker
existence; rather it expects its adherents to live creatively to
explore the universe and to make maximum contribution to
the welfare of humanity.
Allah also knows that, in the absence of strong faith,
man feels insecure. Therefore, He has allowed him means
to fortify his faith in different ways. One of these ways is to
rely on the support and mediation of His own favourites,
people who live for His pleasure alone and who have
resolved the dichotomy between intentions and deeds and
are on the right track. Their close proximity to Allah is a
consequence of their love for Allah and His M essenger
(A), which they have persistently strengthened and
steeled by their noble acts. Knowing that man is not only
impatient but is also unable to sustain the requisite level of
concentration which is a prerequisite for the acceptance of
his supplications, Allah has allowed him to rely on the
means of His pious people for the fulfilment of his needs
and the alleviation of his troubles. This act is called the act
of intermediation. It means that a needy person or the
petitioner can process his supplication or prayer through
these favourites of Allah. The rationale behind this
mediation is that Allah holds His favourites so dear that,
while He can turn down the petition of an ordinary
creature, He will never turn down the request of His
Preface 5
favourite. And since His most favourite and beloved friend

is the holy Prophet (A), any supplication processed
through him carries the divine guarantee of its acceptance.
The sanity and propriety of this mode of dependence is
corroborated by evidence exuding from every pore and
joint of the phenomenal world in which we live.
The reality of intermediation as a valid and permissible
act has been established by the holy Qur’ān and the practice
of the Prophet (A), the Companions, the Successors and
the righteous people. In the presence of the evidence of
such an overwhelming and authentic nature, there is hardly
any scope left for doubting its validity and sanctity. But
there are people among the M uslims who do not hesitate to
condemn it as an invalid act. To buttress their negative
interpretation, they rely on Qur’ānic evidence and
traditions. But their interpretation is motivated by
misunderstanding and perversity. They tend to
decontextualize the Qur’ānic verses and clamp on
interpretation on them that suits their own preconceptions
and prejudices. For example, the verses that are intended to
be applied to the non-believers, they apply to the believers
and therefore, misunderstand their genesis and rationale.
And they parade their misunderstanding as enlightened
inference or deduction which in itself amounts to
perversion. Then they twist the meaning of the Qur’ānic
verses out of shape maliciously or out of sheer ignorance
and try to generate confusion among the common run of
M uslims. For example, no M uslim denies that Allah is
Supreme and that it is His will that prevails in all
conditions and circumstances. No human being, no matter
has elevated or superior he is, has the power to dictate to
Allah. Thus they conclude that since no one except Allah

has the power to grant our wishes or fulfil our needs,
therefore, to rely on non-Allah or any other human being
for the realization of our wishes and needs is an unlawful
act and therefore, must be condemned in the strongest
terms. They start from the right premises but draw a wrong
inference from it. They confuse the perception of reality
with the reality, the sizzle with the steak and the flame with
the fire. While Allah has absolute power, the power of His
creatures is derivative; they derive their power from Allah;
therefore, no creature, no matter has hallowed, can claim to
be as powerful as Allah. Any M uslim who thinks so is
committing disbelief and is therefore, not a believer. What
the act of intermediation seems to indicate and prove is not
a denial of the absolute power of Allah, it only affirms the
derivative or reflective power of His creatures and again
this power is conferred on them by Allah Himself.
A true believer knows that this world of material
interaction is a watered-down reflection of the world of
spiritual interaction, and relations in both worlds are
governed by a system of graded hierarchies. In this world,
man has to rely on other men not only for day-to-day
functioning, but also for his security and survival. There are
men who are more influential, more powerful, more
qualified and knowledgeable. He needs their help on many
occasions. Suppose a man applied for a fancy car permit,
which is sanctioned by the government of the day in very
special cases. The chances are that his application will be
shelved or pigeonholed. But if he knows someone powerful
or influential in the ministry that sanctions these permits,
his application through him is most likely to be processed
Preface 7
immediately and it is quite possible that he will get the

permit within a few days of applying for it. On the other
hand, a man without clout and contacts stands an extremely
remote chance of realizing his dream. From the peon to the
president and from the clerk to the chief secretary, this
system of favours and concessions operates, sometimes in a
subtle manner and sometimes in a flagrant manner. If the
application had not been mediated through the powerful
man, it would have remained on the back burner for a long
long time and might eventually have been turned down
altogether. The same applies to the world of spiritual values
though here the network of relations does not operate on a
material basis; it is geared by one’s deep attachment with
the person whose mediation is being sought. When a
believer mediates his request or petition through a prophet
or a righteous person, he is doing so out of his love for that
holy person and so his petition is granted through the
mediation of that person. But it should be kept in mind that
it is Allah Alone Who grants the petition. The prophet or
the righteous person only expedites it and serves as the
means of its acceptance because Allah does not like to turn
down the supplications and prayers of His favourites.
Thus the book Islamic Concept of Intermediation
through exhaustive research and extensive marshalling of
details, arguments and proofs, drawn from the Qur’ān, the
hadiths, and the practice of the Companions, has
conclusively proved the reality and validity of
intermediation. Those who deny its legitimacy and legality
are only driven by their ignorance, lack of understanding or
sheer perversity. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri deserves a lot of praise
for his keen insight into the subtleties and nuances of the
religion of Islam, as this is the only book of its kind

available in English language, both in terms of the quantity
and the quality of its contents.
In the end, I highly acknowledge the matchless efforts
of M . Farooq Rana who assisted me in the editing of the
book with enthusiastic spirit.
Prof Iftikhar A. Sheikh

Rabī‘-ul-Awwal, 1421 AH.
Preface 9
About the Book

Islamic Concept of Intermediation is the most
comprehensive work available on the topic in English.
M aximum effort has been made to make the book
stylistically simple, so that it may facilitate the readers to
understand it clearly. M aterials and contents are taken from
the most authentic sources.
Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri deserves a lot of praise for his keen
insight into the subtleties and nuances of the religion of
Islam, as this is the only book of its kind available in
English language, both in terms of the quantity and the
quality of its contents.
M ost importantly any errors found in the book are
mine, the praise is His, and the writer, in any case, is not to
be blamed for the mistakes whatsoever. Suggestions will
highly be welcomed and appreciated. I am sure they will
certainly work as a catalyst in improving the book and
making it more authentic and comprehensive.
M. Farooq Rana
Research Scholar
Farid-e-M illat Research Institute
Rabī‘-ul-Awwal, 1421 AH.
11
CHAPTER ONE
Reality
of
Intermediation
SECTION ONE
Basic conceptions of
intermediation
The relevance and wholesomeness of the concept of
intermediation is an established fact. The negation of this
reality is in fact the negation of the Qur’ānic injunctions.
This attitude is simply inconceivable for any M uslim,
irrespective of his group affiliation. Intermediation is a
twofold act: on the one hand, it acknowledges the humility
and helplessness of the creature who has a pressing need to
be fulfilled; on the other hand, it asserts the superiority of
an act which has been hallowed by divine sanction, or of a
personage who enjoys divine approval through a series of
noble deeds. The idea behind intermediation is not to vitiate
or supplant divine authority but to facilitate the acceptance
of human needs through the act of prayer. Thus the act of
intermediation involves a sliding-scale of graded functions:
at the bottom is the humble creature who hopes for a
favourable divine response; in the middle is the sanctified
act or the personage who has developed closer affiliation
with God through meditation, prayer and human service
and at the top is God Himself Who Alone possesses the
power to grant the prayer.
The concept does not imply that the intermediary will
grant the prayer or that he will pressurize God to grant the
prayer of an individual or condone his sins. This is an
egregious misconception, which haunts the minds of a
number of people. In fact, the prayee believes that when he
mediates his prayer through divinely blessed persons, after
positing his own helplessness and after articulating the
praise of God, He will fulfil his need as a token of courtesy
to the intermediary. He does not even have the creeping
notion that the intermediary is a partner in divinity. It is,
therefore, vitally significant to grasp the reality of
intermediation to obviate any misunderstanding, especially
on the part of those who are prone to interpreting it in a
characteristically un-Islamic sense.
It should be understood at the very outset that
intermediation is only a form of prayer to be answered by
God Alone. The intermediary is only a medium who serves
as a means to activate the process of its fulfilment.
It should also be noted that the choice of an
intermediary depends on two vital factors; first he is loved
by the prayee and secondly he is also loved by God.
Therefore, to love someone simply because he is loved by
God is in itself a virtuous act, so his choice as an
intermediary becomes indisputable. This is the factual
position and if someone harps on another string, he is not
only mistaken but is also committing an ignominious deed.
This contention is easily endorsed by the logic of
commonsense. If the prayee believes that the intermediary
can harm or benefit like God, he is guilty of a heinous sin
and will be dismissed as a believer on the basis of this
erroneous belief.
Besides, it is not necessary that mediation alone should
serve as a guarantee for the realization of prayer, because
Allah says:
And (O beloved,) when My servants ask

you about Me, (tell them,) “I am Near.”1
(O beloved,) say, “Call upon Allah or

call upon ar-Rahmān (the most Merciful), by
whichever name you call on Him, His are
the most beautiful names.”2
The misunderstanding that intermediation is a form of
coercion should end now as the intermediary cannot force
God to grant a prayer against His Own will. No one can
dictate to Him, we can only beseech Him. It is only an
expression of His infinite mercy that he has upscaled some
of His creatures on the grounds of their love and obedience
and turned them into agents of redemption for millions of
ordinary people who, without their mediation, might have
drifted in sheer hopelessness and frustration. This is an
indirect divine recognition of their services that God puts a
positive spin on whatever is associated with them. It is for
the same reason that sacred places and objects are offered
as means. The purpose is to boost human expectation for
the divine reprieve.
1. Qur’ān (al-Baqarah) 2:186.

2. Qur’ān (al-Isrā’) 17:110.
Different views about inte rmediation
There is complete agreement on some aspects of
intermediation while a fractious climate of opinion marks
its other aspects.
The M uslim scholars agree that virtuous deeds like
prayer, fasting, pilgrimage to M akkah, zakat and recitation
of the holy Qur’ān can serve as legitimate means of
intermediation. There are, of course, some people who
deny intermediation without action (passive intermediation)
i.e. through prophets, righteous ones, saints and relics,
though the M uslim scholars have affirmed the possibility of
intermediation through these means. These differences
have been eloquently highlighted by M uhammad bin
‘Alawī al-M ālikī:
“The conflicting view relates to intermediation without
action (passive intermediation), i.e. when individuals and
personalities are taken as means, for example, to say, “O
God, I take Your Prophet Muhammad (A) as an
intermediary to You,” or “I take Abū Bakr as-Siddīq or
‘Umar bin al-Khattāb or ‘Uthmān or ‘Alī as intermediaries
to You.” Some scholars treat it as forbidden. I believe that
this difference is only superficial because in intermediation
through an individual, the intermediary powers are vested
in that individual on the basis of his deeds and
intermediation through action is unanimously acceptable.
People who deny intermediation have adopted a stubborn
posture. If they had cared to look at the problem
perceptibly, it would have cleared up, the doubts would
have vanished and the conflict would have resolved which
has led them to hurl unsavoury allegations against the
M uslims. Intermediation without action is actually
attributed to the intermediary and he has acquired this
status on the basis of his actions. A man tends to choose
someone as his intermediary because he loves him and
reposes unqualified trust in his spiritual superiority as a
consequence of this love, or he believes the intermediary is
loved by Allah Himself. As He says:
(Allah) loves them and they love Him. 1

Or he believes that all these qualities are found in the
intermediary. If you reflect on it, you are bound to find this
matrix of love. And this belief is the action of the
intermediary because belief is a form of action, which grips
his heart. The intermediatee seems to say:
“O, my Lord! Undoubtedly, I love such and such
person and I truly believe that he also loves You, he is
Your loyal servant and he wages jihad for Your sake, and I
believe You love him too, and You are pleased with him,
and I offer him as an intermediary on account of my love
for him, and I believe You will grant my prayer.”
“But there are a number of religious scholars
(intermediationists) who limit its scope to the One Whose
knowledge spans the secrets of the heavens and the earth
and Who can detect the waywardness of the eyes and
penetrate the secrets of the hearts. A person who says, “I
take the Prophet (A) as my intermediary,” and the other
who says, “I take the Prophet (A) as my intermediary
because I love him,” are both on the same footing because
1. Qur’ān (al-Mā’idah) 5:54.

he has chosen the first source of intermediation on the basis
of his trust in the Prophet (A) and his love for him. If the
prayee had not loved and trusted the Prophet (A), he
would not have chosen him as his intermediary. The same
applies to the saints and the holy personages.
“This discussion lifts the haze off of the concept of
intermediation. It clearly shows that the difference is only
superficial and does in no way insinuate that the prayees
(intermediatees) should be maligned as non-believers and
chucked out of the fold of Islam. It is a moral stigma.” 1
True sense of the concept of

intermediation
Some people are reluctant to pray through the mediation of
the holy Prophet (A) on account of lack of knowledge.
They think that praying through mediation is incompatible
with praying directly to Allah. This attitude is grounded in
a misunderstanding of the Qur’ānic verses, which enjoin
upon the believers to pray directly to Allah and to eschew
associating partners with Him. As a result of
misinterpretation they believe that to approach Allah
through an intermediary amounts to a denial of divine
unity. This conception is based on ignorance and
misunderstanding and we should try to correct it. To
approach Allah while praying, through a prophet or a
messenger, a holy person or a pious deed, is neither a
denial of the oneness of Allah nor is it inconsistent with an
unmediated appeal to Him.
1. Muhammad bin ‘Alawī al-Mālikī, Mafāhīm yajib an tusahhah,

(pp.117-8).
In spite of the intermediation, we pray to Allah directly
and not to the intermediary. One commits the act of
denying Allah only when he, in opposition to Him, regards
someone else as the arbitrator of profit and loss, as the
absolute power and as the granter of prayers. But the
situation here does not warrant any such development. The
prayer is submitted only to Allah, and while appealing to
Him to grant these needs and desires, the mediation of the
holy Prophet (A), a saintly person or a pious deed is cited
because they enjoy Allah’s love and favour and, therefore,
He has greater regard for them than for other creatures. So
such form of intermediation not only makes the words of
prayer more effective but also raises its chances of
acceptance by Allah. Now his prayer is not a simple prayer,
it is rather a blend of his request and divine love. The
urgency of his need combines with Allah’s magnanimity
and acquires a holier complexion. It should be noted that
the grant of prayers is not contingent on mediation but it
definitely expedites their fulfilment. The holy Prophet
(A) himself instructed his companions to pray through
his mediation as we come to know through a tradition
narrated by ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf that the Prophet (A)
taught a blind man to pray:
O Allah, I appeal to You, and submit to

You through the mediation of the merciful
Prophet Muhammad. O Muhammad,
through your mediation I submit myself to
my Lord to have my need granted. O Allah,
1
acknowledge his intercession in my favour.
‘Umar used to pray for rain through the mediation of
the Prophet’s uncle ‘Abbās as is attributed to Anas.2 Once
when M edina was in the grip of a severe drought, ‘Ā’ishah
1. Ibn Mājah transmitted it in his Sunan, b. of iqāmat-us-salāt was-

sunnah fīhā (establishing prayer and its sunnahs), ch.189
(1:441#1385) and decl ared it sahīh (sound); Tirmidhī in al-Jāmi‘-
us-sahīh, b. of da‘awāt (supplications), ch.119 (5:569#3578) and
graded it hasan (fair) sahīh (sound) gharīb (unfamiliar or rare);
Ahmad bin Hambal in his Musnad (4:138); and Hākim in al-
Mustadrak (1:313,519,526-7) and Dhahabī also declared it sahīh
(sound). Bukhārī narrated it in at-Tārīkh-ul-kabīr (6:209-10);
Nasā’ī, ‘Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah (pp.417-8#658-60 ); Ibn
Khuzaymah, as-Sahīh (2:225-6#1219); Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un-
nubuwwah (6:166-7); Ibn-us-Sunnī, ‘Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah
(p.202#622); Subkī, Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām
(pp.123,125); Nawawī, al-Adhkār (p.83); Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah
wan-nihāyah (4:558-9); Ibn-ul-Athīr, Asad-ul-ghābah (3:571);
Mundhirī, at-Targhīb wat-tarhīb (1:473-4); Yūsuf Mizzī, Tuhfat-
ul-ashrāf bi-ma‘rifat-il-atrāf (7:236#9760); Suyūtī, Khasā’is-ul-
kubrā (2:201); Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (4:594);
Zurqānī in his Commentary (12:221-2); Ibn Hajar Hayth amī, al-
Jawhar-ul-munazzam (p.61); and Shawkānī in Tuhfat-udh-dhākirīn
(pp.194-5).
2. Bukhārī narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of istisqā’ (to invoke Allah
fo r rain at the time of drought) ch.3 (1:342-3#964), and b. o f
fadā’il-us-sahābah (the virtues of the Companions) ch.11
(3:1360#3507); Ibn Hibbān, as-Sahīh (7:110-1#2861); Ibn
Khuzaymah, as-Sahīh (2:337-8#1421); Hākim, al-Mustadrak
(3:334); Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr, al-Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-ashāb (3:97);
Bayhaqī in as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:352) and Dalā’il-un -nubuwwah
(6:147); Baghawī, Sharh-us -sunnah (4:409#1165); Nawawī, al-
Adhkār (p.80); Subkī, Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām
(p.128); Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, Fath-ul-bārī (2:494); Qastallānī, al-
Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (4:277); Zurqānī in his Commentary
(11:151-3); Shawkānī, Tuhfat-udh-dhākirīn (p.58); and
Muhammad Zāhid Kawtharī in his Maqālāt (p.380).
asked some of the Companions and residents of the city to
visit the holy Prophet’s grave, and on account of his
1
blessings, it rained in buckets.
In short, this blessed act has been popular and prevalent
from the days of Adam (D) and other prophets to the
period of the holy prophet (A), the Companions and the
Successors and right down to the present-day M uslims.
Now some people, hopelessly deficient in a correct
understanding of dīn, are raising unfounded objections
against its efficacy, and treating it as a challenge to the
uniqueness of Allah. Therefore, it is imperative that the
injunctions of Shariah should be understood in their true
essence and perspective so that we do not distort them for
lack of knowledge and understanding.
Important te rminology about tawassul

Whenever we discuss the concept of intermediation we
should take into account four factors, which are interlinked:
1. Wasīlah: mediation; the means of approach.
2. Mutawassil: intermediatee; the prayee who chooses his
own pious deed or a personage or a place as a source of
intermediation in his prayer.
3. Mutawassal bihī: intermediary; intermediator; an object
that is offered as a source of intermediation to Allah, for
example, virtuous deeds, saintly personages and hallowed
signs and acts associated with them.
1. Dārimī narrat ed it in ch.15 of the muqaddimah (introduction) to his

Sunan (1:43#93); Ibn -ul-Jawzī, al-Wafā’ bi-ahwāl-il-Mustafā
(2:801); Subkī, Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr -il-anām (p.128);
Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (4:276); and Zurqānī in his
Commentary (11:150).
4. Mutawassal ilayh: Allah is the Focus of all
intermediation because it is submitted to Him Alone.
SECTION TWO
Literal and technical

meanings of tawassul and
its kinds
Lite ral meaning of tawassul
Tawassul (intermediation) and wasīlah (means) are
similarly used. Lexicologists think that wasīlah is a means
of achieving an objective.
1. Imam Rāghib Asfahānī comments:
Wasīlah means to seek willingly access

to something and since it is based on
willingness, it is related to wasīlah, the
1
means of approach.
2. Ibn M anzūr, in his research conducted on the word
wasīlah, writes:
1. Rāghib Asfah ānī, Mufradāt alfāz al-Qur’ān (p.871).

In fact, wasīlah is a means of approach

to something to attain nearness to it. 1
3. Imam Zamakhsharī says:
Everything that helps in seeking means

of approach, that is, nearness to Allah, is
wasīlah. 2
Technical meaning of tawassul

Tawassul carries multiple meanings. It is used in the sense
of need, inclination, stature and nearness; three of these
senses are consistent with its technical usage:
1. Highest station
Wasīlah is the highest station in Paradise, which is reserved
for the intercessor – the holy Prophet (A) – on the Day of
Judgement. It is usual for Muslims to pray, after the call to
prayer, that Muhammad (A) may obtain this station. It is
related to Bukhārī that the Prophet (A) himself persuaded
his followers to offer the following prayer:
1. Ibn Manzūr, Lisān-ul-Arab (11:725).

2. Zamakhsharī, al-Kashshāf ‘an haqā’iq ghawāmid-it-tanzīl (1:488).
Allah’s Messenger (A) said as

reported by Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh: Anyone
who prays after the call to prayer, “O Lord,
in exchange for this complete invitation and
standing prayer, make Muhammad (A) a
source of intermediation and superiority and
appoint him to the highest station in
Paradise as promised by You,” my
intercession for him on the Day of
1
Judgement will be obligatory.
In this supplication (du‘ā’), al-wasīlah means ‘a spot
which is a special grade of excellence in Paradise,’ this is
also the highest station reserved for the Prophet (A).
Whenever we invoke the mediation of the holy Prophet
(A), we have in mind this specific place in Paradise.
2. Proximity to Allah
The nearness to Allah is in itself a source of intermediation.
When a creature comes close to Allah through the
perfection of his faith, obedience to His rules and
prescriptions, observance of forms of worship, following
the sunnah and avoiding sins, this nearness to Allah in itself
becomes a source of intermediation. Similarly those who
1. Bukhārī, as-Sahīh, b. of adhān (the call to prayer) ch.8

(1:222#589); Nas ā’ī, Sunan, b. of adhān (2:27); Ahmad bin
Hambal, Musnad (3:354); Ibn Haj ar ‘Asqalānī, Fath-ul-bārī (2:94;
8:399); Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (1:410); B aghawī, Sharh-us-
sunnah (2:283-4#420); Muhammad Khatīb Tabrīzī, Mishkāt-ul-
masābīh, b. of salāt (prayer) ch.4 (1:216#659).
work with sincerity of intention acquire close access to
Allah and are elevated to the stature of His favourites.
Their sincerity and affiliation keep them steadily glued to
the right path and serve as an mediation to counter the
tricks of the devil. According to Allah Himself, Satan has
sworn to lead the believers astray:
(Satan) said, “I swear by Your honour

that I will mislead all of them.”1
But he will never be able to mislead those who have
attained nearness to Allah.
3. Source of intermediation
All objects, which are a means to attain the nearness of
Allah, also serve as sources of intermediation whether they
are related to individuals or deeds. The Qur’ān has made it
permissible to seek the means of approach, and what is
permitted cannot be waived without proper shar‘ī argument
or convincing proof. The Qur’ān says:
O believers! Fear Allah and seek means

(of approach to) His (presence and to His
nearness and accessibility). 2
This verse does not stress any specific application and
includes both acts and individuals. The same verse acts as
an explicit justification of intermediation.
1. Qur’ān (Sād) 38:82.

Shāh Ismā‘īl Dihlawī interprets the Qur’ānic verse as
the direction provided by the spiritual guide:
People who are in search of the true

conduct mean by wasīlah a kind of guide.
Search for the guide should necessarily
precede the hard struggle that is required
for the attainment of true success, and Allah
has prescribed this method for the seekers of
the true path. Therefore, without the
direction of the guide, its acquisition is
almost impossible.1
Kinds of tawassul
Tawassul may be divided into the following kinds:
1. at-Tawassul lid-du‘ā’
2. at-Tawassul fid-du‘ā’
3. at-Tawassul bid-du‘ā’
4. at-Tawassul bin-nidā’
5. at-Tawassul bil-a‘māl-is-sālihah
6. at-Tawassul bi-āthār-is-sālihīn
1. Ismā‘īl Dihlawī, Sirāt mustaqīm (p.58).

1. at-Tawassul lid-du‘ā’
This (kind of intermediation) seeks

nearness of Allah through a source
approved by Shariah.
2. at-Tawassul fid-du‘ā’
When a need or worry is submitted to

Allah for its relief, the help of an
intermediary is sought to fulfil the need or
remove the worry.
Difference between the two

The first kind of intermediation is a means of drawing near
to Allah while the second kind of intermediation serves to
fulfil the need of an individual or to eliminate a specific
anxiety.
Kinds of tawassul fid-du‘ā’

This kind of intermediation is further divided into two
kinds:
1. intermediation through words, and
2. intermediation without words.
1. Intermediation through words
In this form of intermediation, the name

of the intermediary is mentioned (for the
acceptance of a prayer and the fulfilment of
a need and) to acquire the close access to
Allah.
During prayer to Allah, reference to a good deed or a
saintly person serves as a kind of intermediation for the
acceptance of that prayer. The petitioner does not need to
specify the name of the intermediary, a mere reference to
him is enough as is endorsed by Bukhārī, which is
summarized below:
“During journey, the entrance of the cave closed
on them. All the three were virtuous men, one of
them prayed to Allah by referring to his kindly
treatment of his parents. The second man prayed by
suggesting how he had managed to escape
committing a sin though it was the easiest thing for
him to do. The third man talked about how he had
guarded the wages of a labourer for many years and
paid him the money after a lapse of considerable
time and then prayed. Their prayers were accepted
as Allah removed the heavy stone that had closed
the entrance of the cave.”
2. Intermediation without words
When a good deed or a sacred place serves as a means of
approach at the time of prayer to attain the nearness of
Allah, this deed or place is endeared to Him. Even though
these are not given a strictly verbal form, they
automatically serve as a source of intermediation.
It is also known as intermediation through action. It
eliminates the use of the words during prayer. The
petitioner either prays in the company of a saintly person or
prays at a sacred place or he places a hallowed object in
front of him and then prays to Allah for a favourable
reception of his prayer.
The first instance of intermediation through action is
attested by Zakariyyā’s prayer at M aryam’s place of
worship, as it is stated by the Qur’ān:
At this place (Maryam’s place of

worship) Zakariyyā prayed to his Lord. He
besought, “O my Master, bless me with
children who are of sound moral character.
There is no doubt that You hear our
petitions.”1
In this verse, Allah has pinpointed the blessed act of
Zakariyyā (D). When he observed out-of-season fruit and
other prized objects at M aryam’s place who was being
groomed by him as a trainee, he chose that particular spot
for the submission of his prayer. Allah responded positively
to his plea and he was blessed with Yahyā (D) especially
at a time when it was almost impossible for his wife to
conceive a child.
1. Qur’ān (Āl-i-‘Imrān ) 3:38.

The second example is that of Yūsuf (D) dispatching
his shirt to his father Ya‘qūb (D) for the restoration of his
eyesight through the mediation of the shirt. Besides good
deeds of the prophets and the righteous people, the relics
associated with these personages can also act as
instruments of intermediation, a topic that is proposed to be
dealt with at length in the course of the book.
3. at-Tawassul bid-du‘ā’
In this kind of intermediation a person who is very close to
Allah is requested to pray for the petitioner in order to
relieve him of the worries and troubles that have turned his
life into sheer torture. When this saintly person raises his
hands in prayer, Allah, out of His infinite mercy, does not
turn down his request, but acknowledges it as a proof of the
fact that He holds His loyal servants so dear. Allah says:
And remember when you said, “O Mūsā,

surely we will not remain content with only
one kind of food (manna and quail), pray,
then, to your Lord for us that He may bring
forth for us of what the earth grows – of its
herbs, and its cucumbers and its wheat and
1
its lentils and its onions.”

In this verse, the words fad‘u lanā rabbaka (pray, then,
to your Lord for us), are the source of intermediation. The
followers of M ūsā (D) are clearly asking him to pray for
them to Allah. Since here tawassul is being relied upon
through M ūsā’s prayer, this act is known as tawassul bid-
du‘ā’.
4. at-Tawassul bin-nidā’
The petitioner himself submits his request to the Prophet
(A) and uses him as a means in his supplication to seek
Allah’s help. When he processes his petition through the
Prophet (A), it becomes a source of intermediation for
Allah’s help. Ibn Kathīr says that on the occasion of the
battle of Yamāmah, yā Muhammadāh (O M uhammad, help
us), was the battle cry of the M uslims. He adds that during
the war, Khālid bin Walīd picked up the flag, and passing
through the army positions, set out towards the mountain of
M usaylimah, the Liar. He waited there for him to turn up so
that he could kill him. Then he returned and, standing
between the two armies, he shouted:
“I am the son of Walīd. I am the son of

‘Āmir and Zayd.” And then he raised the
battle cry current among the Muslims which
was “yā M uhammadāh” (O Muhammad,
1
help us).
1. Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (5:30).

In this tradition the M uslims are relying on the Prophet
(A) as a source of intermediation, and the M uslims who
are committing this act are the Companions themselves.
Thus to use the Prophet (A) as an intermediary was a
practice of the Companions. Similarly, it is narrated by
‘Abdullāh bin ‘Abbās that Allah’s M essenger (A) said:
Undoubtedly, there are some of Allah’s

angels on the earth who are in addition to
the guardian angels. They note down each
leaf that falls down from a tree. If anyone of
you is being tortured in the jungle, you
should cry, “O servants of Allah, help me.”1
Here, the Prophet (A) himself and in his own words
instructs the M uslims to adopt intermediation as a means of
seeking Allah’s help through His angels. He is advising us
not to delink ourselves from those who not only believe in
Allah but also practice their belief. In case there is no
human figure to come to your rescue, you should pray to
Allah through the mediation of the angels. Allah will
command them to come to your help and fulfil your need.
This universe is not a meaningless vacuum as many atheists
in their ignorance tend to assume; it is filled with flights of
angels though they remain invisible to the naked eye and
whenever human beings under duress invoke the help of
1. Haythamī narrates it in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (10:132) and says that

its men are trustworthy.
Allah, the angels practically demonstrate the merciful
presence of Allah by meeting human exigencies. Thus the
words falyunād a‘īnū ‘ibādallāh are a clear proof that
intermediation through the Prophet’s intervention is
permissible.
On the Day of Judgement, when the first and the last
among the M uslims are in distress on account of the
gruelling heat and judgement is yet to be pronounced, they
will all rally round the prophets including the holy Prophet
(A), and in their supplication to Allah will ask for their
help. The tradition cited in different books bears testimony
to the propriety and efficacy of this kind of intermediation.
If this is permissible on the Day of Judgement, this should
be equally permissible during our stay in this world. This
reflects the kind-heartedness and benevolence of the
prophets that the believers can depend on their mediation as
a means of approach to the infinite mercy of Allah, whether
we are on the earth or in the Hereafter.
The text of the tradition is as follows:
Narrated by ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar that

the Prophet (A) said, “A person
constantly begs from other people till he on
the Day of Judgement has no flesh on his
face.” He added, “The sun will come closer
to the people on the Day of Judgement. It
will be so close that half of one’s ear will be
drenched in sweat. In this condition, people
will first seek the mediation of Adam, then of
Mūsā and finally of Muhammad (A).”
And ‘Abdullāh – the sub-narrator –added,
“Layth narrated to me that Ibn Abū Ja‘far
had narrated: He (the Prophet (A)) will
intercede with Allah to judge amongst the
people. Then he will leave here until he will
hold the arc of the gate of Paradise. On that
day, Allah will make him ascend the
glorious station and all the people present
there will sing his praises.1
Mutual relation between inte rmediation,

intercession and seeking aid
Another point worth noting in the context of intermediation
is that when we request someone to act as our intermediary
to Allah, it also seems to support the relevance of the
related concepts of intercession and seeking help from
1. Bukhārī, as-Sahīh, b. of zakat (obligatory charity) ch.51 (2:536-

7#1405); Tabarānī transmitted it in al-Mu‘jam-ul-awsat
(9:331#8720); and Haythamī cited it in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id
(10:371).
Allah’s favourites. It means that when the relevance of
intermediation has been proved, the relevance of other two
concepts is automatically established. The following
Qur’ānic verse clearly links the three concepts by
explaining their mutually reinforcing role:
(O beloved!) And if they had come to

you, when they had wronged their souls, and
asked forgiveness of Allah, and the
Messenger also had asked forgiveness for
them, they (on the basis of this means and
intercession) would have surely found Allah
the Granter of repentance, extremely
Merciful. 1
This Qur’ānic verse clearly argues in favour of
intermediation. It means when people have committed sin,
they should seek the mediation of the holy Prophet (A) in
their supplication to Allah and the Prophet (A) also prays
for their forgiveness, then they will find Allah
Compassionate and M erciful.
Fastaghfarullāh argues for intercession. When Allah
condoned their sin through the intercession of the
M essenger (A), it means that intercession is validated by
the Qur’ānic text. And the third concept of istighāthah is in
fact a proof of seeking someone’s assistance. When a man
returns to the holy Prophet (A) for the forgiveness of his
sins, it clearly means that he is asking for his intercession:
1. Qur’ān (an-Nisā’) 4:64.

“O, M essenger of Allah, I am a sinner. Have mercy on me
and intercede for me before Allah so that He may condone
my sins.” This desire of the sinner, in fact, amounts to
istighāthah (seeking help from others) while the Prophet’s
readiness to implore Allah for the forgiveness of his sins is
intercession.
39
CHAPTER TWO
The Doctrine of Tawassul

(In the Light of Qur’ān)
The Doctrine of Tawassul (In the Light of Qur’ān) 41
In the last chapter it was discussed that tawassul and

wasīlah, semantically speaking, are a means of approach to
something; they are also instrumental in achieving nearness
to someone. Since the object of life of a believer is to attain
the proximity and pleasure of Allah, He has guided them at
many occasions in the Holy Qur’ān to gain access to Him;
and in the process, not only to satisfy their quest for truth
but also to seek His pleasure. The search for truth and
Allah’s pleasure are interrelated. It obviously implies that
the believer is not seeking the philosopher’s truth, which is
more or less abstract and lacks personal involvement. The
truth that a believer is seeking must reflect his emotional
involvement. This is a precondition for any favourable
divine response, and when this condition is fulfilled, his
quest is positively rewarded. He achieves three targets in a
single leap of faith; he comes closer to truth, he satisfies his
own craze for truth and at the same time he is able to
receive Allah’s pleasure, which is the ultimate aim of his
life. Some of the Qur’ānic verses given below clearly prove
how explicitly and without any ambiguity Allah has
enjoined upon the believers to seek means of accessibility
to Him for the fulfilment of their needs and desires and for
leading a contented life on this earth.
Argument No. 1: Injunction for seeking
means of approach
It is commanded by Almighty Allah as the holy Qur’ān
states:

nearness and accessibility) and strive in His
1
way so that you may prosper.
The Qur’ānic verse stresses four things:
1. faith,
2. piety,
3. search for means of approach, and
4. struggle for Allah’s sake.
First of all, the Qur’ān mentions faith. After faith it
enjoins piety upon the believers because a heart laced with
fear of Allah, is in fact a heart laced with His obedience. A
man who possesses piety never disobeys Allah. Each
moment of his life is spent in pleasing Him and,
incidentally, all of his other concerns are pushed into the
background. As a matter of fact, obeying the divine
regulations becomes a part and parcel of his existence.
Virtue and good deeds shape up as inseparable parts of his
character and conduct. His desire to be close to Allah
elevates him in His eyes. He is always engaged in acts that
will earn him the pleasure of Allah and nearness to Him.
The word ittaqū [derivative of taqwā (piety)] is a
1. Qur’ān ( al-Mā’idah) 5:35.

comprehensive word and it embodies all acts that save him
from Allah’s displeasure and bring him closer to Him.
The third regulation stresses the search for means of
approach. The Qur’ān says, “Seek means (of approach to)
His (presence and to His nearness and accessibility).” Some
of the religious scholars have interpreted wasīlah (the
means of approach) mentioned in the Qur’ānic verse as
faith and good deeds while others, who are in the majority,
have explained the word as the prophets, the righteous and
the favourites of Allah. They argue that the expression
ittaqullāh subsumes faith, good deeds and all forms of
worship. But the fact is that the verse enjoins upon the
believers to search means of approach to Allah’s presence.
As far as faith and virtuous acts are the means of drawing
close to Allah, the prophets and His favourites are ranked
above all others. Thus, Shāh Walī Allah M uhaddith
Dihlawī has explained wasīlah as allegiance to the guide 1
while Shāh Ismā‘īl Dihlawī believes that wasīlah is the
guide himself. He says:
It is almost impossible to receive (divine)

guidance without the direction (provided) by
the guide. 2
Referring to the same situation, M awlānā Rūm believes
that he has attained nearness to Allah on account of the
company of Shams Tabrīzī.3
1. Shāh Walī Allah Muhaddith Dihlawī, al-Qawl-ul-jamīl (p.34).

2. Ismā‘īl Dihlawī, Sirāt mustaqīm (p.58).
3. Mawlānā Rūm, Mathnawī ma‘nawī.
The fourth regulation relates to jihad. Jihad also serves
as a means to promote Islam, to strengthen and consolidate
it and to implement divine injunctions. When, in the same
Qur’ānic verse, faith, piety and struggle in the way of Allah
are vested with legitimacy, the fourth regulation relating to
wasīlah becomes automatically legitimate. Thus wasīlah
does not amount to associating partners with Allah. Instead
of encouraging polytheism among the believers, it rather
reaffirms the Oneness of Allah. And, besides, when
reliance on it is being confirmed by the Qur’ān itself, any
objections or reservations against it are in fact a denial of
the Qur’ānic truth.
Argument No. 2: Search for means of

approach is a valid act
The holy Qur’ān has stated in another context:
Those, whom they worship (that is, the

angels, jinn, ‘Īsā (D) and ‘Uzayr (D) etc.,
- they make their portraits and statues and
worship them), they (themselves) seek
nearness to their Lord, through those who
among them are the nearest (to Allah’s
presence), and they (themselves) hope for
His mercy, and (themselves) fear His
punishment. (Now you tell how can they
deserve to be worshipped, they themselves
are bowing before the truthful Lord.) Surely,
the punishment of your Lord is a thing to be
1
feared.
During the era of ignorance, the non-believers used to
worship the angels, the jinn, ‘Īsā (D) and ‘Uzayr (D) by
making their statues and portraits. Before the advent of
Islam, the jinn had spared no effort to misguide human
beings. They entered the statues and played bizarre tricks.
The simple and naive people worshipped the statues when
they saw them moving and smiling. But when the light of
Islam dawned, the jinn sought forgiveness of Allah for their
deeds of deviance and embraced Islam. They discarded
their false notions and practices and followed the right path.
They turned into loyal and obedient followers of Allah and
were constantly in search of finding means of access to
Him.
‘Abdullāh bin M as‘ūd comments that this Qur’ānic
verse was specifically revealed in favour of an Arab
community who worshipped a particular group of jinn.
When these jinn converted to Islam and their worshippers
were unaware of the fact of their conversion, Allah
reminded them that those they used to worship were now
prostrated before Him and were seeking means of approach
to gain His nearness.2
This elaboration makes it clear that it is valid to rely on
those who are near to Allah through their obedience and
1. Qur’ān (al-Isrā’) 17:57.

2. Bukhārī narrat ed it in his as-Sahīh, b. of tafsīr (interpretation of the
Qur’ān) ch.205 (4:1747-8#4437-8); Muslim in as-Sahīh, b. of
tafsīr, ch.4 (4:2321#3030); Hākim in al-Mustadrak (2:362); and
Baghawī cites it in tafsīr of 17:57 in Ma‘ālim-ut-tanzīl (3:120).
acts of virtue. And those who are near to Allah further rely
on those who are even nearer to Him, and it is a continuous
process because the quest for nearness to Allah is an
unending process. This also clearly implies that there are
different degrees of nearness to Allah, the nearest degree
enjoyed by the Holy Prophet (A).
This Qur’ānic verse clarifies beyond any particle of
doubt that the gods worshipped by the non-believers and
who called on them in their hour of distress are not in fact
gods because they themselves are busy seeking the pleasure
of Allah. If they had been gods themselves, as the non-
believers ignorantly believed, they would not have been in
need of worshipping someone else to seek his goodwill. In
fact, they are as helpless as their worshippers and the
obvious proof of their helplessness is their lack of self-
reliance. The verse also clarifies the point that to seek
access to Allah through those who have already attained
nearness to Him is a valid act as this has also been the
teaching and practice of these divine favourites. A question
arises here how can those who themselves are seeking
means of access to Allah possibly serve as means of
approach to Him? A reflection on this Qur’ānic verse itself
provides the answer: to worship anyone except Allah is
forbidden but to rely on Allah’s favourites and to request
them to pray to Him for the fulfilment of one’s needs is
quite valid. It is a negation of worship, not a negation of
means of approach to Allah. While it is valid only to
worship Allah and no one else, it is also valid to seek the
means of coming close to Him. Allah’s favourites serve
only as the means; they are not substitutes for Him.
Therefore, it is correct to believe that all favourites of Allah
are only means of access to Him as it is Allah Alone Who
is to be worshipped.
Argument No. 3: Intermediation through

the holy Prophet (A)
There is another verse, which makes permissible to seek
means of approach to Allah. As it is said:

intercession) would have found Allah the
Granter of repentance, extremely Merciful. 1
This Qur’ānic verse commands all the believers to rely
on the mediation of the Holy Prophet (A) in order to
have their sins and lapses condoned by Allah. The
relevance of this verse is not limited to his actual life on
this earth but it also applies to his life after death. The
exegetes and other leading scholars have also explained the
meanings of the verse at length which will be dealt with
elaborately in the third section of fifth chapter.

Argument No. 4: Relief from distress
through the holy Prophet (A) on the
Day of Judgement
The Holy Prophet (A) is the dearest of Almighty Allah.
That’s why He blesses him the most. As it is stated:
Soon your Lord shall appoint you to the

highest station in Paradise (that is, that high
place of intercession where the former and
the latter ones will return to him and glorify
him).1
Maqām mahmūd is the high and exalted place which is
specified for the Holy Prophet (A) on the Day of
Judgement as a divine acknowledgement of his glory and
excellence. The purpose of his elevation to the high station
is his intercession for the believers. It is proved by the
Qur’ān and hadith that this form of intercession is the
exclusive prerogative of the Holy Prophet (A). On the
Day of Judgement all the people, suffering from the agony
of pain, will rally round the Prophet (A). They will
request him to plead their case before Allah in order to
expedite the process of their accountability to relieve them
of the agonizing punishment. The undoubted and authentic
traditions support the view that Allah, for the sake of His
Prophet (A), will accelerate the act of accountability.
Thus it is clear that even on the Day of Judgement all the
people will make him as their intermediary to place their
plea before Allah. This is the main object of his

appointment to the specified high station in Paradise which
is mentioned in this verse.
Argument No. 5: Steadfastness in

guidance through the holy Prophet (A)
Allah says in surah Āl-i-‘Imrān:
And how would you (now) disbelieve

while you are (among those fortunate) that
to you are rehearsed the verses of Allah, and
His Messenger (himself) is in your midst?
And whoever holds fast to Allah’s (lap), is
indeed guided towards the right path. 1
This Qur’ānic verse also pleads for intermediation.
When we reflect on the words wa fīkum rasūluh, we come
to realize that the Holy Prophet (A) is such source of
intermediation who is blessed by Allah Himself to
intercede for the people. It is on account of his God-given
stature that he can persuade Allah to draw people out of the
darkness of disbelief and bless them with the light of
guidance. Wa kayfa takfurūna makes it further clear that to
refrain from returning to disbelief is also made possible
through the Prophet’s mediation. The verse stresses two
things, which are interlinked. People receive guidance
through the mediation of the Prophet (A) and this

guidance is strengthened and fortified again, through the
Holy Prophet (A). That is, both the reception of guidance
and its sustenance are possible through the mediation of the
Prophet. Allah is All-Powerful and it is within His power to
guide anyone directly if He likes. But when he Himself
says that He will keep us steadfast in guidance through the
means of the Prophet (A), it is surely a clear proof of the
fact that intermediation is a legitimate act.
Argument No. 6: Stalling of punishme nt

through the mediation of the Prophet
(A)
Allah says in the Qur’ān:
And (the fact of the matter is that) it is

unbecoming of Allah to inflict punishment
on them while (O exalted friend,) you are
also (present) among them, nor will Allah
punish them in a state while they are seeking
forgiveness (from Him).1
In this Qur’ānic verse the divine punishment may be
stalled for two reasons:
1. The presence of the Holy Prophet (A) among them.
2. Seeking forgiveness from Allah.
First of all, Allah stresses the point that He does not
want to punish them because the Holy Prophet (A) is
present among them; and second, He withholds the
1. Qur’ān (al-Anfāl) 8:33.

punishment because they seek His forgiveness. What is to
be noted here is the ordering of the two reasons. Allah
gives priority to the presence of the Holy Prophet (A).
The verse clearly argues that as long as the Prophet (A)
is present among them, Allah would withhold the
punishment, which would have surely gripped them in his
absence. Here the Prophet (A) is acting as an
intermediary for his Ummah. Not only does Allah accept
his mediation, but He also accords it primacy even over His
Own forgiveness, and this is clearly supported by the way
the two reasons for warding off punishment are arranged in
this Qur’ānic verse. Some people, who interpret the word
presence as mere physical presence, that is, his actual life-
span on this earth, are quite mistaken. It is nothing but hair-
splitting. Allah is not making any distinction between his
life on this earth and his life after death. The word presence
is in fact used in an inclusive sense. In the following pages
I shall try to explain that this applied to his presence even
before he was actually born into this world. Even before his
birth, the Jews used to pray to God for their victory over
the unbelieving Arabs through the mediation of the Holy
Prophet (A) as pointed out by Allah Himself:
Though before this they themselves

(through the mediation of the last Prophet
Muhammad (A) and the Qur’ān that was
revealed to him) offered (the prayer) for
victory over the non-believers.1

This Qur’ānic verse illustrates a Jewish practice, which
is endorsed by the Qur’ān and all the exegetes and experts
1
on hadith have made it as a basis of their arguments. It
means that the fact has been collectively acknowledged that
if the people in the past could rely on the mediation of the
Holy Prophet (A) for the fulfilment of their needs, it
becomes not only valid, but even more strictly binding, for
the M uslim community to continue a time-hallowed
tradition.
Argument No. 7: Zakariyyā’s use of

Maryam’s place of worship as means
Allah says:
And her supervision was given to

Zakariyyā. Whenever Zakariyyā entered her
place of worship, he found with her (the
latest and freshest) items of food. He asked,
“O Maryam, where do these things come to
you from?” She said, “This (food) comes
from Allah.” Surely, Allah gives to
whomsoever He wishes without measure.2
In the next verse Allah has mentioned Zakariyyā’s
prayer at this very spot:
1. Complete discussion on the topic is in chapter 5, section 1.

At that very place Zakariyyā prayed to

his Lord. He requested, “My Master! Give
me from Yourself pure offspring. Surely You
are the Hearer of prayer.”1
Rectification of an error
It may be assumed here that whenever Zakariyyā (D)
visited M aryam’s room to ask about her health, he found all
kinds of out-of-season fruit and one day he just thought of
praying, presuming that the Lord, who could send out-of-
season fruit to M aryam, had also the power to bless him
with the offspring in his old age, and as he thought of this,
he there and then offered prayer. One can say he had
prayed to Allah and it had nothing to do whatsoever with
the spot at which he prayed. But this view appears to be
unreasonable as it gives rise to a number of questions:
1. Had Zakariyyā (D) never prayed in the past?
2. Why had Zakariyyā’s prayer been granted only then?
3. Why had Zakariyyā (D) chosen that particular spot for
his prayer? Did he consider it more sacred than some
other spots?
4. Why did the Qur’ān stress praying at that very place?
Qur’ān itself has rectified the error and eliminated
uncertainty by using the word hunālika (there). When we
reflect on the words of the Qur’ānic verse, we realize that it
was Zakariyyā’s routine that he woke up in the later part of

the night and prayed to his Lord. According to his routine,
even on that day he woke up to offer his prayer, but instead
of praying at his usual place of worship, he chose
specifically the chamber in which M aryam lived. If he had
offered his prayer only by accident and not by design, the
insertion of the word hunālika would have been
superfluous and insignificant. Such an interpretation is not
only a misreading of the Qur’ānic message but also a
violation of its spirit, which discourages and condemns all
forms of superfluity. Thus the choice of that particular spot
is an act of intermediation and at the same time it is a
confirmation of the fact that a sacred spot can also serve as
a source of intermediation.
Immediate acceptance of prayer through

mediation
Allah has described the acceptance of prayer through
mediation in the following Qur’ānic verse:
He still stood praying in the chamber (or

he was simply imploring the Lord) that the
angels called to him: surely, Allah gives you
glad tidings of (son) Yahyā. 1
When Zakariyyā (D) chose that sacred spot for his
prayer, and then offered his prayer, his prayer was instantly
granted. This fact clearly proves that Allah likes
intermediation through his favourite servants and the proof

of His appreciation appears in the form of the paryer’s
acceptance. The stress is laid not only on acceptance, but
also on the immediacy of acceptance. It means that the
prayer through mediation is not only granted, but it is also
immediately granted.
Argument No. 8: Return of Ya‘qūb’s

eyesight through the mediation of Yūsuf’s
shirt
Allah says in surah Yūsuf:
(Yūsuf said,) “Take my shirt and lay it

on the face of my father (Ya‘qūb), he will
regain his sight.”1
The Qur’ān has expressed the later development in
these words:
When the bearer of glad tidings arrived,

he laid the shirt on the face of Ya‘qūb and
his sight returned immediately. 2
This Qur’ānic verse clearly proves that intermediation
through any object associated with the prophets and the
saints does not negate the Islamic concept of divine unity.
In this case the sender of the shirt is a prophet, the one who
is benefiting from this act of intermediation is also a
prophet and the one who is describing the act, are all parts
1. Qur’ān (Yūsuf) 12:93.

of a sacred phenomenon authenticated by the Qur’ān itself.
Therefore, to express any doubts and reservations about its
authenticity is to deny the sanctity of an act which is being
sanctified by no less an authority than the Qur’ān. This
Qur’ānic verse actually stresses the following points:
1. First, though from the point of view of jā’-al-bashīr,
this form of intermediation is apparently without the
direct involvement of a prophet, it actually takes place
through the physical use of one of his relics, i.e. one of
the objects associated with him.
2. Second, since the bearer of glad tidings did not utter a
word as he laid the shirt on the face of Ya‘qūb (D),
therefore, the return of the eyesight through the means
of the shirt is a form of intermediation without words.
3. Third, to rely on someone who is not a prophet is also
one of the traditional practices of the prophets and to
declare the practice of the prophets as a form of
disbelief is nothing but a reflection of malice, ignorance
and lack of understanding on the part of those who
boastfully, and sometimes out of sheer flaunting
arrogance, indulge in fabricating such false allegations.
In the Qur’ānic verse Allah is expressing the form of
intermediation practised by two great prophets, Ya‘qūb
(D) and Yūsuf (D). No M uslim can deny the reality
of intermediation in the presence of such a clearly
described tradition. If there had been any ambiguity or
semantic twist in its expression, they might have had
some basis of doubt. But when the argument is so
explicit, any doubt about its veracity is nothing but an
ugly concoction. Besides, the most significant point
stressed by the Qur’ānic verse is that one prophet,
Yūsuf (D), is issuing the injunction of intermediation
and the other prophet, Ya‘qūb (D), is receiving the
benefit from this act of intermediation. It means the
shirt here serves as the source of intermediation.
Therefore, if it is valid to practice intermediation
through a prophet’s shirt, its practice through the relics
of the prophets and the saints is automatically validated.
Real meaning of supernatural causes

It means that if an act takes place without the factors or
causes which are necessary for its manifestation or
occurrence, it is called a supernatural act, for example, the
birth of ‘Īsā (D), because the birth of a person is caused by
a number of factors. If these factors are absent, the question
of birth does not arise. But in the case of the birth of ‘Īsā
(D), these factors are glaringly absent, i.e. the fact of birth
without the presence of the opposite gender and, therefore,
it can be explained only as a result of supernatural causes.
It is generally said that mediation for supernatural acts
is disbelief while it is permissible in the case of natural
acts. This concept derives from the ignorance of people
about the true definition of supernatural causes. These
people are guided only by a superficial definition, which
suggests that any phenomenon that is not adequately
explained by the world of causes is supernatural and that
which falls within its scope is natural. In order to
understand its true nature the example of the return of
Ya‘qūb’s eyesight seems to be quite apt. If the restoration
of vision comes about as a result of medical treatment or
surgical operation, it will fall within the ambit of the causes
and if the rehabilitation of eyesight takes place as a result
of merely placing the shirt on the face, it will fall beyond
the influence of causes which is generally described as a
supernatural phenomenon. This brief discussion proves
that:
1. If an effect occurs without causes, it is a supernatural
effect.
2. Intermediation through the supernatural causes is
endorsed by the Qur’ān and proved by the practice of
the prophets.
3. Idhhabū bi-qamīsī does not rely on any kind of
supplication nor on any medicine; it only records the
recovery of eyesight through the physical application of
the shirt. Therefore, it provides an illustration of
intermediation through the supernatural causes. If this
kind of intermediation were a negation of beliefs the
Qur’ān would never have permitted it because it
condemns all kinds of disbelief.
Here another point is clamouring for our attention, and
that is to declare valid an act of intermediation which is
engineered by natural cause and to declare it invalid
because it is brought about by supernatural causes is in
itself a kind of self-invented classification, which is
supported neither by the Qur’ānic verses nor by the
authentic traditions of the prophets. The correct Islamic
belief is that the real cause and helper is Allah Himself. No
one shares His qualities and attributes because, in view of
His uniqueness, any effort to associate partners with Him is
not only impracticable but also inconceivable. Disbelief is
disbelief at any place and in any context of situation.
Whether you sugar-coat it or present it as an ambiguous
temptation, it remains disbelief.
Natural and supernatural causes operate on entirely
different planes: while natural causes relate to outward
effects, supernatural causes relate to inner and spiritual
effects. There are a large number of issues in our lives,
which are resolved through natural causes, but there are
some issues, which are resolved internally and spiritually
without any recourse to outer and material causes. The fact
is that no effect is without a cause; only in some cases the
cause is manifest while in other cases it remains hidden and
it is revealed only to persons with gifted insight. If an act
happens without any apparent reliance on visible causes, it
is also really not without a cause; only the cause remains
generally invisible.
The gist of the discussion is that if we condemn
intermediation as a form of disbelief in supernatural
matters, it would be a direct violation of the Qur’ānic
injunctions and the traditional practices of the prophets. For
example, when Jibrīl (D) at Allah’s behest, appeared
before M aryam in human guise in connection with the birth
of ‘Īsā (D), he addressed her in these words:
I have been only sent by your Lord. (I

have come because) I should bless you with
a pure son.1
In this Qur’ānic verse Jibrīl (D) is attributing to
himself the blessing of the son which is absolutely
unsupported by external causes, i.e. to bless her with a son
without the presence of a father with just a puff of air is
1. Qur’ān (Maryam) 19:19.

only a supernatural act. But in this dialogue, one of Allah’s
superior angels is performing the act of intermediation.
Therefore, Qur’ānic verses cannot be falsified on the basis
of a self-coined belief. Intermediation is a Qur’ānic fact and
it is a legal act.
Argument No. 9: Self-humiliation and

helplessness as a form of means
Extreme self-humiliation, self-deflation, modesty and
helplessness are recommended means to crush one’s ego. If
someone prays to Allah in a state of self-laceration, his
emotional and mental state serves as a means to gain access
to Allah Who is deeply moved by the purity and intensity
of his prayer and grants his request.
The prayers of the Companions and the saints were
invariably effective because in their prayers they demeaned
themselves, lowered their egos and approached Allah in an
absolutely humble frame of mind. They shed all their
pretensions and placed themselves completely at the will
and mercy of their Lord. The prayers of Abū Bakr, ‘Alī,
Zayn-ul-‘Ābidīn and ‘Abd-ul-Qādir Jīlānī gush out of a
similar state of humility and self-lashing.
The same philosophy forms the basis of intermediation.
Something is offered to Allah in one’s prayer as a support
to enhance its chances of acceptance, rather it persuades
Allah to grant it even when He is disinclined to do so. It
awakens His mercy and He softens towards the prayee and
fulfils his desire. Anything which acts as means must either
be a sacred deed or some righteous person who enjoys
Allah’s blessings. It is on account of his personal sanctity
as an intermediary that Allah is moved to accept the prayer,
as Allah befriends those who seek His pleasure and He
never lets them down. So the granting of the prayer through
such an intermediary is an indirect acknowledgement of his
virtue and piety. Therefore, those who try to raise these
agents of intermediation to the level of divine partners are
the victims of rational purblindness. How can a person,
who himself is a humble servant of the Lord, and whose
very survival and integrity depends on His pleasure, ever
imagine to excel Him? This is only a malicious
disfigurement of reality.
It is recorded in the Qur’ān that when Adam (D)
committed the error, he besought Allah, stressing his
helplessness and his lowly state:
O our Lord! We have committed excess

against our lives. If You did not forgive us
and (did not) take mercy on us, we will
surely be among the losers. 1
In this prayer, Adam (D) has offered his own
helplessness and his utter sense of alienation as a source of
intermediation and asked for Allah’s mercy and
forgiveness. The authentic traditions also indicate that
Adam (D) also offered the mediation of the holy Prophet
(A) for the acceptance of his prayer and, as a result, he
was blessed with Allah’s forgiveness.
1. Qur’ān (al-A‘rāf) 7:23.

Argument No. 10: Prayer for the entire
Ummah as a source of intermediation
If one does not pray only for oneself as expressed in the
words ‘O Allah, have mercy on me,’ but prays for the
entire community as expressed in the words ‘O Allah, have
mercy on us – the entire community,’ this mode of prayer
in itself becomes a source of intermediation. It is stated in
the holy Qur’ān:
O our Lord! Now forgive our sins and

efface our mistakes (from our recorded
deeds) and give us death in the company of
virtuous people.1
Argument No. 11: Addition of the word

Rabb to the names of the righteous as a
form of means
The prayer proves effective if the word Rabb is added to
the name of a righteous person. For example, if one
addresses Allah as M uhammad's Lord or as the Lord of
some saint or virtuous person, the prayer gains in
effectiveness and itself becomes an agent of intermediation.
The Qur’ān says:

And, through your mercy, make me
1
among the righteous who are close to You.
Allah says in regard to those who have attained His
pleasure through noble acts and pious deeds and, therefore,
have achieved a level of self-contentment rarely available
to human beings on this earth. These are the people who
remain unruffled and unhinged even when the winds blow
harshly, the heat wave is sizzlingly inhospitable and the
cold is biting. As the Qur’ān states:
O contented self! Return to your Lord in

such a state that you should seek His
pleasure as well as be the object of His
pleasure (as if you desire His pleasure and
He desires your pleasure). So join My tested
servants and enter My Paradise (of nearness
and presence). 2
This Qur’ānic verse relates to a person who is about to
hear the glad tidings of Allah’s mercy, kindness and
nearness. Allah is proud of his obedience. He actually
gloats over his perseverance and sincerity in His service.
This man does not indulge his desires, rather he sacrifices
them for the collective happiness of the people. Each
moment of his life is focused on seeking Allah’s pleasure.
He crushes all those desires which tend to deflect his
concentration from righteous and pious deeds. Each phase
of his life is a confirmation of his faith in Allah, not a
1. Qur’ān (an-Naml) 27:19.

2. Qur’ān (al-Fajr) 89:27-30.
deviation from it. He is not under the thumb of his self,
rather his self is under his thumb and even the devil is
scared of seducing him because he knows that all his efforts
to derail him from the track of virtue are doomed to failure.
He sacrifices his comforts to win Allah’s pleasure. He is
totally in the infinite goodness of his Lord and this
immersion in virtue becomes a guarantee of his survival
and a source of that self-renewing contentment which
brings him increasingly closer to Allah. He achieves a level
of self-satisfaction which is denied to the common run of
people and he presents a perfect model of submission to the
will of the Lord. His own desires, which are usually self-
seeking, are pushed into the background and his leading
light is the will and pleasure of Allah. He is, in reality, one
of those honoured and exalted persons with whom Allah is
totally pleased. As a result, there is no dividing line
between such a person and the Lord Himself. When he
speaks, it seems as if the Lord is speaking through him;
when he talks, it sounds as if the Lord is talking through
him; when he walks, it appears as if the Lord Himself is
walking; even his hearing turns into a divine act of hearing.
In short, there is complete identity between him and the
Lord because a person who has achieved this level of self-
control shall never indulge in an act that can clash with the
will and pleasure of the Lord. He has been tested and
retested by Allah; as a result of his stresses and tribulations
Allah has vested him with such a high status. Therefore, if
one approaches Allah through people like him and say, “O
Lord of the righteous,” His mercy bubbles over and grants
the prayee’s wish. At that time He is not concerned about
the status of the petitioner; He is rather concerned about the
status of His own loyal servants who have attained His
pleasure. Therefore, to approach Allah through the
righteous people is also one of the practices of the Prophet
(A). After the Fajr prayer, the Prophet (A) used to
pray:
O Lord of Jibrīl, and Mīkā’īl, and Isrāfīl

and Muhammad! I seek Your protection
from the fire of Hell. 1
Shaykh M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī said, “Its
specific mention in his du‘ā’ is understood as tawassul, as
if he were saying, “O Allah, I ask You and I seek Jibrīl
(Gabriel), Isrāfīl, M ikā’īl (M ichael) and M uhammad the
Prophet (A) as means to You.” 2
Argument No. 12: Inte rmediation

through re membering the Lord
Allah says:
1. Hākim narrated it in al-Mustadrak (3:622) through Usāmah bin

‘Umayr; Tabarānī in al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (1:195#520); and
Haythamī in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (2:219). Nasā’ī also n arrated it
with a few di fferent words through ‘Ā’ishah in his Sunan (8:278);
Ahmad bin Hambal in Musnad (6:61); and Haythamī in Majma‘-
uz-zawā’id (10:104, 110).
2. Muhammad bin ‘Alawī al-Mālikī, Mafāhīm yajib an tusahhah
(p.153).
And (such) are these people that when
they commit a foul deed or wrong their own
lives, remember Allah and implore
forgiveness for their sins. And who can
forgive sins except Allah? 1
This Qur’ānic verse proves that when a man commits
sins and his life is soiled with smutty deeds, then
intermediation through the remembrance of Allah can serve
as a source of forgiveness of his sins.

through re membering the prophets and
the saints
To remember people whom Allah loves and who are very
close to Him on account of their virtuous acts is also a form
of intermediation. Surah al-Fātihah has listed a number of
righteous persons who can serve as intermediaries for
Allah’s blessings because these are the people whom He
has rewarded with special gifts – they are, in fact, the
prized ones in the divine estimation. The Qur’ān states:
The path of those on whom You

bestowed blessings. 2
At another occasion, the holy Qur’ān describes the
details of the people on whom His blessings have been
bestowed:

2. Qur’ān (al-Fātihah) 1:6.
And whoso obeys Allah and Messenger

(A) shall be among those (on the Day of
Judgement) upon whom Allah has bestowed
His (special) blessings – the prophets, the
truthful, the martyrs and the righteous – and
they are an excellent company. 1
Surah al-Fātihah contains all forms of intermediation.
As a matter of fact, the entire surah is an act of
intermediation as it is the essence of the Qur’ān. It
encourages the followers to approach Allah through the
divine unity, Prophethood and other pious persons. But,
here, in this verse, intermediation through the righteous
people is recommended because these are the ones with
whom Allah is pleased.

through Allah’s blessings
Allah says:
And remember Allah’s that blessing on

you. When you were (each other’s) enemies
but He created love in your hearts and you

became brothers on account of His
1
blessing.
And another occasion, He says:
And if you wish to count Allah’s

blessings, you won’t be able to count them
completely. Surely, Allah is infinitely
2
Forgiving, extremely Merciful.
You should remember Allah’s blessings and after
remembering these blessings seek His forgiveness and you
will find Him infinitely Forgiving. The Qur’ānic verse
elucidates the fact that the remembrance of Allah’s
blessings activates His attribute of mercy. A prayer,
therefore, which is based on recalling His blessings and His
kindness, can serve as an agent of intermediation by
offering itself as the petitioner’s expression of gratitude for
the inexhaustible kindnesses of the Lord and is finally
granted by Him. The Qur’ān itself bears witness to its
effectiveness:
If you are grateful, then I will increase

(blessings) on you.3
through the Lord’s promise
Allah has made a number of promises to the followers of
the Holy Prophet (A). If these promises are remembered

2. Qur’ān (an-Nahl) 16:18.
3. Qur’ān (Ibrāhīm) 14:7.
in a mood of concentration and offered as means while
praying, the prayer will be granted by Allah. The holy
Qur’ān states:
O our Lord! Bless us with all that which

You have promised through Your
messengers, and do not humiliate us on the
Day of Judgement. Surely You do not go
back on Your promise.1
The petitioner in his prayer addresses the Lord. He has
committed many sins and perpetrated a number of foul
deeds but he is now conscious of his sullied career and in a
spirit of total humility surrenders himself to the
overflowing mercy of the Lord saying: O Allah! Our deeds
are not such that we deserve Your mercy and forgiveness,
therefore, we pray to You through Your messengers that
may You keep us safe from the gruelling and scorching
heat and horrors of the Day of Judgement. We are holding
fast to your exalted prophets, we are following in their
footsteps and we are following the faith they have taught
us. Your prophets have also taught us that keeping on to
our faith is a means of our salvation and we believe in it
sincerely. Therefore, show us Your promise as daylight
because You always fulfil Your promises.

71
CHAPTER THREE
Rejection of Objections
against
Tawassul
In the last chapter I have made reference to only a few

verses out of hundreds of Qur’anic verses to explain the
concept of tawassul, which have helped in removing the
film of confusion and misconception that had enveloped it
over decades of prejudiced and semi-scholarly fumbling. If
we reflect on these divine injunctions in the light of a
correct understanding of the spirit of our religion, we will
not only be able to grasp the crux of Islamic faith but this
will also automatically serve to clarify a number of
misunderstandings that have gathered round the concept. It
will sort out the grain from the chaff, differentiating people
with correct and balanced understanding from those whose
interpretation is askew and exclusive. In this chapter I shall
attempt to answer the baseless objections which have been
levelled against the validity of tawassul as a religious
concept and establish its true meaning in the light of the
reasoning furnished by the Qur’an and the hadith.
Therefore, this chapter is divided into two sections. In the
first section, correct meanings of the Qur’anic verses are
given which are made a basis of arguments against
tawassul through flagrant misinterpretation. In the second
section, a correct assessment shall emerge as a result of the
form of intermediation followed by the prophets and the
saints, particularly in response to an objection, but strictly
in the light of the reasoning provided by Shariah.
SECTION ONE
Rectification of doubts
and errors
First objection: Tawassul is not valid
through another pe rson
Some people deny the valid status of intermediation
through the holy Prophet (A) by suggesting that it is not
an act performed by the petitioner himself. It is invalid
because it is not based on a personal act. These people
believe that only a personal good deed can act as a source
of intermediation. They cite the following Qur’anic verses
to justify the invalidity of intermediation through another
person:
Each man gets what he strives for. 1
And anyone who bears a burden shall

not bear the burden of another man.2
1. Qur’an (an-Najm) 53:39.

2. Qur’an (al-An‘ām) 6:164.
It is rewarded for whatever good it

earned and it is punished for whatever sin it
earned.1
Correct Stand on tawassul through another

person
This is based on the valid premise that in addition to the
petitioner, another’s act can also serve as a source of
intermediation. The Qur’anic verses which are marshalled
as arguments against the reality of intermediation are all
related to deeds and the reward or punishment for those
deeds. They are not related to prayer, the acceptance of
prayer and struggle to attain the nearness of Allah by
seeking means of approach to Him. In the case of
intermediation, a beloved object or a sacred person is
offered as a means for the fulfilment of one’s need. But
these Qur’anic verses are not even marginally concerned
with the theme of intermediation. Therefore, to quote them
as a justification for the irrelevance of intermediation is
both a logical and a semantic error. Besides, their
transposition from one context to the other also leads to
their contextual distortion, which amounts to disrespect and
sacrilege. In fact, to fit a Qur’anic verse into a preconceived
slot is the height of perversity and is not becoming of any
well-meaning M uslim.
The verse mentioned first simply means that whatever
man receives is a consequence of what he has done. It is a
1. Qur’an (al-Baqarah) 2:286.

reward or punishment for his actions, it does not involve
any other person as it revolves around the acts of a single
individual. No other individual, whether he is a relative or a
stranger, is associated with these acts. Their commission
and their consequences, whether they are favourable or
unfavourable, exclusively apply to the individual
concerned. While, in a discussion of intermediation, the act
and its implications of reward and punishment do not come
into the picture at all: it is only related to prayer; and at the
time of prayer seeking someone else for its acceptance
constitutes an act of intermediation.
Similarly, the second mentioned verse relates to the
burden of sin. It highlights the theme of accountability. It
means that we all bear burdens but these burdens are our
own. They relate to our own selves, to our own errors, and
to our own sins, and we cannot bear the burden of others.
They are accountable for their sins while we are
accountable for our sins. The two kinds of burden are not
interchangeable; they are mutually exclusive. Thus the
Qur’anic verse transparently applies the process of
accountability, which will be based on a comprehensive
evaluation of our acts. It has nothing to do whatsoever with
the act of intermediation. Therefore, to spin it out
unnecessarily and to fit it into the straitjacket of
intermediation with which it is not even remotely related, is
to disfigure its application, which comes close to a form of
heresy.
The third verse relates to commission and consequence.
This brief explanation makes it clear that all these Qur’anic
verses, from the thematic as well as the semantic point of
view, are extraneous to the discussion of intermediation.
The following tradition is an irrefutable argument in
support of the act of intermediation:
It is attributed to Abū Hurayrah that

Allah’s Messenger (A) said: When a
person dies, his acts are disconnected but
three acts are not disconnected: continuing
charity, knowledge that benefits mankind
and pious children who pray for him. 1
From the point of view of the tradition, even death
cannot terminate these three human acts and man will
continue to receive their reward and recompense even after
his death:
1. The first of these acts is the continuing act of charity.
For example, someone constructs a mosque or an
educational institution or a road or hospital; or finances
a campaign or an organization for the dissemination and
resurgence of Islamic faith; or funds a struggle for the
welfare of the poor and the needy, he will continue to
receive their reward as long as they survive.
1. Muslim narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of wasiyyah (will) ch.3

(3:1255#1631); Abū Dāwūd in Sunan, b. of wasāyā (wills and
testaments), 3:117 (#2880); Nasā’ī in Sunan, b. of wasāyā (6:251);
Tirmidhī in al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of akhām (judgements) ch.36
(3:660#1376) and graded it hasan (fair) and sahīh (sound); Ahmad
bin Hambal in Musnad (2:372); Bayhaqī in as-Sunan -ul-kubrā
(6:278); Baghawī in Sharh-us-sunnah (1:300#139) and declared it
sahīh; and Muhammad Khatīb Tabrīzī in Mishkāt-ul-masābīh, b. of
‘ilm (knowledge), 1:104 (#203).
2. Similarly, beneficial knowledge. For example, a scholar
teaches someone and he continues to teach others, or he
writes a book on religion or some branch of knowledge
or does research for any useful work for Allah’s
pleasure. As long as his ideas are transmitted to
mankind through his pupils and work, and human
beings benefit from them or that book remains a part of
the syllabi of various universities in the world and the
people find it positively rewarding, he will continue to
reap the reward of his efforts.
3. There is an agreement on the continuing act of charity,
and beneficial knowledge that they can act as sources of
intermediation but the tradition also refers to pious
children. They can also serve as an act of continuing
charity for their parents. Their good deeds are a source
of benefit to the parents even after death. As a matter of
fact, the acts of the pious children constitute an act
performed by someone else but they serve as a source
of intermediation for the parents.
It should be noted here that good deeds are being
performed by the children but they are serving as a means
of salvation for the parents after their death. This example
proves that the act of one man benefits another man. The
act of continuing charity was his personal act, which will
continue to benefit him as long as the act continues.
Similarly, through his knowledge and research, he
disseminated virtue and guidance. This was also his
personal act and he will continue to receive its reward, both
in this world and the next. But the good deeds of his
children are not his deeds, and yet he is garnering their
reward. Those pious deeds are now serving as the means of
the parents’ redemption. Thus, this tradition proves the fact
that one’s own good deeds are not the only means of
intermediation but the deeds of others can also play this
role and benefit the other person.
Second objection: Good deeds of one’s

children are not deeds of others
Those who cling to the principle that only one’s own acts
are the valid means and the acts of others are invalid as
means, interpret the tradition in a different sense altogether.
They say that a good child is surely his son and shares his
lineage, but it is the upbringing of his father that has turned
him into a pious person. Therefore, whatever the son does
will be directly considered his own act. Whatever good
deeds he performs will automatically benefit his father and,
therefore, they will be regarded his own unmediated deeds.
And they cite the following tradition as a clinching
argument for their interpretation:
Whosoever sets a good precedent in

Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act
of goodness) and the reward of that also
who acted after him according to its
subsequence. 1
1. Muslim, as-Sahīh b. of zakat (obligatory charity) ch.20

(2:705#1017); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (4:357 & 359);
Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (4:175); and Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī,
Fath-ul-bārī (13:302).
Correct view
This is in fact a misinterpretation of the tradition. This is
their modus operandi in understanding the import of
traditions. They twist their meanings out of shape and focus
on the sense that suits their fallacious point of view. It is
their normal practice to decontextualize the traditions and
dress them in robes tailored by their whims and runaway
fancies. Thus the meanings they draw out of the traditions
are absolutely unrelated to their themes. If the reader or the
listener is mentally alert, he/she will at once come to know
the reality of the situation, but a common reader or listener
is generally flustered by these misinterpretations.
This is part of their conscious design to mislead the
credulous people. The common man, on account of his
ignorance and lack of understanding, is easily swayed by
their highly capricious, rather malicious, explanations, and
treats them as correct interpretations of the Qur’anic verses.
In such a state of affairs he will remain a victim of
ambiguity or uncertainty unless he turns for clarification to
a religious scholar who is gifted with both vision and
knowledge to interpret them correctly and in the right spirit
in which they were revealed. Allah says:
So you should ask people of knowledge if

you yourselves do not know (about
something).1
It is not being discussed in this tradition whether the
good deeds of the children are also the good deeds of the
1. Qur’an (an-Nahl) 16:43.

parents or not. What is being discussed is the clear and
untwisted fact that the good deeds of the children not only
benefit themselves but they also benefit their parents
although these have not been performed by them. It makes
it further clear that after the death of the parents, children
will perform good deeds for their personal benefit alone
(which of course is the motive behind these deeds). But
their parents will also receive a share of the reward which
logically ensues from the commission of good deeds.
Similarly, a number of Qur’anic verses are cited by these
malevolent scholars to reject the concept of intermediation
and to bring home to the gullible people that it is not
permissible in Islam. One of these verses is as follows:
And (O beloved,) when My servants ask

you about Me, (tell them,) “I am Near. I
answer the caller whenever he calls Me. So
they should obey and have (firm) faith in Me
so that they may find the (right path).” 1
To draw the inference from this Qur’anic verse that to
call anyone except Allah is improper as Allah Himself
hears the call and acknowledges it with His blessing, is
quite incorrect. The correct position is that it is Allah Alone
Who listens to people’s prayers and grants them; it is He
Alone Who fulfils our needs. But it is also quite proper to

process these prayers through some prophet or saint to
expedite their acceptance as it has been debated in the last
chapter at length.
The following Qur’anic verses are also offered as
argument against the validity of intermediation and
intercession:
And fear the day when no soul shall

serve as a substitute for another soul, nor
shall intercession (of a person) be accepted
for it (who does not have Allah’s
permission), nor shall any money (as
ransom) be taken from it, nor shall (against
Allah’s will) they be helped. 1
You should keep in mind that all the Qur’anic verses,
which are supposed to deny the relevance of intercession
are meant only for the non-believers and hypocrites who
are the fuel of the hell. These are not meant for the
believers, as the theme of intercession is relevant only to
them. The non-believers are not even marginally concerned
with them because the fact of intercession is, first of all,
related to belief. And if one is deprived of this precious
asset either through perversity or as a result of some divine
curse, or if someone possesses it but it fluctuates like the
flame of a flickering candle or it is wobbly as jelly,
intercession will have no value for him. Therefore,
intercession is being devalued or negated for the non-

believers. The implication is, and there is sound logic
behind it, that when these non-believers do not subscribe
even to the basic values of Islam, how can they be expected
to appreciate the phenomena like intercession and
intermediation. Therefore, the value of intercession is
directly based on the value of faith. Since the non-believers
reject the faith, it is only logical for them to reject
intercession. But the believers accept faith as well as what
is derived from it. Thus, on the Day of Judgement, the
prophets and the righteous will intercede for their
followers, the Holy Prophet (A) will be appointed to the
highest station to make intercession a reality and the non-
believers will be wailing and crying in an agony of
repentance, ignorance and missed opportunities. As it is
stated:
So (today) we have no intercessor nor

any bosom friend.1
They have no one who will intercede on their behalf,
nor anyone who can put in a word of recommendation for
them. They are friendless on a day when the need for a
friend is agonizingly felt. They are stranded and completely
alienated. All they can do is cry and wail. Their cries are a
proof of the fact of intercession on the Day of Judgement.
If there were no intercession, the non-believers would not
have cried; on the other hand, they would have exulted in
the baseless expectations of the believers, their cries would
have been replaced by fits of ridicule and sarcasm. Thus
1. Qur’an (ash-Shu‘arā’) 26:100-1.

their moaning and wailing proves the truth of intercession
through this Qur’anic verse. It means all the promised and
positive things will be there, but the non-believers will look
only wistfully at them, as they will be inaccessible to them.
Only the believers will benefit from them.
Therefore, to apply the Qur’anic verses to the believers,
which were actually revealed for the non-believers and
were meant to be applied to them is both improper and
perverse. Our sense of propriety demands that we should
distinguish between believers and non-believers because it
is this basic distinction that decides the division and
distribution of rewards and punishments. Therefore, these
verses cannot be made as the basis of arguments against the
reality of intercession. If intercession is not allowed to the
non-believers as a favour and a concession, it does not
follow that it is also disallowed to the believers. Thus
intercession is a fact but it is exclusively reserved for the
believers.
Need for a correct understanding of Qur’anic

verses
It is extremely vital to clearly grasp the meanings of
Qur’anic verses, especially those which deal with delicate
problems. To determine their context and then to explain
their genesis and application within these contextual
bounds results in a sound interpretation of these verses as
well as a clarification of the niggling issues they are
revealed to explicate. To fix these bounds of sanity is even
more relevant in the present sectarian and polemical
environment where each sect tries to browbeat the other
sect, and does not hesitate to twist the meaning of a
Qur’anic verse out of shape to make his opponent lick the
dust. In their sectarian frenzy they do not seem to realize
that they are doing a great disservice to their faith. In most
cases, their egotistical concerns drive out religious concerns
and they bend and twirl the meanings of these verses to
pamper their bloated selves. Therefore, in such a situation it
is necessary to determine the contextual and semantic range
and relevance of a Qur’anic verse. In this regard the
collective consensus of sound religious scholars and
exegetes should be kept in mind, and any interpretation that
strays too far from the text or highlights only marginal
issues as a purely innovative exercise, should either be
discarded altogether or downplayed to minimize its
significance. Such interpretations, posing to be modernistic,
are generally inspired by malicious motives to strike at the
solid moorings of our faith. Therefore, all such
interpretations should be discouraged and one way to
discourage them is to be indifferent to them. In this way,
the M uslims will learn to follow the correct interpretation
and gradually this attitude will moderate the unnecessary
tensions that exist between various sects.
Third objection: To attain nearness to

Allah, tawassul is invalid as worship of
anyone except Allah is invalid
One objection against tawassul is based on the following
reasoning:
The non-believers used to say, while worshipping the
idols, that they worshipped them to attain nearness to
Allah. Just as worshipping idols in order to be close to
Allah is an invalid act, similarly if someone relies on an
intermediary to be near to Him, it will also be regarded as
invalid. In support of their argument, they offer the
following Qur’anic verse:
We worship them merely because they

may bring us near to Allah. 1
This holy verse makes it clear that the non-believers
worshipped the idols to attain nearness to Allah; they did
not treat them as the creator. It only served as a means of
accessibility to Allah but Allah rejected this form of
intermediation.
Reply: Worship of non-Allah cannot be proved

by the argument for intermediation
The fact is that the Qur’anic verse neither denies nor rejects
intermediation. This kind of reasoning against the validity
of intermediation is based on sheer ignorance and
prejudice. This Qur’anic verse is specifically revealed to
reject the worship of anyone except Allah, and no form of
reasoning can convert the illegal nature of such an act into
a legal injunction. The non-believers worshipped the idols
but Islam declared it illegal and equated it with disbelief.
When Islam condemned their worship of idols as
forbidden, they argued in favour of the sanity of their
traditional practice. Instead of accepting their worship of
idols as an illegal act as declared by Islam, they started
looking for lame justifications, i.e. they did not worship the
idols as the creator but they worshipped them to acquire
1. Qur’an (az-Zumar) 39:3.

nearness to Allah. They used the idols only as a form of
intermediation and their target was only to come close to
Allah.
The Qur’anic verse rejects this argument. Even if
someone worships non-Allah as a means to come closer to
Allah, it is treated by Islam as a kind of disbelief and a
forbidden act and no argument can make it valid.
Now the question arises why did the non-believers rely
on mediation to legalize their illegal acts? It is an
established fact that the one, who is arguing, is arguing on
the basis of the beliefs and convictions of his addressee. In
his discussion he brings forward an argument which is not
only acceptable to his opponent but is also a part of his
belief. Relying on this argument, he tries to argue with him
so that he may accept the legality of his act on the basis of
his argument. On the contrary, if he knows that idol
worship is a form of disbelief for the addressee and he has a
similar attitude towards all forms of intermediation, in that
case, the non-believer would never have relied on idolatry
and intermediation as justifications for their idolatrous
practice. Therefore, for the non-believers to argue for the
legality of their illegal acts on the basis of intermediation is
an ugly attempt to legalize the forbidden act of idol
worship. They were well aware of the fact that the Holy
Prophet (A) and the Companions regarded it as valid
practice. If they had known that Islam treated
intermediation as an invalid act, they would never have
argued with the Holy Prophet (A) and the Companions
on its basis to justify their idolatry. Thus the very fact of
their reliance on intermediation for the vindication of their
idol worship clearly proves that intermediation is a legal act
in Islam.
But Allah rejected their argument. Even though the
form of intermediation practised by them was popular and
valid, it could not transform disbelief into a legal act as all
forms of disbelief are strictly forbidden. Thus even an
argument based on the noble concept of intermediation
cannot purify idolatry from the virus of disbelief. Thus
disbelief is disbelief, and even if it takes a billion
somersaults, and changes colours like a chameleon, it will
remain disbelief. Allah refused to accept the argument in its
favour. As the holy Qur'an states:
Surely Allah does not forgive that a

partner be associated with Him but a
smaller (sin whatever it is,) He forgives for
whomsoever He pleases.1
He forgives every sin except the sin of associating
partners with Him. The commission of this kind of sin is an
act, which is unacceptable and unpardonable under all
circumstances. Thus the gist of the holy verse is that Allah
rejects disbelief, no matter what robes it is dressed in or
what language it is phrased in; He does not reject
intermediation because it is an absolutely valid act in Islam.
1. Qur’an (an-Nisā’) 4:48.

First similitude
Suppose a son is giving shoe beating to his mother. The
father catches hold of him and asks him why is he beating
up his mother. The son says he would never have done it,
as he knows it is an uncivilized act, but he has done it
because she was hurling filthy abuses at him. His argument
is based on the psychology of his father. He knows that his
father is allergic to filthy abuses, and he thought that an
argument based on filthy abuses would cool down his
father’s boiling anger and he would say to him, “Well, son,
you have done the right thing. A person who pours out
filthy abuses at others must be given such lesson.” But,
instead, he gave him a few slaps and said to him, “There is
no doubt that hurling abuses is bad, but after all, she is your
mother and you have no right to beat her.” Thus his
argument based on abuse was rejected. But the rejection of
the argument does not imply that throwing abuses at others
is a valid act. It does not justify the act of shoe beating.
Similarly, the argument based on its defence is also
discarded.
In the same way when the non-believers and infidels
were asked, “Why do you worship the idols?” They replied,
“We worship them as a form of intermediation, we do not
regard them as the creator or as worthy of worship in
themselves.” But their argument that justified the worship
of non-Allah as a form of intermediation was refuted. Thus
their argument in favour of intermediation cannot justify
their idol worship.
Second similitude
An impure object cannot be made pure by giving an
argument based on a pure object, nor can a forbidden act be
legalized by simply fabricating an argument for its
justification. Suppose someone says that he drinks. When
someone asks him why does he drink and he replies that he
drinks to dilute his grief. He can be told that there are
countless ways to relieve one’s grief or the intensity of
one’s sorrow. Drinking, which is a forbidden act, is not the
only way; for example, he may stroll in a garden, do some
exercise, inhale the cool morning breeze, remember Allah,
concentrate on prayer, in short, he has a wide range of valid
choices on hand to find solace for his grief.
Now as far as the argument of finding relief for one’s
grief is concerned, it is quite valid but how can it validate
the act of drinking? One finds it difficult to swallow the
inference. The argument does not mellow the evil act of
drinking, the argument based on relief cannot legalize it.
Similarly, the argument of the non-believers was fallacious
to justify their idolatry. Since idolatry is essentially an un-
Islamic act, it could not be justified by any means, not even
by an argument grounded in intermediation, which is
otherwise an Islamic act.
As far as soliciting nearness to Allah is concerned, there
are numerous valid means to achieve it. Idol worship is not
a valid means. It is forbidden, as it is a form of disbelief.
Therefore, only valid means must be employed to attain the
nearness and pleasure of Allah. Idolatry is not a means of
His nearness; it is rather the cause of His punishment.
Fourth objection: Prophets and saints
we re the mselves in search of mediation
One objection that flows from their slick tongues as coffee
from a press-button percolator is that those who are close to
Allah, and on whom we tend to rely as intermediaries, are
themselves in search of a means to gain close access to
Allah. Since they themselves are looking for support, how
can they be expected to support others? On the basis of this
reasoning, they declare that reliance on the prophets and the
saints as intermediaries is invalid. And to validate their
invalid viewpoint they rely on the following Qur’anic verse
by misrepresenting its essence:
Those, whom they worship (that is, the

angels, jinn, ‘Īsā (D) and ‘Uzayr (D) etc.,
- they make their portraits and statues and
worship them), they (themselves) seek
nearness to their Lord, through those who
among them are the nearest (to Allah’s
presence). 1
Proof for the justification of tawassul in the holy

verse
This Qur’anic verse furnishes a strong argument in favour
of intermediation. To infer from it that the prophets and the
righteous are themselves in search of mediation to have
access to Allah and, therefore, they cannot serve as means
1. Qur’an (al-Isrā’) 17:57.

of nearness to Him is invalid. The question arises if they
themselves are pious and, therefore, near to Allah on
account of their piety, then what other means are they
seeking to possess what they already possess. The answer is
provided by the Qur’an itself. Ayyuhum aqrab are the
people who are nearer to Allah and the prophets and the
righteous rely on them as intermediaries. This shows that
intermediation is a graded process. There are those who are
the nearest to Allah and there are those who are less near,
while still there are others – who are on the periphery. Thus
there are different grades of nearness and the process of
drawing near to Allah is infinite. Those who are the closest
to Him are trying to be still closer and those who are closer
to these are trying to be closer to the ones who are the
closest to Him. Thus, if intermediation is being practised by
Him on intimates, how can it be declared invalid for the
common man?
SECTION T WO
Tawassul through the

prophets and the righteous
(In fact tawassul through virtuous deeds)
Objection
Those who are against intermediation through the prophets,
the righteous and the saints, argue that it is their deeds that
particularize them and, therefore, serve as a source of
intermediation for them. How can an intermediatee whose
own salvation depends on his good deeds serve as a means
of redemption for another man? Therefore, only good deeds
serve as the basis of intermediation, not the personalities of
the righteous people.
Ans wer
I do not consider this stand as valid. We rely on the
prophets, the righteous and the saints and offer them as a
means of access to Allah on account of our limitless love
and devotion for them. The choice of means is justified
only by the presence of love. It is also an established fact
that to love those who are near and dear to Allah is in itself
a virtuous act and this is obviously an argument which
cannot be rebutted by any other argument, no matter how
subtle or elaborate or tantalizing it may be.
1. Love of Allah’s favourites as a form of

mediation
The petitioner is acting for himself because he loves those
whom Allah loves. He is in fact saying: ‘O Lord, I love
Your friend, the holy Prophet (A), and I love the
orthodox Caliphs, the Companions, the Successors and
their followers, the saints and the righteous. I offer this love
to You as the source of intermediation so that You grant
my prayer and fulfil my need.’ It means love of Allah’s
favoured ones becomes a means of the prayer’s acceptance.
There is no doubt that love of Allah’s favourites is not only
the fulfilment of a divine command but is also a great
virtuous deed. It is narrated by Abū Hurayrah:
Allah’s Messenger (A) said: When

Allah loves some person, He sends for Jibrīl
and commands him: Verily, I love such and
such person; you should also love him, so
Jibrīl loves him as well. Then Jibrīl
proclaims in the heavens that Allah loves
such and such person; you should also love
him. Then the residents of the heavens love
him as well. Then his love is sent down to
1
the earth (the world).
First of all, Allah elevated His Own obedient servant to
the status of His beloved, then He commanded Jibrīl and all
other angels that they should love His servant. The angels,
following the divine command, also made him their
beloved. In this all the heavenly creatures shared the divine
love for His beloved servant. But the matter does not end
here. Allah descended this love for His servant down on
this earth and then created a niche for the love and
popularity of His servant in every heart and every creature
fell in love with him. It follows that to love those who are
loved by Allah is a divine command. From this point of
view this act of loving is in itself a virtuous act in which
Allah is not only Himself involved but He has also
involved His angels as well as the creatures of the earth.
When this act is endorsed not only by the practice of the
prophets but also a popular act performed by the creatures
of the earth and the heavens, then what could be a better
virtuous act in favour of the petitioner.
1. Muslim transmitted it in his as-Sahīh, b. of birr was-silah wal-

ādāb (virtue, good manners and joining of the ties of relationship)
ch.48 (4:2030#2637); Bakhārī narrated it at three places in his as-
Sahīh: b. of bad’-ul-khalq (beginning of creation) ch.6
(3:1175#3037), b. of adab (good manners) ch.41 (5:2246#5693),
and b. of tawhīd (Islamic monotheism) ch.33 (6:2721#7047);
Ahmad bin Hambal in Musnad (2:413); Mālik bin Anas in al-
Muwattā, b. of sha‘ar (hair) ch.5 (2:953#15); and Muhammad
Khatīb Tabrīzī in Mishkāt-ul -masābīh, b. of ādāb (good manners)
ch.16 (3:74#5005).
2. Reciprocal nearness of lover and beloved on
the Day of Judgement
True love is that virtuous act which draws the lover
increasingly closer to the beloved. It is narrated by Anas
bin M ālik:
A person called on the Holy Prophet

(A) and said to him: O Messenger of
Allah, when is the Hour (the Day of
Judgement)? The Holy Prophet (A) stood
up for prayer. After performing the prayer
he said: where is the person who had asked
about the Hour? That person replied: O
Messenger of Allah, I am here. He said:
what preparation have you made for that
(Hour)? He submitted: O Messenger of
Allah, I have offered neither many prayers
nor kept many fasts, but I know that much
that I love Allah and His Messenger. On
hearing this, Allah’s Messenger (A)
commented that (on the Day of Judgement)
a person will be with him whom he loves
and you will be judged along with him. It is
reported that, after accepting Islam, this
made the Muslims happier than anything
1
else had made them in the past.
This tradition proves that whereas prayer, fast, zakat
and hajj are virtuous acts and their performance entitles a
man to a set of rewards, similarly love is also an act of
virtue, which results in nearness to his beloved. The words
of the tradition themselves endorse love as a virtuous act.
When the Holy Prophet (A) asked the petitioner: what
preparation have you made for the Day of Judgement? He
replied: ‘O M essenger of Allah! My acts do not include
big-ticket deeds like prayer and fast, but the act of loving
Allah and His M essenger (A) is one of my deeds.’ The
1. Tirmidhī narrated it in al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of zuhd (piety) ch.50

(4:595#2385), and graded it sahīh (sound); Ahmad bin Hambal in
Musnad (3:104, 168, 178, 200); Ibn Hibbān, as-Sahīh (1:182, 308-
9#8,105; 16:345#7348); Baghawī, Sharh-us-sunnah (13:60-
4#3475-9). Bukhārī also narrat ed it with different words in his as-
Sahīh, b. of fadā’il-us-sahābah (merits of the Companions) ch.6
(3:1349#3485), b. of adab (good manners) ch.95, 96 (5:2282-
3#5815-9), and b. of ahkām (judgements) ch.10 (6:2615#6734);
Muslim in as-Sahīh, b. of birr was-silah wal-ādāb (virtue, good
manners and joining of the ties of relationship) ch.50 (4:2032-
3#2639); Ahmad bin Hambal in Musnad
(3:110,165,167,172,173,207,208,255,276); ‘Abd-ur-Razzāq, al-
Musannaf (11:199#20317); Humaydī, Musnad (2:502#1190); Ibn
Abū Shaybah, al-Musannaf (15:169#19407); Abū Ya‘lā, Musnad
(5:144#2758; 6: 36,256#3280-1, 3557); Ibn Hibbān, as-Sahīh
(2:323-4#563-5); Tabarānī, al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (3:183#3061);
Bayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul-īmān (1:380,387#462,498; 2:130-1#1379); and
Muhammad Khatīb Tabrīzī in Mishkāt-ul-masābīh, b. of adab
(good manners) ch.16 (3:75#5009).
Prophet (A) replied that as each act has a reward,
similarly the act of loving has also a reward. A person will
be judged along with the man he loves and you will be
judged on the Day of Judgement along with the man you
love. It means that this man, simply on account of his love
for the Holy Prophet (A), will be judged with him. He
will be in the Prophet’s company and this is a promise
made by the Prophet (A) himself and this is Allah’s
promise as well. Besides, this promise is not restrictive; it
has a general application; it applies to the Companions, the
Successors, their followers, even the entire M uslim
community.
Love of Allah’s M essenger (A) is an act, which not
only earns the lover a number of blessings through the
agency of his beloved on this earth but also brings him
closer to his beloved in the next world. Since the word
hubb (love) here is used in a generic sense, it equally
applies to all forms and grades of love. Its litmus test is
sincerity as insincere love is a travesty of true love and,
therefore, not only repulsively hideous but also morally
revolting. This comment is vindicated by the words of Anas
bin M ālik that after accepting Islam, he had never found the
M uslims happier than he found them on hearing this
explanation.
This tradition conclusively proves that the love of
Allah’s favoured people serves as a source of
intermediation for divine blessings. And when the servant
prays to Allah, he, in fact, is saying: My M aster, the love I
have for Your beloved Prophet (A), and the love I have
for the Companions, the Successors and the righteous on
account of You, I offer this act of love as mediation to You
and request You to grant my such and such need for their
sake. The servant’s love for Allah’s favoured ones is an act
that enjoys Allah’s blessings and this very act becomes a
source of intermediation for the servant.
3. Love for Allah’s lovers is the cause of divine

love
The servant, following the divine commands, performs all
kinds of worship: he offers prayer, keeps fast, performs hajj
and pays zakat. In short, he fulfils all his obligations. These
acts have a twofold significance. On the one hand, he is
implementing the divine commands; on the other hand, he
earns the reward for these acts. The range and scope of
these rewards include a place in Paradise for him. But the
highest and the most cherished prize is the pleasure of
Allah. To secure this prize, he spends every moment of his
life in doing things which please Allah. And he does not
restrict his remembrance of Allah only to a specific
schedule or timetable but it straddles his entire life. No
matter where he is, or what he is doing, he never forgets the
Lord. The focus of his love or enmity is Allah Alone. The
following tradition is about such lovers of Allah:
It is narrated by M u‘ādh bin Jabal that he heard the
M essenger of Allah (A) saying:
Allah the Exalted and Almighty said: My

love has been made obligatory for those two
persons who love each other on My count
and spend time together for My sake, and
see each other for My sake and give money
1
to each other generously for My sake.
Allah states in this tradition: those of My servants who
love one another on M y count, and also love those who
love one another for M y sake, then My love for them
becomes mandatory and obligatory. I own them as my
beloveds. Their object is not any ulterior gain. They spend
time together in search of My pleasure. They spend money
because they want only to please M e and not to display
their riches and they call on each other, not out of any
personal or selfish motive, but only out of their love for
M e. Such are the people who deserve My love and
uncounted blessings. Now a petitioner loves the Holy
Prophet (A), members of the Prophet’s family, the
Companions, the saints and the righteous people simply
because the basis of his love is the love of Allah. By loving
these people, he himself in return is loved by Allah. Thus
all these forms are various links in the chain of love which
is ultimately the love of Allah, and these expressions and
acts of love eventually draw him closer to Allah and he
acquires a favoured status. Thus the petitioner’s act of love
is regarded by Allah as a virtuous as well as a favourite act
and it is graded higher than the other virtuous acts mainly
because in this act the Lord Himself is one of the
participants and it is uncertain whether the other acts will
1. This sahīh (sound) hadith narrated by Mālik bin Anas in al-

Muwattā, b. of sha‘ar (hair) ch.5 (2:954#16), and Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr
said its chain is good. Ahmad bin Hambal also transmitted it in his
Musnad (5:233); Hākim in al-Mustadrak (4:169), who graded it
sahīh, and also confirmed by Dhahabī; Baghawī in Sharh-us-
sunnah, (13:49-50#3463); Muhammad Khatīb Tabrīzī in Mishkāt-
ul-masābīh, b. of ādāb (good manners) ch.16 (3:75#5011).
find divine acceptance or not. But love of the saints and the
favourites of Allah is an act which transforms the petitioner
into Allah’s beloved. In this way its acceptance is
guaranteed.
4. Love for the sake of Allah results in higher

grades
Love of the servants of Allah brings one not only nearer to
Him but also helps him in securing higher grades.
It is narrated by ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb that the Prophet
(A) said:
Among Allah’s servants there are some

who are neither prophets nor martyrs but on
the Day of Judgement the prophets and the
martyrs will envy their grades. The
Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah,
tell us, who are those people? He replied:
‘those are the people who love one another
on Allah’s count. They are neither related to
one another nor do they have any property
to exchange. I swear on Allah that they will
have faces of light, they will be on pulpits of
light. They will not have any fear when
others will be afraid, they will not have any
grief when others will be aggrieved.’ Then
he recited the verse: Beware! No doubt,
there is no fear for the friends of Allah nor
shall they be sad and sorrowful. [Qur’an
(Yūnus) 10:62].1
On the Day of Judgement when people will be
scrambling selfishly for personal safety and survival,
everybody will be overawed by the overwhelming presence
of Allah, there will be a few people untouched by this
pushing, shoving and jostling. They will be content and an
unbelievable serenity will be visible on their faces.
Everyone will envy their unruffled calmness; even the
prophets and the saints will be deeply impressed by the
halo of tranquillity hovering around their faces. Their
highly-graded position will be a feast for every eye. The
Companions asked in amazement: O M essenger of Allah,
who are these people? The Holy Prophet (A) replied:
these are the people who love one another and the basis of
their mutual love is neither blood relationship nor
abundance of wealth, they love one another only for the
sake of Allah. Thus the basis of their love is in fact their
shared love of Allah. Their rewards and grades derive
1. Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of ijārah (wages) 3:288 (#3527); Bayhaqī,

Shu‘ab-ul-īmān, (6:486#8998,8999); Muhammad Khatīb Tabrīzī,
Mishkāt-ul-masābīh, b. of adab (good manners) ch.16 (3:75-
6#5012).
directly from this source. On this day their faces will emit
rays of light and they will be seated on pulpits of light.
The tradition has clearly established the fact that people
who love one another simply because they love Allah
deserve high rewards and grades on the Day of Judgement
and they will receive these precious gifts through the
mediation of Allah’s favourites because their love of these
intimate friends is based fundamentally on their love of
Allah from which basic source it draws its strength and
influence.
5. Love of Allah’s friends is the cause of Allah’s

love
Love of holy men and saints is an act which earns the
servant not only the love of Allah but also draws him closer
to Him.
It is reported by Abū Hurayrah that the M essenger of
Allah (A) said:
If two persons love each other on Allah’s

count, and if one of them is in the east and
the other in the west, Allah will bring them
together on the Day of Resurrection and He
will say: This is the man you loved on my
1
count.
It is now established that intermediation through the
prophets, the holy persons and the saints is quite valid
whether it is by invoking their name in prayer, or by
physical presence in their companionship or through
expressions of love for them. This act of intermediation is
correct and legally permissible. A detailed discussion on
this issue will be found in the sixth chapter. For the time
being, in the light of Qur’anic injunctions and relevant
traditions, it should be kept in mind that intermediation
through the servants of Allah, who are His favourites and
who are the righteous, is quite valid and is compatible with
Islamic teachings. The doubts and objections expressed
against this form of intermediation are baseless and
grounded in prejudice. People who oppose intermediation
through Allah’s favourites and holy men need to revamp
the very basis of their faith. I have made it clear that we
rely on holy persons as sources of intermediation on
account of our love for them and loving a holy person is in
itself a virtuous act. Therefore, intermediation through
these holy men is in fact intermediation through virtuous
deeds and this kind of intermediation based on righteous
deeds is universally permissible in Islam.
1. Bayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul-īmān, (6:492#9022); Muhammad Khatīb

Tabrīzī, Mishkāt-ul-masābīh, b. of ādāb (good manners) ch.16
(3:77#5024); ‘Alā’-ud-Dīn ‘Alī, Kanz-ul-‘ummāl (9:4#24646).
107
CHAPTER FOUR
The Doctrine of Tawassul

(In the Light of Sacred Traditions)
The Doctrine of T awassul (In the Light of Sacred Traditions) 109
Purging disbelief in Muhammad's followers

Allah has conferred infinite blessings on the followers of
the Holy Prophet (A). One of these blessings is their
impossibility to return to disbelief after embracing Islam. It
happened in the past that the followers of a particular
prophet returned to their earlier state of ignorance and
disbelief after his death. But this shall not happen to the
followers of the Holy Prophet (A). The Prophet of Allah
(A) in the last days of his earthly sojourn had himself
declared that he had no fears that his followers will relapse
into disbelief after his death. As M uslims, we should reflect
on his words. The Prophet (A) who was sent to this
world to quash disbelief and all forms of impermissible
innovation, who is our primary source of guidance and who
is our ultimate means of salvation, is saying that he has no
doubts lurking in his mind about their steady and
irreversible belief, while we are hurling allegations of
disbelief at one another to cater to our false sense of
superiority or to pamper our egotism based on prejudice
and sheer stubbornness. What could be more unfortunate
than this mutual incrimination?
It is narrated in a tradition:
‘Uqbah bin ‘Āmir has narrated: The

Prophet (A) one day went to (Uhud) and
offered prayer for the natives (martyrs) of
Uhud as it is (generally) offered for the
dead. Then he returned to the pulpit and
said: I am your forerunner and I am a
witness on you. By Allah! I am right now
seeing the basin of my fountain (kawthar),
and I have been handed over the keys of the
treasures of the earth (or the keys of the
earth). I swear on Allah, I have no fears that
after me you will return to disbelief but I am
apprehensive that you will try to outdo each
other in acquiring worldly goods. 1
This is a statement made by the Prophet (A) himself.
He has sworn on Allah about his followers that they will
not revert to disbelief. The Prophet’s words call for deep
reflection and serious soul-searching. We brush aside the
1. Bukhārī narrated this tradition in his as-Sahīh with different words

at six various places, i.e. b. of janā’iz (funerals) ch.71
(1:451#1279); b. of manāqib (virtues) ch.22 (3:1317#3401); b. of
maghāzī (the military expeditions led by the Prophet) ch.14, 25
(4:1486, 1498-9 #3816, 3857); b. of riqāq (softening of hearts)
ch.7, 53 (5:2361, 2408#6062, 6218); Tabarānī, al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr
(17:278-80#767-70); Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (4:14); Baghawī,
Sharh-us-sunnah (14:39-41#3822-3); ‘Alā’-ud-Dīn ‘Alī, Kanz-ul-
‘ummāl (14:416#39122).
Prophet’s statement when we accuse one another of
disbelief. This tradition has been reproduced by Imam
1 2
M uslim and Imam Ahmad bin Hambal . Repeated
references to this tradition by people of such calibre and
prestige, and our dogged defiance of its contents are
nothing but harrowing unawareness of the real spirit of our
faith.
Intermediation, which has been established as a valid
act in Islam by countless Qur’ānic injunctions and authentic
and certified traditions and which has been practised by the
large majority of M uslims, is now turned into a matter of
dispute and controversy, and is now being used as a
convenient ploy to not only indulge in incriminating one
another in disbelief but also to give vent to our personal
frustrations. If we care to reflect on his words and
statements, we will come to realize that to insist on the
illegality of intermediation, either as a doctrine or in some
of its actual applications, especially when its legality has
been conclusively established both by the Qur’ān and the
hadith, is nothing but religious perversity. Tens of
statements made by the Holy Prophet (A) are witness to
the fact that to rely on valid forms of intermediation in
order to come closer to Allah is quite consistent with
Qur’ānic commands and the Prophet’s statements.
As it is reported by ‘Amr bin Shu‘ayb that his
grandfather says: we were present in the company of the
holy Prophet (A) when messengers from Hawāzin tribe
came and said: O M uhammad! We belong to the same
origin and tribe, and the trouble we are facing is not hidden
1. Narrated in his as-Sahīh, b. of fadā’il (virtues) ch.9 (4:1795#2296).

2. Narrated in his Musnad (4:149, 153-4).
from you, therefore, have mercy on us. The holy Prophet
(A) replied: opt one of the two choices; either take away
your property and wealth or have your women freed. They
opted for their women and children. Then the M essenger of
Allah (A) added: as far as my share and the share of
‘Abd-ul-M uttalib and his children (in the spoils) is
concerned, I have already given it to you. But when I have
performed the noon prayer, you should all stand up and
say:
Through the means of the Messenger of

Allah (A) we seek help for our women and
children from believers (or Muslims).1
The narrator says that when people had finished their
prayer, they repeated the same words as the Prophet (A)
had advised them. Now these words were uttered by the
sacred tongue of the holy Prophet (A) himself and he
uttered them in the form of a command. Therefore, this
tradition furnishes a cogent justification for the act of
intermediation.
In the following pages I will draw upon some of the
statements made by the Holy Prophet (A), which clearly
prove that intermediation is neither a form of disbelief nor a
forbidden act. On the contrary, it is quite valid and one of
the permissible ways to seek the nearness of Allah.
1. Nasā’ī, Sunan, b. of hibah (gifts) 6:262-3.

SECTION ONE
Intermediation through good

deeds
Good deeds are called virtues. To pray through the means
of these deeds, “O Allah, through my particular act which I
performed purely for Your pleasure, I beseech You that my
need be fulfilled,” is quite valid. A few statements that
support the act of intermediation are given below:
1. Deliverance from trouble through

mediation
A tradition recorded in as-Sahīhayn 1 furnishes clear
evidence of the use of intermediation through virtuous
deeds which delivers individuals from tension and anxiety
or from an actual calamity. ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar cites the
M essenger of Allah (A) to have said:
Once upon a time three travellers were passing through
a jungle. All of a sudden the sky was overcast with jet-
black clouds. They were thinking of seeking shelter that it
began to rain in buckets. They had no other choice but to
1. as-Sahīh of Imam Bukhārī and as-Sahīh of Imam Muslim.

take shelter in a cave. So they scraped into the cave. The
entrance of the cave was quite small. Suddenly a heavy
stone came sliding down and covered the entrance. They
were trapped inside the cave. They could not move the
stone even with their collective might. Therefore, they lost
all hope of survival. They felt that the cave would prove to
be their grave.
The three of them were religious persons and had an
optimistic outlook on life. They had complete faith in the
glory and grandeur of God, so the spell of hopelessness did
not last long. They chuckled to themselves as they thought
of a plan. The clouds of frustration rolled away. Since the
plan derived from their strong religious conviction, they
readily decided to implement it. They said to one another:
there is only one-way to escape the present crunch. We
should offer to Allah as a form of intermediation the acts
we have performed for His exclusive pleasure and implore
Him through their blessings. They said:
Remember the deeds you performed

purely for (the pleasure of) Allah, then pray
through them to Allah. He may open it (and
deliver you from this calamity).
Since the plan was sound and suited the occasion, they
all expressed willingness to put it into action. Each one of
them offered his virtuous acts turn by turn and using it as a
form of mediation, prayed to Allah to deliver them from
their misery.
The virtuous act of the first man—Service of
parents
One of them related his virtuous act in this way: O Lord,
my parents were very old and weak. I considered it my duty
to serve them sincerely. I worked hard the whole day.
When I returned home, first of all I milked the cow and
served the milk to my mother and father. Then I attended to
my wife and children and other people. This was my daily
routine. One day I was delayed and arrived home late. My
mother and father had waited themselves to sleep.
However, I milked the cow, poured the milk into a cup and
stood by their bedside. I did not like to disturb them in their
sleep as I respected them too much; at the same time I
could not bear to feed my children before feeding them (my
parents) first. Thus I stood there, holding the cup in my
hand that I will make them drink it as soon as they woke
up. My wee little children kept crying and sobbing bitterly
but I ignored it and did not like to break my principle, and
in this very state of tension, the night lapsed into day.
(O Allah,) You know it. If I had done this

deed purely for Your pleasure, then remove
the stone from the entrance so that we can
see the sky.
As soon as he ended his prayer, the stone slid a little on
one side and the sky appeared, but the gap was not wide
enough to let a man pass through.
The virtuous act of the second man—Self-purity
The second person narrates his act in these words: I was
emotionally attached with my first cousin but that pure and
innocent girl was completely unaware of my feelings. She
snubbed me once when I tried to convey to her my
emotional plight and after that I never dared do so.
Then once there was a severe drought. The shadows of
poverty and hunger began to hover around her. Driven by
starvation, that innocent girl came over to me and sought
my help. I decided to take undue advantage of her
helplessness; I seduced her as she was in a vulnerable
condition. I piled up a big sum of 100 dinars in front of her
and she half-willingly agreed to cater to my emotions.
When I tried to give it a practical shape, tears welled up in
her eyes. She became restless with shock and said: don’t be
cruel and don’t take undue advantage of my helplessness.
Fear Allah and don’t make this immoral move. On hearing
her words, my hair stood on their ends and, on account of
fear of the Lord, the organs of my body began to tremble.
My evil intentions were buried and the human being
sleeping inside me became awake. I left her there and did
not pick up the money either.
O Allah, if, in Your knowledge, I did so

only to seek Your pleasure and if You like
my act, then You should open our way (so
that we can look at the world outside).
As he ended the prayer, the stone slid a little farther but
the gap was still not wide enough for them to come out.
The Doctrine of T awassul (In the Light of Sacred Traditions)117
The virtuous act of the third man—To return to
the deserving what belongs to him
The third man offers his good deed as his mediation in this
way: O Lord, once I had employed a few labourers. I paid
their wages as soon as they completed their work. But one
of the labourers, for no apparent reason, did not take his
wages and went away. His wage was a measure of rice. I
planted the rice and when the paddy was blooming, I sold it
and bought a goat with the money I made out of the
bargain. Through Your blessing, more goats were born out
of her. Then I bought a cow and through Your blessing the
number of cows multiplied. Thus with the help of a
labourer’s wages, there were so many cattle that the valley
was filled with them and I had to keep a shepherd to look
after those animals. One day the same labourer returned
and said to me:
“Fear Allah, don’t be cruel and pay me

my wages.” Then I said (to him), “Go and
take those cows and their shepherd.”
He said, “Fear Allah and do not ridicule me.” I told him
everything with a grim face and he went away with all the
goods.
(O Lord,) if I did all this for Your

pleasure alone, then, through its blessing,
deliver us from this trouble and remove the
remaining part (of the stone from the
entrance of the cave so that we could come
out of it).
As soon as their prayer ended, Allah granted it
unhesitatingly, and their virtuous acts changed their dark
night of disappointment into a bright day of hope. Through
them, they received a new lease of life. Since the basis of
their good deeds was the pleasure of Allah, He granted
their prayer and the stone at the entrance of the cave
skidded aside and all three of them slipped out of it easily
and comfortably and went on their way.1
2. Prayer as mediation
Five-time prayer is mandatory for every M uslim. It is a
pious act through which the servant practically
demonstrates his servitude to Allah in a state of prostration.
Since Allah likes humility in his servants, prayer is a form
of worship, which represents the climax of humility. That is
why Allah loves the act of prayer very much. Allah
condones the lapses of His servants through the means and
blessing of prayer.
It is narrated by Abū Hurayrah that the Holy Prophet
(A) said:
1. Bukhārī narrat ed it with different words at various places in his as-

Sahīh: b. of buyū‘ (sales) ch.98 (2:771#2102); b. of ijārah (hiring)
ch.12 (2:793-4#2152); b. of muzāra‘ah (sharecropping) ch.11
(2:821-2#2208); b. of ambi yā’ (prophets) ch.52 (3:1278#3278); b.
of adab (good manner) ch.5 (5:2228-9#5629); and Muslim in as-
Sahīh, b. of dhikr wad-du‘ā’ wat-tawbah wal-istighfār
(remembering (Allah), invocation, repent ance and seeking
fo rgiveness) ch.27 (4:2099-2100#2743).
Tell me if someone among you has a

canal at his doorstep, and he has a bath in it
five times a day, will any speck of dirt
remain on his body? The audience replied:
No dirt will remain on his body. He said:
The same applies to five prayers. God erases
1
sins through their (blessings and means).
Here five prayers are acting as a form of mediation.
Through them, man achieves his salvation:
3. Nearness of Allah through voluntary

prayer
The purpose of a true believer is to seek access to the
nearness and pleasure of his real Lord and M aster, and the
servant gains the nearness as well as the pleasure of his
Lord through optional prayers (nawāfil). It means the
servant attains the nearness of the Lord through the
mediation of optional cycles of prayer.
It is attributed to Abū Hurayrah that Allah says in a
divine hadith:
1. Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of masājid wa mawādi‘-us-salāt (mosques

and the places of prayer) ch.51 (1:462-3#667); Bukhārī, as-Sahīh,
b. of mawāqīt-us-salāt (the times of the prayers) ch.5 (1:197#505);
Tirmidhī in al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of amthāl (examples) ch.5
(5:151#2868) and graded it hasan sahīh; Nasā’ī, Sunan, b. of salāt
(prayer), 1:231; Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (2:379); and Dārimī
in Sunan, b. of salāt (prayer) ch.1 (1:213#1187).
And My servant keeps coming closer to

Me through his voluntary acts of prayer
until I love him. So when I love him: I
become his sense of hearing with which he
hears and I become his sense of sight with
which he sees and I become his hand with
which he holds and I become his leg with
which he walks.1
4. Deliverance from the hellfire through

better upbringing of daughters
During the era of ignorance, people generally disfavoured
their daughters. At the birth of a daughter, they felt
extremely worried. The Qur’ān has very clearly depicted
their typical attitude: whenever someone is given the glad
tidings of the birth of a daughter, his face becomes black
with anger. 2 This is how the non-believers expressed their
disapproval on the birth of their daughters. But Islam
placed the fair sex on such a pedestal as is simply
inconceivable in any other social system. Mother, sister,
daughter and wife, all are sacred relations. Islam not only
sanctified these bonds but also spelled out an unmistakable
reward for all those who practically realize the value and
1. Bukhārī, as-Sahīh. b. of riqāq (softening of hearts) ch.38

(5:2385#6137).
2. Qur’ān (an-Nahl) 16:58.
sanctity of these relations, that is, who protect them and
bring them up decently. We realize from a number of
statements made by the Holy Prophet (A), that proper
upbringing and education of the daughters is such a
virtuous act that it serves as a form of mediation for the
parents and delivers them from the fire of Hell. It is
narrated by ‘Ā’ishah:
A woman came to see me (and) she had

two daughters with her. She had come to
beg something from me but she found
nothing with me except a date. I gave the
same to her. She divided the date between
her two daughters. Then she stood up and
left. (After this,) the Holy Prophet came
over. I related to him the whole story. Then
he said: Whoso was tested through the
daughters and he treated them well, then
this will turn for him into a veil against
Hell. 1
1. Bukhārī narrated it in as-Sahīh, b. of adab (good manner) ch.18

(5:2234#5649); and Muslim in as-Sahīh, b. of birr was-silah wal-
ādāb (virtue, good manners and joining of the ties of relationship)
ch.46 (4:2027#2629).
5. Deliverance from punishment through
the mediation of the penitent
To worship Allah, to love one another for the sake of Allah,
and remember Him while others are sleeping, are such
virtuous acts, which are highly favoured by Allah. Those
who are penitent and ask for His forgiveness in the silence
of the nights are His favourites and through the blessing of
their mediation, He delivers other creatures from
punishment though otherwise they might have ended up in
Hell.
It is attributed to Anas bin M ālik that once the Holy
Prophet (A) said:
Verily, Allah the Glorious says, “Surely

I want to punish the residents of the earth
but when I look at the people who populate
My places of worship, who love one another
for My sake and who ask for forgiveness in
the later part of the night, then I turn (My
wrath) away from them.1
1. Bayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul-īmān, 6:500 (#9051); Suyūtī, ad-Durr-ul-

manthūr (3:216).
SECTION TWO
Mediation in supplication
1. Intermediation through Allah’s names
and attributes
Just as the acts of a petitioner serve as a form of mediation
for the redress of his ills and problems, similarly a
reference to Allah’s various names becomes a means for
the acceptance of his supplication. The theme of the initial
verses of surah al-Fātihah, for instance, is focused on the
praise and glorification of the Lord:
All praise is for Allah Who is the Lord of

all the worlds, (and) is infinitely Kind and
Merciful, (and) is the Master of the Day of
Judgement. 1
After enumerating the praises of Allah, the petitioner
places before Him his request:
1. Qur’ān (al-Fātihah) 1:1-3.

(O Allah,) we worship only You and we

1
seek only Your help.
This is the relationship of service, the bond of
servitude. The servant affirms not only his own low status,
but also the highest status of Allah Who is Unique and
Unrivalled, and in his prayer based on humility and self-
negation, he seeks His help.
Here the question arises why worship has been given
precedence over help? An act of worship can be performed
only with Allah’s blessing. Without His help, it remains
unrealised. Therefore, the order of priority should have
been reversed. First of all, Allah’s help should have been
sought and then with His help the servant should have
engaged himself in worship, so the request for help should
have preceded the request for worship. But Allah’s
commands have logic of their own and this is inherently
built in the divine statements. Sometimes they appear to
defy human expectation, which is invariably superficial and
scratches only surfaces. But the divine logic is deep, and in
order to realize its depth, one has to shed this casual sense
of expectation. This is in fact the privilege of those human
beings who are deeply impressed by divine logic and who
staunchly believe that all divine utterances are logically
justified as they appeal to our deeper sense of wisdom.
Thus the answer to this question has been furnished by
Imam Baydāwī while interpreting the verse. He says that
the act of worship precedes the act of help to facilitate the
acceptance of prayer. This also shows Allah’s concern for

His creatures; it is, in addition, the expression of His
pervasive and extensive sympathy for His servants that He
Himself is showing them the light to make their prayers
effective:
And worship has been given precedence

over the request for help so that a sense of
compatibility is created between the last
letters of the verses. Besides, it also suggests
that the means (of worship) is given
precedence over the request (for help) so
that it may be granted. 1
Then the prayer is followed by another request:
Show us the right path. 2

The servant, through his mediation as a servant of
Allah, implores Him for guidance. Thus a reference to
Allah’s names, to the words that describe his own status as
His servant, and to his request for guidance, serve as a
source of intermediation for the acceptance of his prayer.
The servant, by referring to the names of Allah and by
lowering his own status to the trough of the wave and
confessing his own faults and weakness, prays to Allah and
1. Baydāwī, Tafsīr (1:14).

this prayer acts as a form of mediation for the immediate
fulfilment of his need or the elimination of his problem.
2. Prayer through the mediation of

Allah’s Personal names
Sometimes we use the personal names of Allah as a kind of
mediation to process our petition and to ensure its
effectiveness. This form of intermediation has been
validated by the Prophet’s own practice and it is supported,
inter alia, by a tradition reported by Ibn M ājah. The Holy
Prophet (A) said:
O my Lord: I beg from You through the

means of Your being Allah. 1
3. Prayer through the mediation of divine

acts and attributes
Sometimes an act or attribute of Allah is invoked in the
prayer as a form of mediation, as it is endorsed by a
tradition of the Holy Prophet (A). This prayer is
attributed to him:
1. This sahīh hadith was narrated by Ibn Mājah in his Sunan, b. of

du‘ā’ (supplication) ch.9 (2:1267#3857); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of
salāt (prayer) 2:79 (#1493); Tirmidhī, al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of
da‘awāt (supplications) ch.64 (5:515#3475); Ahmad bin Hambal,
Musnad (5:349, 360); and Baghawī in Sharh-us-sunnah (5:37-
8#1259-60).
O Allah! I seek refuge in Your pleasure

against Your wrath, and in Your exemption
against Your punishment. 1
These traditions clearly establish the fact that it is quite
valid to beg Allah’s protection and help for the fulfilment
of one’s needs through the mediation of His Acts and
Attributes.
4. Intermediation through the Prophet’s

high station
The prayer for the Prophet’s appointment to his high station
and to use it as mediation earns one not only Allah’s
blessings but also guarantees the Prophet’s intercession for
him on the Day of Judgement. The Holy Prophet (A)
said:
When you hear a mu’adhdhin calling out

for prayer, you should also say what he
1. This sahīh hadith was transmitted by Ibn Mājah through ‘Ā’ishah

in his Sunan, b. of du‘ā’ (supplication) ch.3 (2:1263#3841);
Muslim in as-Sahīh, b. of salāt (prayer) ch.42 (1:352#486); Abū
Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of salāt, 1:232 (#879); Mālik bin Anas, al-
Muwattā, b. of Qur ’ān, ch.8 (1:214#31); Ahmad bin Hambal,
Musnad (6:201); Ibn Hibbān, as -Sahīh, (5:258#1932); and Ibn
Khuzaymah in as-Sahīh (1:329#655).
says, then send blessings on me. Surely,
whoso sends blessings on me (once), Allah
sends His mercy on him ten times. Then ask
Allah for the wasīlah to be granted to me. It
is a position in Paradise which is reserved
for His special servant and I’m hopeful that
I’m that special servant. So anyone who asks
(Allah) the wasīlah for me, my intercession
for him will be obligatory (on the Day of
Judgement). 1
If someone sends salutations on the holy Prophet (A)
once, he is rewarded with Allah’s mercy ten times. And
similarly if someone prays to Allah for appointing the
Prophet (A) to the promised high station in Paradise, that
person is entitled to his intercession on the Day of
Judgement.
5. Sending blessings on the Prophet (A)

as mediation for the acceptance of praye r
Sending blessings on the Holy Prophet (A) is highly
1. Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of salāt (prayer) ch.7 (1:288-9#384); Abū

Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of salāt (1:144#523); Tirmidhī, al-Jāmi‘-us-
sahīh, b. of manāqib (virtues and m erits) ch.1 (5:586-7#3614);
Nasā’ī in Sunan, b. of adhān (the call to prayer) 2:25-6, and ‘Amal-
ul-yawm wal-laylah, p.158 (#45); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad
(2:168); Baghawī, Sharh-us-sunnah, 2:284-5 (#421); Ibn
Khuzaymah, as-Sahīh, 1:219 (#418); Abū ‘Awānah, Musnad
(1:336); Ibn Hibbān, as-Sahīh (4:588-90#1690-2); Ibn-us-Sunnī,
‘Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah, p.33 (#91); Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-
kubrā (1:409-10); Muhammad Khatīb Tabrīzī, Mishkāt-ul-
masābīh, b. of salāt, ch.5 (1:215#657); and ‘Alā’-ud-Dīn ‘Alī,
Kanz-ul-‘ummāl (7:700#20998).
cherished by Allah. The popularity and propriety of this act
can be gauged from the fact that even if the person who is
performing it happens to be a confirmed liar and a dyed-in-
the-wool sinner, his act is not rejected. When he sends
salutations on the Prophet (A), it is not only appreciated
by Allah but is also given proper recognition.
One may ask what is the justification for accepting
salutations on the Prophet (A) from a person who is
generally known as a blackguard and a sinner. The answer
is that this act carries a variety of meanings, some of which
are given below.
For example, to send mercy, to confer nearness on
someone, to mention someone at a highly audible pitch of
voice and to give blessing. Now if we reflect on these
meanings, we come to realize that none of these blessings
were denied to the Prophet (A); he already possessed all
of them. Allah’s blessings are being showered on him all
the time and it is a continuous act. These blessings were
showered on him at the beginning of time and will continue
to visit him till the end of time, and there is no possibility
whatsoever of the termination of this process. As far as
nearness is concerned, the night of ascension is the most
authentic witness to this phenomenon when all the
distances between Allah and His beloved evaporated into
thin air:
So when the distance between them was
1
of two bow-lengths or even less than that.
When this is the state of union during a single night,
who could compute the grades of nearness which are being
conferred on him without break or interruption. The height
and glory of his stature is also unmatched. So the Prophet
(A) already embodies the entire spectrum of meanings
associated with sending blessings on him. Therefore, when
man sends his blessings on the Prophet (A), he is in fact
saying: O Allah, send blessings on Your beloved. Allah
says: O my servant, I am already sending blessings on him,
conferring M y mercy on him, glorifying him and drawing
continuously closer to him. You need not stress it, it is
already in process. Since you have not asked anything for
yourself, you have not prayed for wealth and children, you
have not prayed for recuperation from illness, and there is
no personal motive behind your prayer but you have only
expressed blessings for M y beloved and implored M e to
send these blessings on him, so I grant your prayer.
Since the process is going on even before the prayer,
therefore, even if the person who is sending blessings on
him happens to be a sinner, his prayer is accepted. This is
the reason that this act is absolutely acceptable and,
therefore, totally immune to any form of rejection or
disinclination.
1. Qur’ān (an-Najm) 53:9.

How to turn presumptuous worship into
absolutely acceptable worship
All forms of worship are tentatively acceptable as they are
based on the presumption that they will be accepted by
Allah. Since an act of worship involves rigorous
preparation and conformity to a set of conditions and
prerequisites for which he has to spare time and sacrifice
his personal comforts, therefore, it is his natural wish that
his worship should be accepted and his labour should not
go waste but Allah has His own way. It is stated:
To Him ascend pure words and He

exalts righteous deed. 1
Therefore, driven by his physical nature, man explores
excuses and pretexts which may elevate his deeds to the
level of divine acceptability and they may be acknowledged
by Allah in spite of his weakness, flaws and lapses. Divine
mercy has not left his natural desire in the lurch but, as an
expression of His infinite mercy, He Himself has shown
him the way that can transform his tentative acts of worship
into an absolutely acceptable reality. And the way is that at
the start and conclusion of each act, he should send
blessings on the Holy Prophet (A). Since this act is
absolutely acceptable, therefore, whenever it is submitted
to Allah, it will surely be acknowledged by Him, and it is
beyond divine mercy that it should accept his blessings on
the Prophet (A) and reject his acts that lie between the
two salutations. Therefore, the most effective way to make
1. Qur’ān (Fātir) 35:10.

one’s acts absolutely acceptable is to start and conclude
them by sending blessings on the Holy Prophet (A).
Sending blessings on the holy Prophet (A) as

the last act in the universe
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur’ān:
All that is on earth will pass away, and

there will abide forever the Person of Your
Lord, Master of glory and honour.1
Every soul shall taste of death. 2

When everything is reduced to extinction, only the
Person of the Lord shall remain and there will be no one to
praise and glorify Him, but the act of sending blessings on
the Holy Prophet (A) will continue uninterruptedly as it
is endorsed by Allah Himself:
Surely Allah and His angels invoke

blessings on the Holy Prophet (and they will
continue to do so).3
Each living being has to die. Each creature in this
universe has to taste death. Allah Alone is eternally
Existent. Since invoking blessings on the Holy Prophet
1. Qur’ān (ar-Rahmān) 55:26-7.

3. Qur’ān (al-Ahzāb) 33:56.
The Doctrine of T awassul (In the Light of Sacred Traditions)133
(A) is also a divine act, and since Allah is immune to
extinction, His Act also is eternally surviving. That is why
the word yusallūna has been used by the Qur’ān which
includes both the present and the future and, therefore, is
translated as “eternal”. The present never ends and each
existing moment is the present and each moment that is to
come is the future. Thus Allah’s invocation of blessings on
the Holy Prophet (A) is a continuous act and will
continue forever. It has never been interrupted in the past
nor will it be interrupted in the future. Therefore, it is
conclusively established by the Qur’ān that sending
blessings on the Holy Prophet (A) is the last act in the
universe and only this act has permanence on account of its
divine orientation. And when we adopt it as a form of
intermediation, our prayer will surely be granted.
6. The Prophet’s supplication through the

mediation of his own person and other
prophets
According to an authentic tradition the Holy Prophet (A)
himself prayed through the mediation of other prophets as
well as of his own person. Following are the words of the
tradition:
It is narrated by Anas bin Mālik. He

said: When the mother of ‘Alī bin Abū Tālib
— Fātimah bint Asad bin Hāshim — died,
Allah’s Messenger (A) called on her and
sat down by the head of the bed and said,
“O dear mother, may Allah have mercy on
you. After my mother, you were the one I
regarded as my mother. When I was hungry
you fed me to the point of saturation while
you yourself remained hungry. Then you
helped me put on clothes and instead of
eating yourself, you gave me nice things to
eat. You did all this for Allah’s pleasure and
for a good reward in the Hereafter.” Then
he (the Prophet) commanded to bathe her
three times. When camphor water was
brought, Allah’s Messenger (A) poured
some water into his hands. Then Allah’s
Messenger (A) took off his shirt and
clothed her with it and used his own sheet of
cloth as her coffin. Then Allah’s Messenger
(A) sent for Usāmah bin Zayd, Abū Ayyūb
al-Ansārī and ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb and the
negro slave to dig up the grave. So they dug
her grave. When they reached near the lahd,
Allah’s Messenger (A) dug it up and drew
the soil out with his own hands. When he
finished, Allah’s Messenger (A) entered
and lay down in (the grave), and said, “It is
Allah Who controls life and death, and He is
Ever living and will never die. (O Allah,)
forgive my mother—Fātimah bint Asad—
and help her answer properly at the time of
questioning and through the mediation of
Your Prophet (Muhammad) and the former
prophets, make her grave capacious. Surely
You are infinitely Merciful.” Then he
repeated, “God is Great” four times (i.e. led
the funeral prayer). Then he, ‘Abbās and
Abū Bakr as-Siddīq lowered her into the
grave.1
1. Tabarānī relat ed it in al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (24:351-2#871) and al-

Mu‘jam-ul-awsat (1:152-3#191) and its men are those of sound
7. Inte rmediation through the supplicant

Abū Sa‘īd Khudrī has narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (A) said: A

person who comes out of his house with the
intention of prayer and prays, “O Allah, I
beseech You through the mediation of those
who always crave Your (mercy) and I beg
You through the mediation of my these steps
(moving towards prayer). Surely I am
heading neither towards any evil, nor out of
pride or arrogance, nor out of a sense of
self-display, nor for the sake of any world
reputation. I have come out of my house to
escape Your displeasure and to earn Your
hadith except Rawh bin Salāh who is da‘īf (weak), while Ibn
Hibbān and Hākim decl ared him thiqah (trustworthy). Haythamī
also cites it in Majma‘-uz -zawā’id (9:256-7); Ibn-ul-Jawzī in al-
‘Ilal-ul-mutanāhiyyah (1:268-9#433); Abū Nu‘aym in Hilyat-ul-
awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-ul-asfiyā’ (3:121); and Mahmūd Sa‘īd
Mamdūh graded it hasan (fair) in his Raf‘-ul-minārah (pp.147-8).
pleasure. So I beg You to save me from the
fire of Hell and forgive my sins. Surely, You
are the Only One Who forgives sins.” Then
Allah turns towards him and seventy
thousand angels ask for his forgiveness.1
The chain of the tradition is consistent with the
requirements of hasan hadith (fair tradition), and five
different huffāz 2 of hadith graded it hasan. They are:
1. Hāfiz Dimyātī in al-Mutajarr-ur-rābih fī thawāb al-
‘amal-is-sālih.
2. Hāfiz M undhirī in at-Targhīb wat-tarhīb.
3. Hāfiz Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī in ‘Amāl-ul-adhkār.
4. Hāfiz ‘Irāqī in the Takhrīj ahādīth al-Ihyā’.
5. Hāfiz Būsīrī in Misbāh-uz-zujājah.
Ibn Khuzaymah graded it sahīh (sound) in his as-Sahīh
through Fudayl bin M arzūq.3
8. Inte rmediation through the weak

In addition to the righteous, intermediation through the
travellers, the sick and those on whom Allah has shown His
mercy or about whom He has said that He is with them,
1. Ibn Mājah related it in his Sunan, b. of masājid wal-jamā‘āt

(mosques and congregations) ch.14 (1:256#778); Ahmad bin
Hambal in Musnad (3:21); Ibn Abū Shaybah in al-Musannaf
(10:211-2#9251); Mundhirī in at-Targhīb wat-tarhīb (2:458);
Dimyātī in al-Mutajarr-ur-rabih fī thawāb al-‘amal -is-sālih
(pp.641-2#1321); Ibn-us-Sunnī in ‘Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah (p.30
#83); and Dhahabī in Mīzān-ul-i‘tidāl (2:447#4384).
2. Plural of hāfiz.
3. Mahmūd Sa‘īd Mamdūh, Raf‘-ul-minārah (pp.171-2).
that He helps them and He blesses them with His mercy, is
quite consistent with the various statements made by the
Prophet (A) himself.
Abū Sa‘īd Khudrī relates that the Prophet (A) said:
Surely, only because of the supplication

of the weak and their prayer and their
sincerity, Allah helps this nation (Ummah).1
Abū ad-Dardā’ has related that the Prophet (A) said:
Look for me among the weak. Surely, it

is on account of the weak that you are
blessed with (Allah’s) bounty and helped. 2
It means that, through the mediation of the weak and
the poor, Allah not only blesses a M uslim nation with His
help and assistance, but also with resources and wealth.
Therefore, any prayer mediated through them is also graced
with acceptance by Allah.
9. Intermediation through the
supplication of the prophets
Sa‘d bin Abī Waqās relates that the Prophet (A) said:
1. Nasā’ī, Sunan, b. of jihad (holy war), 6:45; Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-

kubrā (6:331); Abū Nu‘aym, Hilyat-ul-awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-ul-
asfiyā’ (5:26).
2. Nasā’ī narrated it in Sunan, b. of jihad (holy war), 6:46; and
Bayhaqī in as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (6:331).
Dhun-Nūn (the Man in Fish, i.e. the

prophet Yūnus) prayed in the belly of the
fish, “(O Allah,) there is no deity except
You. Glory be to You! Surely I was from
those who wronged (their souls).” So any
Muslim person who uses these words in his
prayer for a (fair) purpose, finds a
1
favourable response from Allah.
A prophet is far more deeply and sensitively aware of
the subtleties and nuances involved in his relationship with
Allah than His saints and favourites, and as we descend
down the sliding scale of divine preferences, this awareness
decreases in direct proportion to the grades of the people
who are seeking Allah’s nearness and recognition. The
divine hierarchy is based on these grades and the
distinctions between these grades are meticulously drawn
and followed.
Therefore, when a prophet of Allah, with his complete
and unflawed awareness and understanding of divine
pleasure and displeasure and in a posture of self-effacing
courtesy and humility, prays to Allah, He graces each word
1. Tirmidhī related it in al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. o f da ‘awāt

(supplications) ch.82 (5:529#3505); Hākim in al-Mustadrak
(1:505; 2:382-3) and graded it sahīh, also confirmed by Dhahabī;
Ahmad bin Hambal in Musnad (1:170); Nasā’ī, ‘Amal-ul-yawm
wal-laylah, p.416 (#656); Abū Ya‘lā, Musnad (2:111#772);
Bayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul-īmān (1:432#620); and Mundhirī in at-Targhīb
wat-tarhīb (2:488).
uttered by him with recognition and fulfilment. And, if the
prayer of a petitioner is processed through the prayer of the
prophets, then it is not rejected as it is supported by the
guarantee of a prophet’s articulation; on the contrary, it
finds immediate fulfilment and the prayee is relieved of his
sense of anxiety and tension.
This phenomenon draws a clear distinction between
two kinds of prayer: unmediated prayer and mediated
prayer. In the case of unmediated prayer, the petitioner is
like a lone ranger, he relies on his personal relationship
with Allah, which is in itself invaluable because any
creature can establish a hotline with Allah. But there is no
divine guarantee for its acceptance, which may relate to his
weak faith, lack of concentration or a number of other
factors. But in the case of mediated prayer, there is a divine
guarantee and it is the nature of divinity that its guarantee
never fluctuates as it is immune to all glitches and other
human uncertainties. Allah loves His favourites and His
love increases in direct proportion to the graded distinction
of His favourites. Prophets are the most favoured ones,
therefore, any prayee that uses their prayer as a form of
mediation is blessed with immediate acceptance.
141
CHAPTER FIVE
Intermediation through the

Prophet (A)
The doctrine of intermediation through

The Prophethood and M essengership of the Holy Prophet
(A) continues uninterrupted even after his death. He still
exists among us as the Prophet and the M essenger of Allah
(A) and this will continue down to the Day of
Judgement, untarnished and unsullied. When all the other
laws are still valid, why shouldn’t the law of intermediation
continue to be valid? When intermediation was permissible
during his physical presence among us, there is no reason
to disallow it after his death. The Qur’ān and the sunnah do
not contain any injunction and statement which disallows
the continuation of intermediation after the Prophet’s death.
If it was justified before his death, it is also justified after
his death and both the Qur’ān and the sunnah support this
view.
Four forms of intermediation through the

holy Prophet (A)
There are four possible expressions of intermediation
through the Holy Prophet (A):
1. Intermediation through the Holy Prophet (A) before
his birth.
2. Intermediation through the Holy Prophet (A) during
his physical existence.
3. Intermediation through the Holy Prophet (A) after his
death.
4. Intermediation through the Prophet’s relics.
All the four forms of intermediation are not only proved
by the Qur’ān and the sunnah, but they are also being
practised by our religious scholars whose knowledge of
Islam is unflawed and whose credibility as human beings is
impeccable. All these forms of intermediation will be
illustrated in the following pages with irrefutable
arguments from the Qur’ān and the sunnah.
SECTION ONE
Intermediation through
before his birth
1. Adam’s inte rmediation through the
holy Prophet (A)
The process of intermediation through the Holy Prophet
(A) is a continuous process and changes in fashion have
never been able to hobble its popularity and effectiveness
among the M uslims. It existed before his creation and
during his physical life and it has continued to exist after
his death and will continue to be popular and effective in
future. It was Adam’s practice to offer the Holy Prophet
(A) as intermediary to Allah for the forgiveness of his
lapses. When he chose the Prophet (A) as his
intermediator, Allah condoned his act of disobedience.
What could be a greater example of the immediate
effectiveness of mediation when it is channelized through
the Holy Prophet (A)?
Tabarānī, Bayhaqī, Ibn-ul-M undhir and Suyūtī narrated
this tradition through ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb and ‘Alī that
the Holy Prophet (A) said, “Adam was just about to
repent for his act of disobedience that he suddenly recalled
in his state of anxiety that he had seen lā ilāha illallāhu
Muhammad-ur-rasūlullāh (there is no god but Allah,
M uhammad is Allah’s M essenger) inscribed on the Throne
at the time of his birth.” It obviously meant that the
distinction the Prophet (A) possesses is denied to others.
That is the reason his name was inscribed along with
Allah’s Own name. At this, he added these words of
intermediation to his prayer for divine forgiveness:
(O Allah,) I beg Your forgiveness

through the mediation of Muhammad (A).
The tradition related by Ibn-ul-M undhir has the
following words:
O Allah, I beg Your forgiveness through

Your beloved and most honoured servant
Muhammad and through his distinction You
have blessed him with. 1
By the addition of these words of intermediation, the
prophet Adam’s repentance was accepted immediately.
Allah said, “In fact, M uhammad is the most beloved of all
My creatures. Since you have intermediated your petition
through him, I have granted it. And were it not for
M uhammad, I would not have created you.” Tabarānī
1. Suyūtī cites in ad-Durr-ul-manthūr (1:60).

further adds that Allah said, “He is the Last Prophet among
your children.”
Imam Hākim has phrased the tradition in these words:
Narrated by ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb:

Allah’s Messenger (A) said: When Adam
committed the error, he submitted (to
Allah): O Lord, I beg You to forgive me
through the mediation of Muhammad. Then
Allah said: O Adam! How did you recognize
Muhammad as I have not created him yet?
He replied: O Lord, when You created me
with Your divine hand and breathed Your
soul into me, I raised my head and saw ‘lā
ilāha illallāhu M uhammad-ur-rasūlullāh
(there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is
Allah’s Messenger)’ inscribed on each pillar
of the Throne. I discovered that with Your
name, the name of only such a person can be
associated who is Your most beloved of all
the creatures. At this Allah said: O Adam,
you have said it correctly. Of all the
creatures I love him the most. Now when
you offered your prayer through his
mediation, I forgave you. And if Muhammad
were not there, I would not have created
even you.1
The tradition was transmitted through many chains and
was related by Bayhaqī in Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (5:489);
Tabarānī in al-Mu‘jam-ul-awsat (7:259#6498) and al-
Mu‘jam-us-saghīr (2:82-3) with another chain containing
sub-narrators unknown to Haythamī as he stated it in
Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (8:253); Ibn ‘Asākir in Tahdhīb tārīkh
Dimashq al-kabīr generally known as Tārīkh/Tahdhīb Ibn
‘Asākir (2:359-60); Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah
(1:131; 2:291-2); and Ibn Hajar Haythamī in al-Jawhar-ul-
muazzam (p.61);.
This tradition is declared sahīh (sound) by Imam
Hākim, though he acknowledges ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān bin
Zayd bin Aslam, one of its sub-narrators, as weak.
However, when he mentions it he says, “Its chain is sound,
and it is the first hadith of ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān bin Zayd bin
Aslam which I mention in this book.” Imam Bulqīnī also
declares this tradition sound in his Fatāwā. Subkī confirms
Hākim’s authentication in Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-
1. Related by Hākim in al-Mustadrak (2:615).

il-anam (pp.120-1) although Ibn Taymiyyah’s rejection and
criticism was known to him and he rejects it.
Similarly a large number of hadith-experts have related
in their books the event of Adam’s prayer and his reliance
on the Holy Prophet (A) as a form of intermediation. It
may be noted that there is no inconsistency or contradiction
between the words cited earlier and the words contained in
these books because these words are the incremental part of
the same prayer. This proves the fact that prayer through
the mediation of the Holy Prophet (A) is, first of all, the
practice of Adam (D), and this is undeniably the holiest
means for the acceptance of prayer.
Qastallānī has established in his al-Mawāhib-ul-
laduniyyah (1:81-2; 4:594) with the help of various
traditions the principle of prayer through the mediation of
the Holy Prophet (A). Imam Zurqānī also confirms it in
his Commentary (1:118-20; 12:220-1).
Hadith-expert, Ibn-ul-Jawzī cites this tradition in the
first chapter of his book, al-Wafā bi-ahwāl-il-Mustafā
(1:33) and considers it sahīh (sound). In the introduction of
the book he says, “In this book I do not mix the sound
hadith with the false.” He also mentions the version of
M aysarah on the same page whereby the holy Prophet
(A) says, “When Satan deceived Adam and Eve, and
they repented and sought intercession from Allah with my
name.” Ibn-ul-Jawzī also says in the chapter concerning
“the Prophet’s superiority over the other prophets” in the
same book (1:359), “Part of the exposition of his
superiority to other prophets is (the fact) that Adam
(D) asked his Lord through the sanctity (hurmah) of
M uhammad (A) that He relent towards him, as we have
already mentioned.”
M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī has initiated the
discussion in the second section (fasl) of his Nashr-ut-tīb
(p.20) with a reference to these traditions.
Even at the time of Adam’s marriage with Eve, Adam
(D) was commanded to send blessings on the Holy
Prophet (A) and use them as a form of intermediation in
his marriage contract. This has been recorded in Salāt-ul-
ahzān by Ibn-ul-Jawzī. And Imam Ahmad as-Sāwī says in
Hāshiyah on Tafsīr-ul-Jalālayn (1:23):
And that (divine) command was

expressly given to introduce Adam (D) to
the glory and distinction of Muhammad
(A) at the very beginning, that is, if he
were not created, he would never have been
blessed with a wife. So he is the real force
for every form of intermediation, even for
Adam’s act of intermediation.
M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī related this tradition in
Nashr-ut-tīb (p.21).
The tradition of Adam’s intermediation through the
Holy Prophet (A) is also included by Qādī ‘Iyād among
the “sound and famous narrations” in ash-Shifā (1:227-8).
He says that Abū M uhammad al-M akkī and Abū Layth as-
Samarqandī mentioned it. He also cites another very similar
version through Ājurrī1 (d.360), about whom M ullā ‘Alī
Qārī said, “al-Halabī said: This seems to be the Imam and
spiritual guide Abū Bakr M uhammad bin Husayn bin
‘Abdullāh al-Baghdādī, the compiler of the books ash-
Sharī‘ah fis-sunnah, al-Arba‘ūn, and others.” 2 This is also
confirmed by Ibn Taymiyyah: ‘it is related by Shaykh Abū
Bakr al-Ājurrī, in his book ash-Sharī‘ah.’3
Imam Suyūtī cites this hadith in his Qur’ānic
interpretation ad-Durr-ul-manthūr (1:58) and in al-
Khasā’is-ul-kubrā (1:6) and in ar-Riyād-ul-anīqah fī sharh
asmā’ khayr al-khalīqah (pp.48-9), where he says that
Bayhaqī considers it sound.
In addition to these scholars of impeccable credibility,
the narration of this tradition by experts in the field of
compilation and transmission of tradition argues strongly in
favour of the authenticity and validity of this tradition. As
Bayhaqī said in the introduction to Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah
that he only included sound narrations in his book.
The contemporary M akkan hadith-scholar M uhammad
bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī quotes Dhahabī’s unrestrained
endorsement of the traditions in Bayhaqī’s Dalā’il-un-
nubuwwah with his words, “You must take what is in it
(Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah), for it consists entirely of guidance
and light.” 4
1. Ājurrī narrat ed it in his ash-Sharī‘ah (p.427).

2. Mullā ‘Alī Qārī stated this in his Commentary on ash-Shifā (1:375-
6).
3. Ibn Taymiyyah, Qā‘idah jalīlah fit-tawassul wal-wasīlah (pp.84-
5).
(p.127).
Zurqānī also transmitted Dhahabī’s statement about
Bayhaqī’s Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah in his Commentary
(1:120).
Similarly its inclusion by Ibn Taymiyyah in his Fatāwā
(2:150) is also a clear proof of its strength and soundness,
though he is generally regarded as a controversial scholar.
As he quotes this version and another through M aysarah
and says, “These two are like the elucidation of the
authentic hadiths (concerning the same topic).” About this
statement M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī said, “This
indicates that Ibn Taymiyyah found the narration credible
enough to be considered a witness for other narrations,
because mawdū‘ (forged) and bātil (false) are not taken as
witness by the people of hadith.1
In this holy tradition, when Adam (D) uses the words
as’aluka bi-haqqi Muhammad (I ask You through the
mediation of M uhammad), and asks for the forgiveness of
his error, Allah’s mercy gushes out, and in this state of
swinging upsurge, He conveys to him the glad tidings of
his forgiveness by using the words qad ghafartu laka (I
forgave you). Through this act, Adam (D) has driven this
message home to his progeny that in case they have
committed a sin they should not be overburdened by a
sense of guilt and sin and keep sulking in corners; on the
contrary, they should pray to Allah through the mediation
of the Holy Prophet (A) in their prayer and Allah shall
forgive them. Adam (D) is not making this statement as an
abstraction as it is based on his own experience. A prayer is

(p.122).
instantly granted by Allah whenever the name of the Holy
Prophet (A) is invoked in it. The Qur’ān says about it:

Merciful. 1
2. The Prophet (A) as a source of

intermediation for Jews
Before the birth of the Holy Prophet (A), the Jews
offered in their prayers his means in order to gain victory
over the rival Arab disbelievers and as a result of their
prayer, they were rewarded with victory. The Qur’ān is a
witness to this phenomenon. Allah says:
And when there came to them the Book

from Allah (the Qur’ān) fulfilling the book
(Torah in the real sense) which was with

them, and before that they themselves had
(prayed) for victory (through the mediation
of the last Prophet Muhammad (A) and
the Book revealed to him) over the
disbelievers. So when there came to them the
same Prophet (Muhammad) with the Book
revealed to him) whom they (already) knew,
they rejected it. 1
The Qur’ānic verse explains that the M essenger (A),
through whom the Jews used to pray to gain victory over
the Arab disbelievers, they rejected him when he physically
appeared among them. They rejected him on the basis of
prejudice and enmity though they possessed complete
knowledge of his identity from the signs of his arrival.
Since their rejection of the Prophet (A) was based on
deliberate arrogance, Allah cursed them as an instant
expression of the divine displeasure:
So there is Allah’s curse on those who

(intentionally) disbelieve. 2
Allah flared up and cursed them because their rejection
virtually amounted to the rejection of the Prophet’s
distinction as His last Prophet and M essenger (A). It is
an exceptional divine reaction. Though the disbelievers are
mentioned in the Qur’ān in a variety of contexts, the
express divine curse is not related to all these situations. It
finds expression only in situations where the divine wrath
is sparked by an unpardonable sin. The frequency and the

intensity with which the disbelievers have been condemned
and cursed by Allah in surah al-Baqarah and al-Anfāl is
quite exceptional. If we study the context and background
of these Qur’ānic verses, we will come to realize that the
divine wrath is triggered on occasions where the
disbelievers have denied the Prophet’s glory and
distinction, expressed their disapproval of his high status
and relied on prejudice and jealousy in remembering him.
From the earliest times to the present-day, the meaning
of this Qur’ānic verse favoured by the majority of
interpreters has actually been attributed to Ibn ‘Abbās. He
narrated it in the tafsīr of 2:89 in Tanwīr-ul-miqbās (p.13).
This verse refers to the prayer offered by the people of the
Book themselves before the arrival of the last Prophet
(A). They used him as a source of intermediation in their
prayer to secure victory against the Arab disbelievers
during wars. The words of their prayer are as follows:
O Allah, award us victory (over these

disbelievers) through the mediation of the
last Prophet whose glory and distinction we
see in the Torah. 1
In some traditions, the Qur’ān is also associated with
the name of the Prophet (A). The Jews are being
particularly condemned for their self-contradictory attitude,
which borders on sheer hypocrisy. They used to offer
prayers of victory over the disbelievers through the
1. Zamakhsharī, al-Kashshāf ‘an haqā’iq ghawāmid-it-tanzīl, 1:123.

mediation of the holy Prophet (A) before his
Prophethood, but when he physically arrived among them,
they denied him and rejected his distinction as the last
Prophet. Some of the traditions related to the issue are
given below.
1. Imam Qurtubī
Imam Qurtubī related the tradition through Ibn ‘Abbās:
The Jews of Khaybar were often at war

with the Ghatafān (tribe). When they
confronted each other (in battle) the Jews
were defeated. They attacked again, offering
this prayer, “(O Lord,) we beg You through
the mediation of the Unlettered Prophet
(A) about whom You have promised us
that you will send him to us at the end of
time. Please help us against them.” Ibn
‘Abbās adds: whenever they faced the
enemy, they offered this prayer and defeated
the Ghatafān (tribe). But when the Prophet
(A) was sent, they denied (him). So Allah
the Exalted revealed the verse: “And before
that they themselves had (prayed) for victory
(through the mediation of the last Prophet
Muhammad (A) and the Book revealed to
him) over the disbelievers,” that is, through
1
your mediation, O Muhammad.
2. Mahmūd Ālūsī
He said:
This (verse) was revealed about Banū

Qurayzah and Banū Nadīr who used to pray
for victory over Aws and Khazraj before
Allah’s Messenger’s Prophethood. Ibn
‘Abbās and Qatādah have given expression
to the same reality. It means that they
prayed to Allah through his mediation for
1. Qurtubī, al-Jāmi‘ li-ahkām-il-Qur’ān, 2:27.

victory over the polytheists as also stated by
as-Suddiyy: when the war raged between
them and the polytheists, they opened the
Torah and placed their hand on the spot
where the Prophet (A) was mentioned and
prayed, “O Allah, we pray to You through
the mediation of Your Prophet You have
promised with us to send him at the end of
time; today grant us victory over our
enemies.” So (by the blessing of this prayer)
they were made victorious.1
3. Imam Rāzī
He states while interpreting the verse (2:89):
Before the Prophethood of Muhammad

(A) and the revelation of the Qur’ān, the
Jews prayed for victory, i.e. they asked
victory and help (through their mediation)
and they used these words: “O Allah, grant
us victory through the Unlettered Prophet.”2
1. Mahmūd Alūsī, Rūh-ul-ma‘ānī (1:320).

2. Rāzī, at-Tafsīr-ur-kabīr (3:180).
4. Imam Jalāl-ud-Dīn Mahallī and Imam Jalāl-
ud-Dīn Suyūtī
They write the Jews used to pray in these words:
O Allah, grant us victory through the

mediation of the Prophet who is to appear at
1
the end of time.
5. Qādī Thanā’ullāh Pānī Patī

He says that the Jews prayed for victory over disbelievers:
That is, they prayed for victory over the

Arab polytheists and they used to say: O
Allah, give us victory over them through the
mediation of the last Prophet whom we find
mentioned in our Book Torah.2
6. Imam Ibn Kathīr

He says:
1. Mahallī and Suyūtī, Tafsīr-ul-jalālayn (p.14).

2. Qādī Thanā’ullāh Pānī Patī, at-Tafsīr-ul-mazharī, 1:94.
The Jews used to pray for victory over
the Arab polytheists through the mediation
1
of Muhammad (A).
7. Imam Suyūtī
He narrates two traditions on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbās in
this context as follows:
The Jews of Banū Qurayzah and Banū

Nadīr used to pray for victory over the
disbelievers and the infidels before the
Prophethood of Muhammad. They said: O
Allah, bless us with victory through the
mediation of the Unlettered Prophet, and
they were blessed with victory. 2
1. Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr-ul-Qur’ān al-‘azīm (1:124).

2. Suyūtī, ad-Durr-ul-manthūr (1:88).
The Jews of Medina, before the arrival

of the Holy Prophet (A), in their war
against the (tribes of) Arab disbelievers –
Asad, Ghatafān, Juhaynah and ‘Udhrah –
prayed for victory over them and sought
help by invoking the name of Allah’s
Messenger. They said: O Allah, our Lord,
grant us victory over them through the name
of Your Prophet and through Your Book to
be revealed to him whose Prophethood You
have promised us at the end of time. 1
Similar traditions are narrated by:
1. ‘Abdullāh bin M uslim bin Qutaybah, Tafsir gharīb-il-
Qur'ān (p.58).
2. Ibn Jarīr Tabarī, Jāmi‘-ul-bayān fī tafsīr-il-Qur’ān
(1:325).
3. Baghawī, Ma‘ālim-ut-tanzīl (1:93).
4. Abū al-Fadl al-M ībadī, Kashf-ul-asrār wa ‘uddat-ul-
abrār (1:272).
5. Ibn-ul-Jawzī, Zād-ul-masīr fī ‘ilm-it-tafsīr (1:114).
6. M ujāhid bin Jubayr, Tafsīr (1:83).
7. Baydāwī, Tafsīr (1:122).
8. Nasafī, al-Madārik (1:61).
9. Khāzin, Lubāb-ut-ta’wīl fī ma‘ānī at-tanzīl (1:65).
10. M uhammad bin Yūsuf Abū Hayyān Andalusī, Tafsīr-
ul-bahr-il-muhīt (1:303).
1. Suyūtī, ad-Durr-ul-manthūr (1:88).

11. Ibrāhīm bin ‘Umar Biqā‘ī, Nazm-ud-darar fī tanāsub-il-
āyāt was-suwar (2:36-7).
12. M uhammad bin ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān Hasanī Husaynī,
Jāmi‘-ul-bayān fī tafsīr-il-Qur’ān (1:23).
13. Abū Sa‘ūd ‘Amādī, Irshād-ul-‘aql-is-salīm ilā mazāyā
al-Qur’ān al-karīm (1:128).
14. Ismā‘īl Haqqī, Tafsīr rūh-ul-bayān (1:179).
15. Sulayman bin ‘Umar, al-Futūhāt-ul-ālihiyyah (1:77-8).
16. Shawkānī, Fath-ul-qadīr (1:112).
17. M uhammad Rashīd Radā, Tafsīr-ul-manār (1:381).
18. Ibn Juzayy, Kitāb-ul-tashīl li-‘ulūm-it-tanzīl (1:53).
19. Khatīb Shurbīnī, as-Sirāj-ul-munīr (1:76).
20. Wahbah Zuhaylī, at-Tafsīr-ul-munīr (1:219-20).
21. Tantāwī Jawharī, al-Jawāhir fī tafsīr-il-Qur’ān al-
karīm (1:96).
Following traditionists and biographers also narrated
the same tradition:
1. Hakim in al-Mustadrak (2:263).
2. Ājurrī in ash-Sharī‘ah (pp.446-8).
3. Bayhaqī in Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (2:76-7).
4. Abū Nu‘aym in Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (pp.44-5).
5. Ibn Kathīr in al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (2:274-5).
All these traditions show that, even before his
Prophethood, the people of the Book offered his name to
Allah as mediation. Since these traditions have been
reproduced and recorded by scholars of spotless repute and
integrity, they also serve to remove any doubt about their
lack of authenticity or inferiority because any tradition that
is generally accepted for detailed interpretation also claims
general acceptance, and this tradition has been reproduced
by all the exegetes who have lived during the last thousand
years; some of them under the title ‘interpretation of
Qur’ān through Qur’ān, while others under the title
‘interpretation of Qur’ān through hadith.’ The consensus of
these scholars on its textual authenticity and semantic
compatibility in different periods of time is a reflection of
its significance and soundness. Those who are reluctant to
accept them on the basis that they are drawn from the
Jewish source should remember that there is no harm in
drawing the truth from the Jewish sources. It is reported
that the Prophet (A) said:
Accept the traditions from Banī Israel,

there is no harm in it. 1
Justification for inte rmediation through

the Prophet (A) after his death
Just as this Qur’ānic verse is a proof of intermediation
through the Prophet (A) before his birth, similarly it is a
proof of continuing intermediation even after his death.
One may naturally ask how do we prove the fact of his
mediation after death from this verse. The answer is simple
and rational: if intermediation through him is valid before
his birth, it is equally valid even after his death.
1. Bukhārī, as-Sahīh, b. of ambiyā’ (prophets) ch.51 (3:1275#3274);

Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of ‘ilm (knowledge) 3:322 (#3662);
Tirmidhī, al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of ‘ilm (5:40#2669); Ahmad bin
Hambal, Musnad (2:159,202,474,502; 3:56); Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī,
al-Matālib-ul-‘āliyah (1:192#688;3:280#3478); Ibn Abū Shaybah,
al-Musannaf, 9:62 (#6536); and Haythamī, Majma‘-uz-zawā’id
(1:151).
The Jews who offered his mediation before his birth
were not disbelievers. They believed in Allah and fought
wars under the leadership of prophets and righteous people.
They turned disbelievers only when the Holy Prophet
(A) graced the earth with his illuminating presence. In
the past, those people of the Book themselves trumpeted his
arrival and propagated his exceptional qualities. They
talked about him endlessly to their own children, praised
and glorified him immeasurably and eagerly awaited his
arrival. But what happened? At the arrival of the same
Prophet of truth they had waited for years, and had talked
about day and night and through whose mediation had
prayed for victory, they turned against him despite their
knowledge of his truthfulness and rejected his
M essengership.
To sum up, the reliance of the Jews on his mediation in
their prayers predates his arrival as the last Prophet on this
earth. Therefore, the same logic that justified his mediation
in the days preceding his birth, also justifies it in the days
that follow his departure from this fugitive world. This is
the only rational conclusion we can draw from the
traditions I have cited about the relevance of the Prophet’s
name and person as a source of mediation.
SECTION TWO

holy Prophet (A) during his
physical existence
This is a distinction of the holy Prophet (A) that people
relied on him as a means not only before his Prophethood
but also before birth. In the last section it has been
discussed how Adam (D) first of all and then the Jews
benefited from his mediation. When the former nations and
communities prayed through him for victory over their
enemies and for their own redemption, the M uslim
community as his direct followers are far more deserving of
this privilege. This is the reason the Qur’ān has furnished
an irrefutable proof of the infinite blessings and rewards the
M uslim community received through his mediation. The
Companions depended on him as a source of intermediation
and he never directed them to implore Allah directly. On
the contrary, he himself educated them in making use of
different modes of intermediation. The Qur’ānic arguments
relating to intermediation through the Holy Prophet (A)
are discussed below:
165
First argument: Waiving of punishme nt

against the Ummah through the holy
The Holy Qur’ān guides us in the following way about
intermediation through the Holy Prophet (A) in his
earthly existence:
And (the fact of the matter is that) it is

unbecoming of Allah to inflict punishment
on them while (O exalted friend,) you are
also (present) among them, nor will Allah
punish them in a state when they are seeking
forgiveness (from Him).1
From this it is evident that Allah has changed His
universal system for the sake of the Holy Prophet (A).
The former nations fell victim to divine punishment when
they crossed all limits of divine disobedience and refused to
embrace the message of truth. In this way their
disobedience incurred the divine wrath. Sometimes stones
were hurled at them from the skies, at other times their
faces were disfigured and at still other times, they were
drowned in floods. In short, different types of punishment
were wreaked on them, which clearly indicated that it was
their outrageous act of disobedience that had invited the
divine anger. But when the Holy Prophet (A) descended
on this earth, Allah changed His rules and regulations. This

reflects the glory and grandeur of the Holy Prophet (A)
and the divine recognition of his exceptional status. It was
for his sake alone that He waived His earthly punishments
not only against the M uslims but also against the infidels,
the Jews and the Christians. This waiver was not restricted
to a specific time or era but became a universal and integral
part of his Prophethood and M essengership. As long as his
gracious presence as the Prophet and M essenger of Allah
blesses this world, punishment will not visit the people who
live on this earth. And there is no doubt that his
Prophethood will continue till the Day of Judgement
because on the basis of the Prophet’s presence amongst us
(wa anta fīhim), his presence turned into a fountain-head of
divine mercy. Therefore, as long as he is present among us,
it is guaranteed by the Lord Himself that the Community
will remain immune to all kinds of punishment. Thus the
personality of the Holy Prophet (A) has become a
symbol of the absence of divine punishment.
Intermediation through the Prophet (A) is a

precondition for the acceptance of repentance
The verse indicates two sources of access to divine
nearness: one is the source of the Holy Prophet (A) and
the other is the source of repentance. Both sources are
means of immunity against divine punishment. Just as
diplomats enjoy diplomatic immunity, people who repent
and rely on the Prophet’s mediation enjoy divine immunity.
This immunity helps in stalling punishment. But Allah has
given precedence to the Prophet’s mediation over
repentance as is reflected in their chronological order. First,
He mentions the intermediation through the Holy Prophet
(A), and then He mentions repentance. The inference is
transparent if one studies the verse dispassionately:
repentance is actually contingent on the repentant’s
relationship with the Holy Prophet (A). This relationship
should not be a mere pretense, but it should be based on
sincerity and devotion. Therefore, the repentance of only
those persons will receive divine sanction who whole-
heartedly believe in the integrity and finality of the Holy
Prophet (A). Thus their repentance is conditional. People
who repent should not only believe in him as a Prophet but
also sincerely believe that even today he is with us and that
he will continue to be with us till the Day of Judgement.
When this belief is deeply entrenched in our hearts and
minds, our repentance will acquire an incredible immediacy
and lead to the waiving of punishment.
Challenge of infidels and disbelievers

Strangely enough, the infidels and the disbelievers cast
blatant aspersions on the truth of the Holy Qur’ān. They
flagrantly challenged the Holy Prophet (A) by saying
that they did not believe in the Qur’ān and if the Qur’ān
they denied was full of truth, then punishment should be
inflicted on them. As the Qur’ān says:
And when they said (tauntingly), O

Allah, if this (Qur’ān) that has come from
You is the truth, then hurl stones on us (on
account of its disobedience) or inflict on us
1
some agonizing punishment.
The infidels posed this challenge to gauge the truth and
veracity of the Qur’ān. But in reply to the challenge, Allah
has pointed out in the adjacent verse: if my beloved were
not among you, your arrogance and false pride would have
been quashed like that of the earlier nations. This goes
against the grain of My mercy, that on the one hand, My
Beloved is present among you, and, on the other hand, I
should wreak punishment on you. Thus the presence of the
Prophet (A) and the infliction of divine punishment are
mutually exclusive. The presence of the Holy Prophet
(A) is a divine guarantee against the materialization of
punishment because Allah has sent him as a means of
mercy for all the worlds. The Qur’ān declares:
And (O great Messenger,) We have sent

2
you but as mercy for all the worlds.
Here Allah makes it explicit that the extraordinary
status of His beloved and its declaration in the 33rd verse of
surah al-Anfāl, is what prevents Him from inflicting
punishment on them, despite their sin and disobedience.
Otherwise human history is a witness to the fact that rebels
and challengers like them never enjoyed any immunity
against divine punishment in any period and particularly
those nations whose arrogant and supercilious behaviour
had crossed all limits of human tolerance and decency and,
therefore, invited His wrath. Some of them were cast in the

2. Qur’ān (al-Ambiyā’) 21:107.
moulds of monkeys, others were drowned in water while
still others lost their lives as a result of some deafening
sound. In short, their disobedience was instantaneously
retaliated with divine punishment.
Qur’ānic reply
This is noteworthy that the infidels and disbelievers,
spurred on by their chronic philosophy of denial and
denigration, challenged Allah to wreak punishment on them
because they denied the truth of the Qur’ān. But the
Qur’ānic reply, recorded in the adjacent verse, surprised
them by posing a counterchallenge. The Qur’ān not only
highlighted the dignity and merciful nature of the Holy
Prophet (A) but also declared his personality as a means
of holding back divine punishment against the infidels and
the disbelievers in their earthly existence.
This is endorsed by surah Āl-i-‘Imrān which stresses
the guarantee of the presence of the holy Prophet (A) as a
means of guidance. Allah says:
And how would you (now) disbelieve

while you are (among those fortunates) that
to you are rehearsed the verses of Allah, and
His Messenger (himself) is in your midst?
And whoever holds fast to Allah’s (lap), is
indeed guided towards the right path. 1

What precedes this verse is the Qur’ānic assertion that
the Jews and the Christians employed an assortment of
devices to persuade the M uslims to return to disbelief. The
filthiest device used by them was their tantalizing attitude
which helped them generate an ambience of suspense and
uncertainty to sow seeds of doubt among the M uslims.
They posed themselves as M uslims in the morning and
turned disbelievers in the evening claiming that Islam did
not suit their temper. But the conspiracy that operated
behind this line of action was based on the belief that the
weaklings among the M uslims would be inspired by their
return to disbelief and, as a result, follow in their footsteps,
jettisoning Islam and embracing disbelief. In fact, it was a
heinous strategy to disenchant the M uslims with Islam. But
it was unveiled by Allah and, on account of the presence of
the Holy Prophet (A) among them, the designs of these
turncoats were hopelessly frustrated. In addition, the
context of the verse also serves as a certificate of solace
and consolation for those M uslims who seem vulnerable to
doubt and vacillation, and this certificate is not a form of
abstraction; it draws nourishment from the personality of
the Holy Prophet (A) himself. Allah is in fact saying that
those who are assailed by doubt and suspicion and are in
constant fear of losing their faith, should turn to the Holy
Prophet (A) as a source of strength and stability. If they
act on this prescription, they will never return to disbelief
after they have embraced Islam. Thus the prescription for
retaining a steady and unwavering faith is to hold on firmly
to the Qur’ān and the M essenger of Allah. The two means
are the strongest pillars on which the structure of Islamic
faith can be raised.
Subtle point
In this Qur’ānic verse, the need and significance of belief in
M essengership is being emphasized. What is being
emphasized here is not the presence of the Qur’ān among
them, but the presence of the M essenger (A). The Qur’ān
could have emphasized the simultaneity of their presence:
how could you return to disbelief as the Qur’ān as well as
the M essenger (A) is present among you. But this mode
of presentation is deliberately eschewed, unravelling a
specific divine purpose. When He referred to His own
Book, He stated that the verses of Allah are rehearsed to
you. It means that the mere presence of the book carries no
guarantee of protection against return to disbelief,
therefore, it posits the presence of someone who will
rehearse the verses, and it is His beloved who rehearses
these verses to us. Thus the Qur’ān, referring to the
Prophet’s duty of articulating these verses, claims:
(And) a Messenger (has been sent) who

rehearses to you Allah’s verses.1
Allah makes it explicit through these verses that
whatever benefit you draw from the Qur’ān is through the
M essenger’s rehearsal. Thus the benefit from the Qur’ān is
operational only if it is processed through the mediation of
the Holy Prophet (A), otherwise, you shall be doomed
forever. As Allah says:
1. Qur’ān (at-Talāq) 65:11.

Allah, by means of a single act, makes

many people go astray, and guides many
1
others.
Even in this condition, they shall have the Qur’ān, but
some of them will earn only deviation from the right path.
Then He declared:
And whoever holds fast to Allah’s (lap),

is indeed guided toward the right path. 2
Now the question arises how to identify Allah’s lap,
that is, approach to Him? The approach to Allah leads
through the Prophet (A). Any attempt to gain access to
the Lord by bypassing him is an exercise in futility. In the
Qur’ānic language, the servitude of the Prophet (A) is in
fact abstaining from sin in obedience to God’s will.
Therefore, if you hold on firmly to him, you are following
the will of the Lord as you cast yourself in the Prophet’s
mould and guidance becomes your destiny. Thus, clinging
to the Holy Prophet (A) and emulating his way of life is
a guarantee of immunity against any return to disbelief.
Second argument: Forgiveness of the
Companions through the Prophet’s
mediation
The episode relates to the battle of Uhud. Some of the
Companions had been posted at a specific spot (pass) by
the Holy Prophet (A) who had stressed upon them not to

budge from their place whether the M uslims scored a
victory or suffered a defeat. But some of them left their
place of duty to grab the spoils of war. As a result, the
infidels of M akkah pounced upon them from behind which
bewildered the M uslims, and created a stampede in their
ranks. A number of the Companions received martyrdom
on account of the unexpected enemy attack. The Holy
Prophet (A) recalled the scattered Companions and
inspired by his motivational address, they fought a pitched
battle and inflicted a humiliating defeat on the enemy. The
next day after they had returned from the battle of Uhud,
the Holy Prophet (A) asked them to get ready for another
battle. Though the Companions were lacerated with injuries
and exhausted by overexertions, unprotestingly capitulated
to the Prophet’s command. Both Allah and the Holy
Prophet (A) felt pity at their spirit of sacrifice and Allah
decided to forgive them for their lapses, for example, (1) to
leave the pass for collecting the spoils of war, and (2) to
leave the Prophet (A) alone and unguarded on the
battlefield, which had caused great loss to the M uslim army
as well as resulted in a facial injury to the Prophet (A). It
was no doubt a grave offence, but their readiness to plunge
into another battle soon after the battle of Uhud and,
inspired by the spirit of jihad, their readiness for self-
sacrifice, deeply touched the strings of divine passion, and
Allah commanded the Holy Prophet (A):
So you should overlook their faults and

ask forgiveness for them.1

This Qur’ānic verse recommends forgiveness for the
Companions. It clearly implies that the certificate of
forgiveness cannot be issued to the Companions unless it is
processed through the Holy Prophet (A), that is, unless it
includes the Prophet’s mediation as an instrument of their
forgiveness.
The point to be emphasized here is the reversal of
priority. Allah, being the Lord and the M aster, can act
independently of any creature, and by virtue of His inherent
independence, He is the M aster of forgiveness while the
Prophet (A) is His creature and, by virtue of his
creaturely status, depends entirely on Him. But Allah, out
of His love for the Prophet (A), has deliberately reversed
the priority. The M aster wants to forgive and says to the
one who is dependent on Him: O My beloved, I want to
forgive your Companions, but first of all you should
forgive them and then ask M e for their forgiveness so that I
should forgive them on your recommendation. This fact has
been given poetic expression by Ahmad Radā Khān. He has
described how the Creator, in His capacity as the Lord and
the M aster, is conferring special honour on His own
creature by giving precedence to His consent even over His
own. He says that here the consent of the M aster depends
on the consent of the servant which turns the normal pattern
of expectation upside down by eliminating the distinction
between you and M e, between the Lover and the beloved,
between the M aster and the servant. Though the status of
the creature is incomparable with that of the Creator Who is
the Lord and M aster of all the worlds, yet in this Qur’ānic
verse, the element of comparison is being consciously
underplayed by the Creator Himself and, through an act of
voluntary surrender, He is raising the status of His creature
to extraordinary heights of glory and excellence by the
protocol of love, and not by the protocol of grade. He has
not only edged out the “you-me” distinction, but is also
giving priority to the creature’s consent even over His own.
If God had intended to retain the distinction between
Himself and His creature, He would never have made it
contingent on the creature’s will. This by no means implies
that the creature has all of a sudden grown into the Creator
or surpassed Him in excellence. It only suggests the
exceptional stature of the creature, which has been
conferred on him by his Creator. It dissolves all distinctions
between the creature and the Creator as both are bonded
together in the relation of love, and not in the relation of
grade.
Third argument: Medina as the source of

charity of intercession
The following Qur’ānic verse furnishes a strong argument
in favour of intermediation through the Prophet (A) in his
existence on the earth:

Messenger also had asked forgiveness from
1
Merciful.
Through this verse, Allah is directing the believers
towards the most appropriate mode of repentance.
Whenever they commit a sin or an error, they should ask
forgiveness of Allah through the Holy Prophet (A). Allah
will forgive them on the basis of this mediation. The verse
makes the divine intention quite explicit and transparent. It
also implies that, among the many modes of repentance
available to the believers, the most effective mode is to
seek Allah’s forgiveness through the Holy Prophet (A).
His intercession will be a guarantee of its immediate
acceptance. And this Qur’ānic injunction applied not only
to his earthly existence but shall remain valid even after his
death.
Fourth argument: Return of eyesight

In addition to the Qur’ānic verses, the sayings of the Holy
Prophet (A) provide a clear proof that the believers relied
on him as a source of intermediation in his earthly life.
Besides, he himself commanded people to depend on him
as a source of intermediation as has been narrated by
‘Uthmān bin Hunayf:

That a blind man called on the Holy

Prophet (A) and said to him: ‘(O
Messenger of Allah,) pray to Allah to give
me solace’. The Prophet (A) said: ‘if you
wish, I will stall it and this is better for you.’
He said: ‘you should pray for me to Him.’
So he asked him to perform the ablution:
‘perform the ablution thoroughly well and
then offer two cycles of optional prayer and
beseech Allah with this supplication: “O
Allah, I appeal to You, and submit to You
through the mediation of the merciful
Prophet Muhammad. O Muhammad,
through your mediation I submit myself to
My Lord to have my need granted. O Allah,
acknowledge his intercession in my
favour.”1
1. Ibn Mājah transmitted it in his Sunan, b. of iqāmat-us-salāt was-

sunnah fīhā (establishing prayer and its sunnahs) ch.189
(1:441#1385); Tirmidhī in al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of da‘awāt
(supplications) ch.119 (5:569#3578); Ahmad bin Hambal in his
Musnad (4:138); Nasā’ī, ‘Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah (p.417#658-
9); Hākim, al-Mustadrak (1:313,519); Ibn Khuzaymah, as-Sahīh
(2:225-6#1219); Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (6:166); Subkī,
Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām (p.123); Nawawī, al-
Adhkār (p.83); Ibn-ul-Athīr, Asad-ul-ghābah (3:571); Yūsuf Mizzī,
Tuhfat-ul-ashrāf bi-ma‘rifat-il-atrāf (7:236#9760); Ibn Kathīr, al-
Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:558); Ibn Hajar Haythamī, al-Jawhar-ul-
Ibn M ājah, Hākim and Dhahabī have declared it a
sound (sahīh) tradition while Tirmidhī graded it hasan
(fair) sahīh, gharīb (unfamiliar or rare).
Similarly, another tradition narrated by Imam Hākim is
couched in different words. In this tradition, ‘Uthmān bin
Hunayf says that he was present in the Prophet’s company.
A blind person called on the Prophet (A) and complained
about the loss of his eyesight. He added: ‘O M essenger of
Allah, there is no one to guide me and I am in great
trouble.’ On hearing his complaint, the Prophet (A) said:
Bring an earthen pot for ablution, then

perform the ablution and offer two cycles of
optional prayer. Then say: “O Allah, I
appeal to You, and submit to You through
the mediation of Your merciful Prophet
Muhammad (A). O Muhammad, through
your mediation I submit myself to your Lord
that He should give light to my eyes. O
Allah, acknowledge his intercession in my
munazzam (p.61); and Shawkānī in Tuhfat-udh-dhākirīn (pp.194-

5).
favour and accept my supplication also in
my favour.” ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf says: I
swear by Allah that we had neither left the
company nor had we carried on a long
conversation that the man entered (with his
sight fully restored) and it seemed as if he
1
had never been blind.
In addition, a number of other traditionists of great
repute have recorded this sound tradition and their names
are given below:
1. Nasā’ī, ‘Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah (p.418#660).
2. Bukhārī, at-Tārīkh-ul-kabīr (6:209-10).
3. Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (4:138).
4. Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (6:166-7).
5. Ibn-us-Sunnī, ‘Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah (p.202#622).
6. M undhirī, at-Targhīb wat-tarhīb (1:473-4).
7. Subkī, Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām
(pp.123-4).
9. Suyūtī, al-Khasā’is-ul-kubrā (2:201).
10. Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (4:594).
11. Zurqānī, Commentary (12:221-2).
M ahmūd Sa‘īd M amdūh has also expressed his views in
his book Raf‘-ul-Minārah (p.123):
“All these chains are sound which have been certified
by persons who have committed the traditions to memory.
Among these are also included Imam Tirmidhī, Tabarānī,
Ibn Khuzaymah, Hākim and Dhahabī.”
1. Hākim graded it sahīh (sound) in al-Mustadrak (1:526-7)

according to the conditions of Imam Bukhārī and its authenticity
has been acknowl edged by Dhahabī as well.
This sacred tradition clearly indicates that the creature
is imploring Allah Who Alone can help him and provide
relief to him. He Alone has the power to transform non-
existence into existence, non-entity into entity. But the
point to be noted here is that the words of the supplication
are being taught by the Holy Prophet (A) himself in
which God’s attention and help are being invoked for its
acceptance through his own mediation. It may be further
noted that it is not only his person that is being relied upon
for the acknowledgement of the prayer, but also the quality
of his mercy that he has been vested with through Allah’s
kindness. Thus the prayer boils down to the fact that the
petitioner is saying: O Allah, I appeal to You through the
mediation of the Prophet (A) whom You have Yourself
vested with infinite mercy that You should restore my lost
eyesight and return light to my eyes which they have lost.
Since the prayer was processed through the Prophet’s
mediation, the Lord’s mercy gushed forth instantly as it is
against the divine will that some petitioner should invoke
His mercy through the mediation of the Holy Prophet (A)
and his petition should not be granted. In this case the grant
of the prayer was neither delayed nor was the phenomenon
of cause-and-effect allowed to interfere in its acceptance. It
was the blessing of the Prophet’s mediation which returned
the eyesight instantly as if it had never been lost.
Fifth argume nt: Descending of rain

During the life of the Holy Prophet (A) whenever there
was a dry spell on account of a prolonged absence of rain
and signs of drought appeared, the Companions used to
request him to pray for rain though they themselves could
have done it. There is no doubt that they were men of
knowledge and possessed a greater understanding of
religion than us, but they were also deeply aware of the
difference between the ordinary servants of the Lord and
His special servants. They knew too well that the prayer of
an ordinary servant can be rejected but that of His favoured
ones invariably finds His approval. And this was the
rationale behind the Companion’s request to the Holy
Prophet (A) to pray for the alleviation of their difficulties
and problems. They wanted to impress upon the believers
the distinction between ordinary people and Allah’s most
favoured ones. They capitulated willingly to this divinely
established hierarchical grading and they expected all
believers to recognize and respect the special status Allah
had conferred on His special servants, and this recognition
of their extraordinary status should be ungrudgingly
accepted because Islam is primarily a religion of
submission to the will of the Lord. So whenever there was
shortfall of rain and there were apprehensions of drought,
the Companions approached the Holy Prophet (A) and
then witnessed the sight of God’s mercy with their own
eyes. The Prophet’s prayer brought rain in the flash of a
second. There is a frequent reference to such faith-boosting
occurrences in the books on hadith. Below are recorded
some of these occurrence to illustrate the fact that
intermediation through the Holy Prophet (A) is a direct
source of bliss for the helpless and embattled people
because whenever he prayed to the Lord, his prayer was
immediately granted. This is an inherent feature of the
Prophet’s supplication. It is out of the question that Allah
should discard his supplication because it is a promise
made by Himself that whenever His beloved prays to Him,
his prayer would be granted, and without any delay.
First happening
When the Prophet (A) himself was a child, there was a
severe drought, not a drop of water to drink and people
only looked at the sky wistfully for the unexpected rain.
They had grown weary out of hunger. Their sobs and sighs
dissolved in tears but to no avail. Not a single cloud
appeared in the sky. At last, when all strategies to bring
down the rain had fizzled out, Abū Tālib thought of praying
through the mediation of the Holy Prophet (A). He led all
the people to a wide open space. Abū Tālib held the child
in his arms, lifted him towards the sky and said: “O Lord,
confer on us the gift of rain through the source of this
handsome child, we submit his means to you.” He repeated
these words three times. The sky that was used to raining
fire and had been lying cloudless for a long time, was
suddenly overcast with clouds. Jet-black clouds floated all
around and it started raining. It rained in torrents and the
drainpipes of the houses started flowing like gushing
rivulets.1
Second happening
About forty-five years after this happening when the Banī
Hāshim tribe was under house arrest in Abū Tālib’s
1. Suhaylī narrated it in ar-Rawd-ul-anf (1:179); Qastallānī in al-

Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (4:272-3) who said that Ibn ‘Asākir
transmitted it and Zurq ānī also certi fied it in his Commentary
(11:143-4).
mountain pass, Abū Tālib wrote a passionate panegyric
which also referred to this happening. He warned the
residents of M akkah that he would never hand over to them
such a blessed person. On the contrary, they would
sacrifice their lives, children and property in his defence.
People who think that we will surrender to them our most
precious treasure are sadly mistaken. One of the verses of
this panegyric translates as follows:
And the one with the illumined face,

whose lighted face acts as a means of
bringing down rain, who is the supporter of
orphans and a redresser of the complaints of
widows.
Ibn ‘Umar says: ‘I often recalled this verse of Abū
Tālib whenever I looked at the face of the Holy Prophet
(A) praying for rain. He had hardly stepped down the
pulpit that the drainpipes started flowing.’ We come to
know through Ibn ‘Umar’s words that the Holy Prophet
(A) received frequent requests from people to pray for
rain and, through the instrumentality of his prayer, it started
raining. The tradition is recorded in these words:
‘Abdullāh bin Dīnār is reported to have

heard it from his father who said: I heard it
from Ibn ‘Umar who used to recite Abū
Tālib’s verse: “And the one with the
illumined face whose lighted face acts as a
means of bringing down rain, who is the
supporter of orphans and a redresser of the
complaints of widows.” And ‘Umar bin
Hamzah said that Sālim has reported to us
from his father (‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar) that I
sometimes recalled this verse by the poet
and sometimes looked at the lighted face of
the Holy Prophet (A) when he prayed for
rain, and had hardly stepped down the
pulpit that the drainpipes started flowing
gushingly. “And the one with the illumined
face whose lighted face acts as a means of
widows.”1

fo r rain at the time of drought ) ch.3 (1:342#963); Ibn Māj ah,
Sunan, b. of iqāmat-us-salāt was-sunnah fīhā (establishing pray er
and its sunnahs) ch.154 (1:405#1272); Ahmad bin Hambal,
Musnad (2:93); Bayhaqī in Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (6:142-3) and
Third happening
Different traditions are narrated through Anas bin M ālik in
this context. Some of them are:
Once the Holy Prophet (A) was

delivering the Friday sermon among us that
suddenly a man approached him and said to
him: ‘O Messenger of Allah, it has not
rained since ages. You should pray for us
that Allah may saturate us with rain.’ So he
prayed for them and it started raining, we
hardly returned to our homes that the rain
began to fall and it continued down to the
next Friday. Again the same person or
as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:352); Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah

(4:471-2); Yūsuf Mizzī, Tuhfat-ul-ashrāf bi-ma‘rifat-il-atrāf
(5:359#6775); Badr-ud-Dīn ‘Aynī, ‘Umdat-ul-qārī (7:29-31); and
Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī in Fath-ul-bārī (2:494).
someone else stood up and said to him: ‘O
Messenger of Allah, pray for us that Allah
should divert this rain to some other place.’
So the Holy Prophet (A) prayed: ‘O
Allah, bring down the rain not on us but on
the areas around and about us.’ I saw that
instantly the cloud rolled away right and
left. It rained in all the areas except in
Medina. 1
1. Bukhārī related it in as-Sahīh, b. of istisqā’ (to invoke Allah for

rain at the time of drought) ch.7 (1:344-5#969); Muslim, as-Sahīh,
b. of salāt-ul-istisqā’ (prayer to invoke Allah for rain at the time of
drought) ch.2 (2:614-5#897); Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un -nubuwwah
(6:140); Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:472-3); and Ibn
Hajar ‘Asqalānī in Fath-ul-bārī (2:508).
That a person entered the mosque

through the door in front of the pulpit and
the Holy Prophet (A) was delivering the
sermon while standing. So that person took
a position right in front of him. Then he
said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, the cattle have
died and the paths are disconnected. So pray
to Allah that He should send rain on us.’
(Anas says that) the Messenger of Allah
(A) raised both of his hands and
addressed (Allah): ‘O Allah, send us rain; O
Allah, send us rain; O Allah, send us rain.’
Anas said: By Allah! We could see neither a
cloud in the sky, nor even a fragment of a
cloud, and there was neither a house nor
any other building between us and the
mountain. Then a piece of cloud, that was
the size of a shield, appeared from behind
the hill. It started floating in the sky and
then it spread out, and it started raining. By
God! For six days we did not see the sun in
the sky. Then the next Friday another person
entered through the same door while the
Prophet (A) was delivering the sermon in
the standing posture. He positioned himself
in front of him and said: ‘O Messenger of
Allah, the cattle have died and the paths are
disconnected, so pray to Allah that he
should stop the rain.’ Anas relates that the
Messenger (A) again raised his hands and
addressed (Allah), ‘O Allah, (the rain) may
fall around us, and not on us; O Allah, (the
rain) may fall on the hills, hillocks, valleys
and the places where the trees grow.’ Anas
says that the rain stopped and we came out
(of the mosque) and we were walking in the
sunshine. Sharīk said, ‘I asked Anas: was it
the same person who had come before?’ He
1
said, ‘I don’t know.’
1. Bukhārī related it in his as-Sahīh, b. of istisqā’ (to invoke Allah for

rain at the time of drought) ch.6,5,7,8,9,10,11,20,23 (1:343-
6,348,349#968,967,969-73,983, 986), b. of jumu‘ah (Friday
prayer) ch.33(1:315-6#891); Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of salāt-ul-
istisqā’ (prayer to invoke Allah for rain at the time of drought) ch.2
(2:612-4#897); Nasā’ī, Sunan, b. of istisqā’ (3:154-5, 159-60, 161-
3); Ibn Mājah, Sunan, b. of iqāmat-us-salāt was-sunnah fīhā
(establishing prayer and its sunnahs) ch.154 (1:404#1269); Ahmad
bin Hambal, Musnad (3:256); Mālik bin Anas, al-Muwattā, b. of
istisqā’, ch.2 (1:191#3); Abū Ya‘lā, Musnad (5:416#3104); Ibn
Khuzaymah, as-Sahīh, (3:144,147#1788,1792); Ibn Hibbān, as-
Sahīh (3:272-3#992); Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:354-5) and
Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (6:139-40); Baghawī, Sharh-us-sunnah
(4:412-5#1166-7); Zayla‘ī, Nasb-ur-rāyah (2:238-9); Ibn Kathīr,
al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:472); Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-
laduniyyah (4:265-6); and Zurqānī in his Commentary (11:120-5).
Once during the time of the Prophet

( A) famine gripped Medina. The Prophet
( A) was delivering the Friday sermon to
us that a person stood up and said, ‘O
Messenger of Allah, the horses and the goats
have died. So pray to Allah that He may
send us rain.’ The Prophet ( A) raised his
holy hands and prayed. Anas relates that (at
that time) the sky was as (transparent) as
cutglass. (But on account of the Prophet’s
prayer,) the breeze blew instantly and the
clouds came over. Then they grew quite
dense and then the sky opened its mouth
wide (that is, it started raining in torrents).
We came out from there and (drenched in
rain and) almost drowning in water, we
reached our homes. The rain did not stop till
the next Friday. The same day the same
person or someone else stood up and said,
‘O Messenger of Allah, the houses have
collapsed, so pray to Allah that this may
stop.’ He smiled and then prayed (to Allah)
that rain may fall around us, and not on us.
So I saw that the clouds had rolled away
from Medina (and Medina appeared) as if it
was crowned by the sky.
In another tradition, Anas relates that
Allah shows to the people the blessing of His
Prophet ( A) and the acceptance of his
prayers.1
1. Bukhārī transmitted it in his as-Sahīh, b. of manāqib (virtues)

ch.22 (3:1313#3389), b. of jumu‘ah (Friday prayer) ch.32
(1:315#890), b. of istisqā’ (to invoke Allah for rain at the time o f
drought) ch.13 (1:346-7#975), b. of adab (good m anners ) ch.68
(5:2261#5742), b. of da‘awāt (supplications) ch.23 (5:2335#5982);
Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of salāt-ul-istisqā’ (prayer to invok e Allah
fo r rain at the time of drought) ch.2 (2:614-5#897); Nasā’ī, Sunan,
b. of istisqā’ (3:165-6); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of salāt (prayer)
1:304-5 (#1174); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (3:271); Abū Ya‘lā,
Musnad (6:82#3334); Ibn Khuzaym ah, as-Sahīh (3:145-6#1789);
Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:353-4, 356, 357) and Dalā’il-un-
nubuwwah (6:140); Baghawī, Sharh-us-sunnah (4:415-6#1168);
and Ibn Kathīr in al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:474).
Fourth happening
It happened after his Prophethood. The country was in the
grip of famine. Once a villager came crying to him and
pointed to him graphically the trouble and devastation
caused by the drought. He depicted the afflictions of the
affected people poetically in these terms:
O M essenger of Allah, our miserable situation has
driven us to seek your help, to request you to pray for us.
Young girls are forced to work on account of poverty and
their breasts are bleeding due to overexertion. The sanguine
situation has made people so self-centred that even a kind
and affectionate person such as a mother has grown
indifferent to her child. And on account of the physical
debility caused by hunger, the child is lying senseless and
exhausted, and neither a sour nor a sweet word is coming
out of his mouth. There is nothing for people to eat except
useless wild grass or the food that has been damaged by the
affliction.
O Master! Our struggle is confined only

to you, and people have access to no one
else but the messengers.
On hearing the complaint, the Holy Prophet (A)
became restless, and he ascended the pulpit, his shawl
trailing behind and spread his hands in a posture of prayer:
“O Allah, You are infinitely Kind and M erciful. Bring
down on them the beneficial continuous torrential rain that
may breathe life into the dead skeletons, fill the breasts
with milk and give vitality to the land.”
The Holy Prophet (A) had hardly touched his face
with his spread palms to indicate the end of his prayer that
the sky was overcast with clouds and they showered rain on
the land so copiously that the entire area was saturated with
water. The land wore a spring-clean look as it had been
thoroughly washed by rain. The rain continued till people
from adjacent areas came running to the Prophet (A) and
said to him: ‘O M essenger of Allah, everything is about to
sink due to excess of rain. Please pray that the rain should
stop, otherwise, it will wash away everything.’ People who
had been deprived of water for a long time were so
saturated with the divine mercy and blessing that they
started grumbling against the narrow capacity of their
valleys and canals. On account of the immediate
acceptance of his prayer, the coming down of rain, its
excess and the mixed reaction of his followers, he felt so
elated that a pleasant smile spread over his face. It seemed
as if spring had returned to the parched land. In that joyful
state he said:
May God bless Abū Tālib. If he were

here, this sight would surely have cooled his
eyes (he would have felt very happy). Who
will recite to us his verse?
‘Alī felt overjoyous on hearing this from the Holy
Prophet (A) and said to him: perhaps you would like to
listen to this verse:
And the one with the illumined face,

whose lighted face acts as a means of
widows.
M eanwhile, a poet from the tribe of Kinānah stood up
and he expressed his appreciation in the form of these
verses: ‘O Allah, we articulate Your praise and this praise
is from Your servants who are grateful to You because we
have been blessed with rain through the lighted face of the
Holy Prophet (A). He prayed to his Lord and at the same
time he raised his eyes and looked towards the sky. Hardly
a fraction of a second had passed that we saw the pearls of
rain. He is a spitting image of the words in which his uncle
Abū Tālib has cast him – he is handsome and has a face
that gives out light and luminosity. So, whoever is grateful
to Allah is ultimately blessed, and whoever is ungrateful, is
cursed with the worst.’ The Holy Prophet (A) was
immensely pleased by the spontaneous expression of his
sincere feelings and said:
If poets are capable of saying fine

things, you have certainly given expression
to something fine. 1
1. Badr-ud-Dīn ‘Aynī narrated it in ‘Umdat-ul-qārī (7:31); Ibn Haj ar

‘Asqalānī, Fath-ul-bārī (2:495); Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un -nubuwwah
(6:141-2); Subkī, Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām (pp.126-
8); Ibn Hishām, as-Sīrat-un-nabawiyyah (1:280-1); Qastallānī, al-
Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (4:271); and Zurqānī in his Commentary
(11:139-41).
Fifth happening
Another similar happening is recorded in the books on
tradition and the life of the Holy Prophet (A) which is
sumned up as follows:
When the Holy Prophet (A) had
returned from the battle of Tabūk, the
afflected people of Fazārah tribe called on
him and complained to him about their
backwardness, poverty and sense of
economic deprivation caused by lack of rain.
He (A) took pity on them and prayed to
the Lord for rain. As a result of his prayer, it
rained in buckets and it continued
uninterrupted for eight days. The next
Friday someone requested the Holy Prophet
(A) for the rain to stop. He prayed: ‘O
Allah, let it rain around and about us but not
on us,’ and Allah granted his prayer.1
Summary of the discussion

In the preceding pages we discussed in detail the reliance
on the Prophet’s mediation during his earthly life in the
light of the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. And this mediation was
not restricted to a specific issue but it was applied
invariably to all religious and worldly matters as the
Companions used to pray to God through his means. The
1. Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (6:143-4); Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah

wan-nihāyah (4:476-7); Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah
(4:269-70); Zurqānī, Commentary (11:133-8).
traditions we have described amply prove that the Prophet’s
mediation was relied upon in all matters ranging from
disease, pain, difficulty, faith, forgiveness of sins to the
economic deprivation of the people. In short, people
depended on his mediation in all religious and secular
matters and he also prayed to the Lord for all kinds of
people. He never discouraged them from coming to him for
prayer. He never told them: ‘Allah is even closer to you
than your main artery, so stay at your homes and pray to
Him directly.’ On the other hand, he commended the
people for coming to the right place which clearly indicated
that Allah Himself had guided them to approach him for the
fulfilment of their wishes and the realization of their needs.
This particular guidance provided by Allah Himself to the
needy is a clear proof of the fact that intermediation
through the prophets and the messengers is a valid and
commendable act.
SECTION THREE

holy Prophet (A) after his
death
1. God’s bounty through the Prophet’s
mediation
Allah says:
We help everyone, those (who desire the

world) and those (who desire the Hereafter).
(O honoured friend! All this is) the bounty
from your Lord, and the bounty of your Lord
is not closed (to anyone). 1
The choice of the pronoun in this Qur'anic verse is quite
significant. The verse is not phrased as “all this is the
bounty from their Lord,” but, on the other hand, it is
phrased as “all this is the bounty from your Lord.” There
1. Qur'an (al-Isrā’) 17:20.

197
is no doubt that the bounty is from the Lord, but the

collocation “your Lord” shifts the focus of attention from
the Lord to the Prophet (A), from the Creator to the
creature. That is, by the prefixation of the pronoun “your”
to the Lord, Allah has deliberately and pointedly elevated
the stature of the Holy Prophet (A) above all other
creatures.
It means that whatever a creature acquires in this world,
he acquires it through the means of the Holy Prophet (A),
and the process of acquisition is unending, i.e., the creature
will continue to acquire it as long as he is alive, but it will
be invariably filtered through the person of the Holy
Prophet (A). The devolution of power here is
unmistakable. God is devolving the divine power to the
Holy Prophet (A) by making it explicit that divine
recognition is contingent on the Prophet’s recognition.
The first part of the Qur'anic verse delineates the divine
system. In this system, it is the Lord who freely bestows
bounties on everyone and helps each one of His creatures.
The second part is in the form of a declaration: O beloved
Prophet, whatever a person receives in this world, whatever
bounty is bestowed on him and whatever he is blessed with,
is the blessing of your Lord.
Here the normal expectations are not fulfilled which
would have preferred the phrase ‘atā’i rabbihim (the
bounty of their Lord) in place of ‘atā’i rabbika (the bounty
of your Lord) because the general addressee of the verse is
mankind, and not any specific person. God is telling human
beings, in unambiguous terms, that their achievements are
not the result of personal effort but they are the blessings
from the Lord. But the Qur'anic verse reverses the normal
order of expectation. God is consciously trying to impress

upon the people that whatever is bestowed upon them, and
whatever they have acquired, is the bounty from the
beloved’s Lord, and they have received all these bounties
through the beloved’s means. The reason that God is being
so explicit is that these people may not entertain any
illusions about their personal accomplishment because their
achievements are not the outcome of their personal struggle
but they have received all this through the instrumentality
of the Holy Prophet (A).
Here the question arises about the nature of His
Lordship. Is He not the Lord of all those He is helping? He
is their Lord also and that is why He helps them. If He had
not been their Lord, He would never have declared, “We
help everyone.” If He is their Sustainer also, then why did
He, in this context, particularly declare, “All this is the
bounty from your Lord?”
The answer is that He intends to impress upon the
believers the extraordinary status of the Holy Prophet
(A). He means to bring home to them the fact that,
though all blessings emanate from Him, these are doled out
to them as blessings of Allah’s beloved (A). So this verse
is communicating to them the exceptional stature of the
Holy Prophet (A) in the current idiom:
“Whether you believe it or not, we

believe.”
“Whatever God gives, He gives it by
virtue of the Holy Prophet (A).”
This is our faith and this faith is based on truth and

certitude. Besides, the word rabbika (your Lord) is also
unravelling the fact that the beloved of the Lord is as
unique as the Lord Himself. Just as there is only one Lord,
similarly there is only one beloved, and the Holy Prophet
(A) is the unique beloved. His status among the creatures
is unique because he is the practical manifestation of all the
divine attributes and the universe is a concrete illustration
of all these qualities. That is why he makes it clear that all
these bounties are the bounties from your Lord.
A similitude
One could cite the example of a person who comes from
outside and brings a gift for his son as well as gifts for his
son’s friends and there is no break in the continuity of the
process, i.e. whenever he brings a gift for his own son, he
also brings gifts for the friends of his son. With the passage
of time, the friends may entertain the illusion that the gifts
are a matter of their right and they have earned this right by
virtue of their own sense of accomplishment. If this
happens, and they begin to ignore the actual reason for the
arrival of these gifts, the father assembles his son’s friends
and tells them there is no doubt that I give these gifts to
you, but you should keep in mind that I give these gifts to
you because you are my son’s friends. If you wish the
process to continue, then you should keep up this link. If
you break the link, and you come to me directly by
snapping the link, then this process of receiving gifts will
also come to an end.
The point that Allah is making explicit here is that

though all help and all assistance emanate from M e, yet the
first centre and focus of My help and assistance is My
beloved. Therefore, whatever I confer on you, O people, I
confer it as the Lord of M uhammad (A). Therefore, you
should keep it in mind that each bounty is bestowed on you
from the Lord of M uhammad (A). If you wish the
process to continue, then you should hold firmly on to him,
keep in touch with this centre and never snap your link with
it. If the link continues, the chain of My bounties will also
continue, but the day the link is broken, the chain of
bounties will automatically come to a stop. Then you will
drift from door to door and roam about aimlessly but your
entire struggle will prove futile. So get it into your head
that I bestow My bounties on you but I bestow them as the
Lord of M uhammad (A). God is making it clear that
though the bounties come from Allah, their centre of
distribution is undoubtedly the blessed person of the Holy
Prophet (A).
All kinds of bounty are fleshed out through the means
of the Holy Prophet (A). Without his means, they remain
hollow as skeletons, mere frames of lifeless bones. O
believers, make a note of it that the Lord’s bounty is
directly related to Prophethood. It is inconceivable without
coordination through the M essengership. If you wish the
bounty to increase, you should increasingly reinforce the
link as the greater the link, the more abundant are the
bounties. If you move closer to the Prophet (A), you
move closer to the Lord’s bounties, and if you move away
from the Prophet (A), you in fact move away from the
bounties of the Lord. So make the link stronger and

stronger to ensure an uninterrupted flow of the bounties.
A close reading of the Qur'anic verse also reveals the
subtle point that Allah is forging a direct linkage between
His Providence and Prophethood. Here it should be noted
that God does not depend on linkages and connections. He
is absolutely Independent but, in spite of His independence,
He is introducing His Providence through His relationship
with Prophethood. The rationale of the divine scheme is
that the creatures should have faith in His Providence but
this faith, instead of finding a direct expression, should be
mediated through the Holy Prophet (A), i.e., they should
believe in Him as the Lord of M uhammad (A) because
the only way to seek divine proximity is through the person
of the Holy Prophet (A). All other means are inadequate
and misleading.
Expression of Providence through Prophethood

At different places in the Holy Qur'an, Allah has expressed
His Providence in terms of relationship with Prophethood
i.e., He has linked Himself with the Holy Prophet (A).
He says:
So (O beloved!) By your Lord! These

people cannot be Muslims unless they make
you judge in every dispute between them. 1
1. Qur'an (an-Nisā’) 4:65.

Here the Lord is endorsing the authenticity of His own

Providence through the Holy Prophet (A). The
expression wa rabbika (By your Lord!) is deliberately used
to stress a subtle point: I am everybody’s Lord but the
pleasure I draw from being your Lord is exceptional; it
does not accrue from being the Lord of others. Here Allah
is stressing His Own uniqueness as the Creator and also the
uniqueness of the Holy Prophet (A) as His creature.
If we cast a glance at the blessings enjoyed by the
Companions of the Prophet (A), we at once come to
realize that all these blessings owed their origin to the Holy
Prophet (A). God especially blessed the Companions
because they had the closest link with the Prophet (A).
Without this link, they would have led ordinary lives. All
these bounties were in fact a visible expression of min
‘atā’i rabbika (the bounty from your Lord).
Now if we pause to reflect that since fourteen hundred
years have passed and the Holy Prophet (A) is no longer
among us in manifest form, therefore, can we still receive
the same blessings on account of our close association with
the Holy Prophet (A)? Since Allah is Omniscient and
nothing is unknown to Him, He knows even before an idea
germinates in our consciousness. On account of the
perfection and ubiquity of His knowledge He has known all
along all the questions human beings might raise.
Therefore, He has a pre-packaged answer for us. He is
warning the people who lived in the earlier times as well as
those who followed them and the others who are living in
the present times when the Holy Prophet (A) is no longer
among us, and therefore, they may entertain their
association with him. Allah’s warning applies not only to
the present generations of M uslims but to all the future

generations who will populate the earth till the arrival of
the Day of Judgement that:
The bounties of your Lord are not closed

(to anyone). 1
As the older generations received the bounties of your
Lord, the future generations will also continue to benefit
from His favours and this process will last till the Day of
Judgement. The past generations deserved their blessings
on account of their nexus with the Holy Prophet (A) and
the future generation will also deserve them on account of a
similar association. The rainfall of Allah’s bounties on
these people is made certain by their bond of love and
reverence with the Holy Prophet (A). So Allah’s bounties
do not depend on the exigencies of time and space. The
only precondition for their emergence is our sincere and
passionate association with the Holy Prophet (A).
Today, if we wish to light up the candle of faith,
retrieve the lost taste of belief, reinforce our link with the
Creator and attain the blessings of the Lord, the path we
should follow has already been chalked out for us, and this
is the path of those who were rewarded by Allah because
they had a close link with the Holy Prophet (A). If we
who live in this world of sham and pretence develop the
same association with him, the candle of our faith will
continue to burn with an increasingly brighter radiance.
1. Qur'an (al-Isrā’) 17:20.

The Qur'anic verse is also unfolding the fact that the

centre of faith is our link with the Holy Prophet (A) and
the bounties of Allah revolve around this centre. It means
that our relationship with Allah is based on our relationship
with the Prophet (A). If we wish to strengthen our
relationship with God, we should first of all strengthen and
shore up our relationship with the Prophet (A) because
this is the only authentic and reliable foundation on which
the superstructure of our relationship with God can be
adequately raised.
The repetition of the expression ‘atā’i rabbika is not
only a reflection of His bounties but also an indication of
the factors which have prompted the flow of these bounties.
And He is telling the people in categorical terms: listen, O
people! There is no doubt that it is my bounty whether it is
in the form of the wealth of faith, the wealth of action, the
wealth of sincerity or the wealth of close proximity to
divine presence but it all flows through the Holy Prophet
(A). It means that our access to all the coveted virtues is
routed through the Prophet (A). Therefore, his pleasure is
a precondition for the ultimate acceptance of our wishes
because divine acknowledgement presupposes the
Prophet’s acknowledgement.
This verse also posits a direct relationship between
divine unity and M essengership. It clearly implies that
man’s relationship with God is strengthened only when he
forges a stronger bond of love and sincerity with the
Prophet (A). It also tends to dissolve the distinction
between relationship with Allah and relationship with the
Prophet (A) as both types of relationship intermingle. If a
sincere and passionate link is established with the Holy
Prophet (A), this will automatically ensure a similar link

with the ultimate divine authority. This basic link is vital
for the true spiritual development of a human being as
without it he will remain emotionally drained and
spiritually stunted. The way to Allah is in fact the way
through the Holy Prophet (A). When this realization
dawns on a believer, he experiences the climax of his status
as a creature.
There is no doubt that the personage of the Lord and the
personage of the Prophet (A) are poles apart because the
Lord is the Creator and the Prophet (A) is the creature.
But the Qur'an has qualified this difference in a highly
sophisticated manner. Though the Creator and the creature
are two different entities, this difference is merged as far as
the issue of the distribution of bounties is concerned;
though there is a difference of entity, there is no difference
of affinity; though there is a difference of entity, there is no
difference of proximity; though there is a difference of
entity, there is no difference of loyalty.
2. Forgiveness through the means of the

holy Prophet (A)
Allah has honoured the Holy Prophet (A) with the
highest status among His creatures. Intermediation through
his person was valid during his earthly existence and it is
equally valid after his death. The two phases of his
existence do not modify in any sense the quality of
intermediation through him and there is no legal and
rational argument that militates against the validity of
intermediation through him after his death. When we
consider it valid to beseech divine help through the means

of our good deeds, then how can we say that to seek help
through the means of the Prophet’s person is an invalid act?
To consider it invalid is highly perverse because our own
good deeds, which we regard as valid, are in fact practical
illustrations of the Prophet’s sayings. The motivating
factor, therefore, is the Prophet (A) himself. Thus our
practice derives from the practice of the Prophet (A).
When intermediation is valid through other persons, how
could it be declared invalid through the means of a person
who is the chief motivating force behind this practice. The
Holy Prophet (A) is the most exalted person among all
the creatures and it is through him alone that we have
received the guidance to do good deeds.
We should not also brush aside the fact that the correct
belief does not elevate the intermediaries to the level of
Allah’s partners. They essentially remain His creatures, and
it is in fact a deep realization of their creaturely status that
has prompted the Creator to raise them to the superlative
degree of excellence among His creatures. Therefore, how
can those, who claim to be the humble servants of the Lord,
ever aspire to be His partners or rivals? Thus they are
neither Allah’s partners nor His equals. The deeds serve
only as means while Allah is the only authority Who has
the exclus ive prerogative to either accept or reject the
source through which His favour is being solicited. Allah
has no rival or partner. He is unique in every respect, both
in terms of His personality and the attributes that define His
personality. No prophet or saint, dead or alive can be His
partner because He Alone has the power to grant or turn
down our petitions. Thus in all forms of intermediation, the
intermediary himself acts as a humble servant of the Lord

and he relies on the divine mercy as much as the petitioner
does. In no sense whatsoever he treats himself as His equal.
As a matter of fact, his own status as an intermediary owes
to the divine favour. Though He directly receives the
prayers and petitions of His creatures and grants them
without any means, the presence of means expedite the
hope of their acceptance. Therefore, these saintly people
are relied upon to implore His help and favour, presuming
that Allah responds more sensitively and quickly to prayers
through His own favourites and grants these prayers
instantaneously and relieves us of our troubles. Allah says:

Merciful. 1
To restrict the efficacy and operational range of this
verse to the earthly existence of the Holy Prophet (A), as
some people believe, is to indulge in exegetical
misapplication and reflects their unawareness and lack of
understanding. Both the exegetes and the traditionists
consider intermediation through the Holy Prophet (A) as
1. Qur'an (an-Nisā’) 4:64.

a valid act whether it was done through his earthly

existence or after his death.
Ibn Kathīr comments on the Qur'anic verse:
(In this Qur'anic verse) Allah is

exhorting the sinners and evildoers that
when they commit sins and errors they
should call on the Messenger of Allah (A)
and ask forgiveness from Allah. They should
also request the Messenger of Allah (A)
to pray for them. When they do so, Allah will
turn to them and forgive them and He will
show mercy to them. That is why He used
the words la-wajadullāha tawwāban-rahīmā
(they (on the basis of this means and
Merciful). Many have stated this tradition.
One of them is Abū Mansūr Sabbāgh who
writes in his book al-Hikāyāt-ul-mashhūrah
that, according to ‘Utbī, once he was sitting
beside the Prophet’s grave when a bedouin
came and he said, “Peace be on you, O
Allah’s Messenger. I have heard that Allah
says: ‘(O beloved!) And if they had come to
Merciful.’ I have come to you, asking
forgiveness for my sins and I make you as
my intermediary before my Lord and I have

come to you for this purpose.” Then he
recited these verses: “O, the most exalted
among the buried people who improved the
worth of the plains and the hillocks! May I
sacrifice my life for this grave which is made
radiant by you, (the Prophet,) the one who is
(an embodiment) of mercy and forgiveness.”
Then the bedouin went away and I fell
asleep. In my dream I saw the Holy Prophet
(A). He said to me: O ‘Utbī, the bedouin
is right, go and give him the good news that
Allah has forgiven his sins.1
We come to learn from the words jā’ūka
fastaghfarullāha of the Qur'anic verse that sinners and
wrong-doers should ask forgiveness from Allah through the
means of the Holy Prophet (A) while the words
wastaghfara lahum-ur-rasūlu furnish a proof of his
intercession. In lawajadullāha tawwāban-rahīmā the proof
of intermediation is embedded in a precondition: seek
forgiveness through the means of the M essenger (A) and
it is clear when the M essenger (A) asked forgiveness for
his follower, the act of intermediation turned into an act of
intercession and through intercession the grant of
forgiveness itself becomes a means of forgiveness.
Some people treat means and intercession as two
different things. Therefore, it should be noted that when the
Prophet (A) is elevated to the office of intercession, he
1. Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr-ul-Qur'an al-‘azīm (1:519-20).

can claim it as his right while this very act serves as a

means in favour of his follower.
The happening of the bedouin has been recorded by the
following:
1. Bayhaqī in Shu‘ab-ul-īmān (3:495-6#4178).
2. Ibn Qudāmah in al-Mughnī (3:557).
3. Nawawī in al-Adhkār (pp. 92-3).
4. Ibn ‘Asākir in Tahdhīb tārīkh Dimashq al-kabīr
popularly known as Tārīkh/Tahdhīb Ibn ‘Asākir as
quoted by Subkī in Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-
il-anām (pp. 46-7).
5. Ibn Hajar Haythamī in al-Jawhar-ul-munazzam (p.
51).
Besides, all scholars of repute have described in their
books, in chapters on “visiting the tomb of the M essenger
(A)” or “the rituals of hajj,” ‘Utbī’s tradition that the
villager visited the tomb of the M essenger (A) to ask for
forgiveness.
In addition, Imam Qurtubī in his famous exegesis al-
Jāmi‘ li-ahkām-il-Qur'an (5:265-6) has related another
happening similar to ‘Utbī’s tradition. He says:
“Abū Sādiq has reported it from ‘Alī. A
villager came to see us three days after the
burial of the Holy Prophet (A). He placed
himself near the Prophet’s grave, sprinkled
its earth over his body and said: ‘O
M essenger of Allah, you said and we have
heard it from you. You received commands
from Allah and we received commands from
you, and one of these divine commands is
wa law annahum idh zalamū anfusahum. It
is true that I have wronged myself,

therefore, you should pray for my
forgiveness.’ (In response to the villager’s
act of imploring) he was called out from the
grave: ‘there is no doubt that you have been
forgiven.’”
Faith-boosting review by Muhammad bin
‘Alawī al-Mālikī
M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī has reproduced these two
occurrences in his book Mafāhīm yajib an tusahhah
(pp.157-8) and then offered a sizzling review which is quite
relevant to our context. He writes, “This episode has been
reproduced by Imam Nawawī in the sixth chapter of his
famous book al-Īdāh, Abū al-Farj bin Qudāmah in his book
ash-Sharh-ul-kabīr and M ansūr bin Yūnus al-Buhūtī in his
book Kashshāf-ul-qinā‘ which is a popular book in
Hambalī school of thought.”
M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī expresses in his
review an ambivalent attitude towards the tradition as he
cannot positively certify its authenticity, but in spite of its
lack of certainty, most of the traditionists have relied on its
credibility. We may only ask if these heavy weights
(traditionists and exegetes) have reproduced disbelief and
infidelity, or they have reproduced something that tempts
people towards idolatry or worship of the graves? If (may
God forbid) this happens, then it would become almost
impossible to sort out the genuine books from the spurious
ones, leading to unmanageable chaos and confusion.

request for forgiveness after his death
The Prophet’s statement has quashed all doubts and
suspicions and acts as a reassurance to all believers that the
Prophet’s prayer for forgiveness in favour of his followers
is as valid after his death as it was valid before his death. It
is a continuous process and will continue to remain in
operation till the Day of Judgement.
It is attributed to ‘Abdullāh bin M as‘ūd that the Holy
Prophet (A) is reported to have said:
My life is blissful for you because you

hear traditions from people and relate them
to others and my death is also blissful for
you because your deeds will be presented to
me. If I see the virtues prevail, I will be
grateful to Allah, and if I see the vices
prevail, I will pray for your forgiveness from
Allah. 1
1. Haythamī transmitted it in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (9:24) and said that

that tradition had been reported by Bazzār (in his Musnad) and its
sub-narrators are all of sahīh (sound) hadith. ‘Irāqī has con fi rmed
the soundness of its transmission in his book Tarh-ut-tathrīb fī
sharh-it-taqrīb (3:297). Ibn Sa‘d has recorded it in at-Tabaqāt-ul-
kubrā (2:194). Qādī ‘Iyād has inscribed this tradition in ash-Shifā
(1:19); and Suyūtī, recording it in al-Khasā’is-ul-kubrā (2:281)
and Manāhil-us-sifā fī takhrīj ahādīth ash-Shifā (p.3), has
commented that Ibn Abū Us āmah in his Musnad has rep roduced it
4. Descension of rain through the

Prophet’s means
Imam Dārimī relates from Abū al-Jawzā’ Aws bin
‘Abdullāh:
The people of Medina were in the grip of

a severe famine. They complained to
‘Ā’ishah (about their terrible condition). She
told them to go towards the Prophet’s grave
and open a window in the direction of the
sky so that there is no curtain between the
through Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh Muzanī and Bazzār in his Musnad

who have relied on its narration by ‘Abdullāh bin Mas‘ūd with a
sound chain of transmission. It has been endorsed by Kh afājī and
Mullā ‘Alī Qārī in their commentaries on ash-Shifā, i.e. Nasīm-ur-
riyād (1:102) and Sharh ash-Shifā (1:36) respectively. Hadith-
scholar Ibn-ul-J awzī has reproduced it in al-Wafā bi-ahwāl-il-
mustafā (2:809-10) from Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh and Anas bin Mālik.
Subkī has copied this tradition in Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-
il-anām (p.34) from Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh Muzanī, and Ibn ‘Abd-ul-
Hādī in as-Sārim-ul-munkī (p.266-7) has authenticated its veracity.
Bazzār’s tradition has also been recorded by Ibn Kathīr in al-
Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:257). Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī narrated it
through Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh Muzanī in al-Matālib-ul-‘āliyah (4:22-
3#3853). ‘Alā’-ud-Dīn ‘Alī copied Ibn Sa‘d’s tradition in Kanz-ul-
‘ummāl (11:407#31903) and from Hārith (#31904 ). Nabhānī
related it in Hujjatullāh ‘alal-‘ālamīn fī mu‘jazāt sa yyid-il-
mursalīn (p.713).
sky and the grave. The narrator says they

did so. Then it started raining heavily; even
the lush green grass sprang up (everywhere)
and the camels had grown so fat (it seemed)
they would burst out due to the over piling
of blubber. So the year was named as the
year of greenery and plenty. 1
The famine gripping the people of M edina ended
through the mediation of the Prophet’s grave. Heavy rains
created a spring scenario all around. M en found their food
and the animals found their fodder. And the rain that came
about as a result of the Prophet’s mediation made the lands
of M edina greener and more fertile and on account of over-
harvesting, they named the year as the year of greenery and
plenty.
Those who deny the conceptual relevance of
intermediation have raised some objections against this
tradition. One of the objections is that its chain of
transmission is weak and so it cannot be offered as an
argument.
The chain of transmission of this tradition is as
follows:
“Abū an-Nu‘mān heard it from Sa‘īd bin
Zayd, he from ‘Amr bin M ālik an-Nukrī and
he from Abū al-Jawzā’ Aws bin ‘Abdullāh
who has reported it.”
1. Dārimī relat ed it in his Sunan (1:43#93); Ibn-ul -Jawzī in al-Wafā’

bi-ahwāl-il-mustafā (2:801); Subkī in Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat
khayr-il-anām (p.128); Qastallānī in al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah
(4:276); and Zurqānī in his Commentary (11:150).
Below are given the allegations levelled against these

narrators and a rebuttal of these baseless charges:
1. The name of Abū an-Nu‘mān ‘Ārim was
M uhammad bin al-Fadl Sadūsī. They agree that he
was a reliable reporter of traditions as is confirmed
by Dhahabī in Mīzān-ul-i‘tidāl (4:7): “He was
Imam Bukhārī’s teacher, memorizer of traditions
and an extremely truthful person.” But their
objection is that he had lost his marbles in the
declining years of his age. Burhān-ud-Dīn Halabī,
who possessed great knowledge of traditions,
comments in his book al-Muqaddimah on this
reporter along with others who had lost their
memory in the closing years of their lives: “The
ruling on these narrators is that the traditions
reported by them before their loss of memory are
acceptable, while the traditions after their deranged
conditions are unacceptable. And if we do not know
whether these traditions were received from them
before or after their memory lapse, we should not
accept these traditions from them either.” The
objectors say that since we do not know whether
Abū an-Nu‘mān has narrated this tradition before or
after his loss of memory, we cannot adduce the
tradition as evidence.
This objection not only lacks significance but also lacks
credibility. Their objection is logically inconsistent.
While they discard this tradition as weak, because it
is the product of his loss of memory, they ignore
other traditions though they are also the products of
the same state of mind. Dhahabī says: ‘Imam
Dāraqutnī comments, “Though he had lost his

memory towards the end of his life, he never
reported any tradition in this condition that could
affect his veracity, therefore, he remains a truthful
narrator.’ I insist that it is a report by that
contemporary memorizer of traditions who is only
matched by Imam Nasā’ī.” Ibn Hibbān is of the
opinion that there are many incompatibilities in Abū
an-Nu‘mān’s narrations after his loss of memory
but Dhahabī rejects this opinion by asserting that
Ibn Hibbān has failed to produce a single fact that
establishes him as a misreporter of traditions. And
the real position is the one that has been endorsed
1
by Imam Dāraqutnī.
‘Irāqī has admitted in at-Taqyīd wal-īdāh that
Imam Dhahabī has convincingly rebutted Ibn
Hibbān’s statement. Dhahabī has explained it in al-
Kāshif (3:79) that the change took place before
death, but after the change he had not related any
tradition.
Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī writes in Taqrīb-ut-tahdhīb
(2:200) that Abū an-Nu‘mān was a sound narrator
and the change came about in his last years.
M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī writes, “Abū
an-Nu‘mān’s mental debility is neither damaging
for him nor does it affect his credibility as a narrator
because Imam Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh has taken
more than one hundred traditions from him and has
1. Dhahabī, Mīzān-ul-i‘tidāl (4:8).

not taken a single tradition from him after his loss

of memory as is stated by Imam Dāraqutnī.”1
Besides Imam Bukhārī, Imam Ahmad bin
Hambal, Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī and Abū ‘Alī
M uhammad bin Khālid Zarīqī have also heard
traditions from Abū an-Nu‘mān before his mental
confusion set in.2
Imam Dārimī is one of the well-reputed teachers
of Imam Bukhārī and other famous memorizers of
traditions. Therefore, it was impossible for him to
accept any tradition from Abū an-Nu‘mān after he
had suffered a loss of memory.
2. An objection is raised against Sa‘īd bin Zayd Abū
al-Hasan Basrī, brother of Hammād bin Zayd, that
he is somewhat weak because Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī
has written about him in Taqrīb-ut-tahdhīb (1:296),
“That is, he is extremely truthful but sometimes he
commits an error.” Dhahabī writes in Mīzān-ul-
i‘tidāl (2:138), “Yahyā bin Sa‘īd has called him
weak, Sa‘dī says that he is not an argument and his
traditions are weak and Nasā’ī etc., are of the
opinion that he is not sound.”
The objections of those, who deny the validity of
intermediation, are not only partial as they base
them exclusively on these statements and
references, but they are also based on p0rejudice as
their arguments are not logical because they are
tailored to their preconceptions. A detailed
1. Muhammad bin ‘Alawī al-Mālikī, Shifā’-ul-fu’ād bi-ziyārat khayr-

il-‘ibād (p.152).
2. ‘Irāqī, at-Taqyīd wal-īdāh (p.462).
refutation of their groundless objections is presented

as follows:
Dhahabī negates it in al-Kāshif (1:286). He says
that the decrepitude attributed to Sa‘īd bin Zayd is
incorrect because Imam M uslim accepted traditions
from him and Ibn M a‘īn has called him authentic
and trustworthy.
Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī has described it in detail in
Tahdhīb-ut-tahdhīb (4:32-3):
“Imam Bukhārī said that M uslim bin Ibrāhīm
reported to us that Sa‘īd bin Zayd Abū al-Hasan is
extremely truthful and knows the traditions by
heart.1
“Dūrī has reported it from Ibn M a‘īn that Sa‘īd
bin Zayd is a trustworthy narrator.
“Ibn Sa‘d has also called him a reliable
2
narrator.
“‘Ujlī comments that he belongs to Basrah and
he is a dependable relater of traditions.
“Abū Zur‘ah said he heard it from Sulaymān bin
Harb that Sa‘īd bin Zayd is trustworthy.
“Abū Ja‘far Dārimī said: Hibbān bin Hilāl
reported to us that Sa‘īd bin Zayd has related to us
that tradition and he is truthful and a preserver of
traditions.
“Ibn ‘Adī has stated in al-Kāmil (3:1212-5) that
Sa‘īd bin Zayd is truthful and he knows the
traditions by heart. He has not related any
1. Bukhārī, at-Tārīkh-ul-kabīr (3:472).

2. Ibn Sa‘d, at-Tabaqāt-ul-kubrā (7:287).
inauthentic tradition except that someone else

relates it and to me he happens to be among the
(truthful) narrators.”
The famous compiler and exegete of traditions
‘Abdullāh bin M uhammad bin Siddīq al-Ghumārī
from M orocco writes in his book Irghām-ul-
mubtadī al-ghabī bi-jawāz-it-tawassul bi an-nabī
writes: “Imam Ahmad bin Hambal has referred to
Sa‘īd bin Zayd as laysa bihī ba’s. It means that
there is no objection against him and he is
1
absolutely truthful. Imam Ahmad’s expression is
semantically identical with trustworthiness, which is
considered the highest virtue by all traditionists of
integrity.
Ibn M a‘īn also identifies the term laysa bihī
ba’s with trustworthiness.2
The traditionist Ibn-us-Salāh in al-Muqaddimah,
Sakhāwī in Fath-ul-mughīth, Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī in
Hady-us-sārī muqaddimah Fath-ul-bārī and
Nawawī in at-Taqrīb wat-taysīr have identified
laysa bihī ba’s with veracity. Besides, a number of
traditionists of the third century (AH), for instance,
Ibn M a‘īn, Ibn M adīnī, Abū Zur‘ah, Ibn Abū Hātim
Rāzī, Ya‘qūb bin Sufyān Fasāwī, etc., have invested
laysa bihī ba’s with the distinction of veracity.
3. Ibn Hibbān has called ‘Amr bin M ālik an-Nukrī as
veracious as Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī writes in Tahdhīb-
1. Imam Ahmad’s statement has been reproduced by Dh ahabī in

Mīzān-ul-i‘tidāl (2:138) and by Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī in Tahdhīb-ut-
tahdhīb (4:32).
2. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, Lisān-ul-Mīzān (1:13).
ut-tahdhīb (8:96), “Ibn Hibbān has mentioned him

in his book Kitāb-ut-thiqāt. Therefore, Ibn Hibbān’s
acknowledgement of his credibility is based on truth
and it is beyond any iota of doubt that Ibn Hajar
‘Asqalānī, on the basis of his authenticity, has
called ‘Amr bin M ālik an-Nukrī in Taqrīb-ut-
tahdhīb (2:77), “Sadūq lahū awhām (he is truthful
but there are doubts about him).”
The word sadūq (truthful) used by Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī
attests to the veracity of ‘Amr bin M ālik an-Nukrī
and he has given it precedence over others.
M ahmūd Sa‘īd M amdūh refers to it in his book
Raf‘-ul-minārah (p.258) that ‘Abdullāh bin Ahmad,
attributing it to his father, commented, “Annahū ka-
annahū da“afahū (as if he weakened him).” I say
that the word ka-anna (as if; as though) is doubt and
suspicion; it cannot serve as an act of justification.
When ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Alī bin M adīnī referred to
Hasan bin M ūsā Ashyab as wa ka-annahū da“afahū
(and as if he weakened him), Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī
endorsed him by saying: hādhā zann, la taqūmu
bihī hujjah (it is suspicion, therefore, it cannot serve
as a justification). 1
So this statement makes the veracity of ‘Amr
bin M ālik an-Nukrī unquestionable. Dhahabī has
explained it further in Mīzān-ul-i‘tidāl (3:286) and
al-Mughnī (2:488). M ahmūd Sa‘īd M amdūh writes:
1. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, Hady-us-sārī muqaddimah Fath-ul-bārī

(p.397).
“Ibn ‘Adī has bracketed ‘Amr bin M ālik an-

Nukrī with ‘Amr bin M ālik Rāsibī in al-Kāmil
(5:1799) and has dubbed him as a recanter narrator.
Dhahabī has explained it in Mīzān-ul-i‘tidāl (3:285)
and al-Mughnī (2:488) while Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī
has commented on it in Tahdhīb-ut-tahdhīb (8:95).
Both these hadith-scholars have delinked ‘Amr bin
M ālik an-Nukrī from ‘Amr bin M ālik Rāsibī and
disproved the linkage forged by Ibn ‘Adī, which has
driven some of the traditionists to label ‘Amr bin
M ālik an-Nukrī as unreliable. These traditionists are
not to blame as they have based their deductions on
the conclusions drawn by Ibn ‘Adī without any
conscious attempt at distortion as has been
explained by Ibn-ul-Jawzī in Kitāb-ul-mawdū‘āt
(2:145) and by Ibn Taymiyyah in Qā‘idah jalīlah
1
fit-tawassul wal-wasīlah.”
Albānī writes in Ta‘līq ‘alā Fadl-is-salāt ‘ala
an-nabī (p.88): ‘Amr bin M ālik an-Nukrī is a
reliable narrator as has been endorsed by Dhahabī.
He has also confirmed this view in another book
Silsilat-ul-ahādīth-is-sahīhah (5:608).
4. A large number of people have taken over traditions
from Abū al-Jawzā’ Aws bin ‘Abdullāh on the basis
of his credibility and the direct transmission of this
tradition from ‘Ā’ishah has also been established. In
support of this contention it suffices to state that
Imam M uslim has recorded Abū al-Jawzā’ Aws’s
narration through ‘Ā’ishah. Imam Bukhārī says:
1. Mahmūd Sa‘īd Mamdūh, Raf‘-ul-minārah (pp.259-60).

It was related to us by Musaddad who

had heard it from Ja‘far bin Sulaymān, who
from ‘Amr bin Mālik an-Nukrī who had
reported it from Abū al-Jawzā’. He said: I
spent twelve years with Ibn ‘Abbās and
‘Ā’ishah and there was not a single verse of
the Holy Qur'an about which I had not
1
asked them.
Ibn S‘ad has related another tradition on these
lines:
Abū al-Jawzā’ has related: I lived as Ibn

‘Abbās’s neighbour for twelve years and
there was not a single verse of the Holy
Qur'an about which I had not asked him.2
Abu Na‘aym has added the following words to
the tradition:
1. Bukhārī, at-Tārīkh-ul-kabīr (2:16-7).

2. Ibn S‘ad, at-Tabaqāt-ul-kubrā (7:224).
And my deputy visited the Mother of the

Believers (‘Ā’ishah) every morning and
evening. So I did not hear from any other
quarter (except what I heard from her), nor
did I hear from any other source (except
from her) what Allah has enjoined about sin
that I shall forgive him (the sinner) except
the one who associates any partner with
1
Me.
According to Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, it by no
means implies that he never met ‘Ā’ishāh
afterwards. So, the inference drawn by Imam
M uslim from the frequency of visits clearly
indicates that he had a face-to-face meeting with
‘Ā’ishah.
Thus when his meeting with ‘Ā’ishah has been
established with irrefutable finality, the element of
deceit and incredibility in his statement is
automatically washed out and his tradition,
therefore, acquires authenticity. To call him an
impostor is, actually, to commit excess against his
genuineness as a reporter, and to do him justice we
have to acknowledge the obvious fact that his
statement is based on sound transmission. This
conclusion is compatible not only with the findings
of Imam M uslim but also reflects the general drift
of public opinion.
1. Abū Na‘aym, Hilyat-ul-awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-ul-asfiyā’ (3:79).

Abū Nu‘aym has confirmed the authenticity of a

number of traditions by Abū al-Jawzā’ with the
words ‘an ‘Ā’ishah (from ‘Ā’ishah) in Hilyat-ul-
awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-ul-asfiyā’.
Ibn-ul-Qaysarānī has also reported a tradition
from Abū al-Jawzā’ by using the words sami‘a
‘Ā’ishah (he listened to ‘Ā’ishah).1
This detailed discussion proves beyond doubt that these
certificates of authenticity are not based on any forgery but
on verifiable evidence, and this chain of transmission is
sahīh (sound) or hasan (fair).
M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī says, “This tradition
has a good chain of transmission; rather, in my opinion, it
is sound. The scholars have also acknowledged its
soundness and have established its genuineness on the basis
of almost equally credible evidence. 2
Therefore, this tradition may be relied upon as a viable
argument because, according to Imam Nasā’ī’s contention,
a narrator may be discarded only when all the traditionists
have unanimously rejected him/her. 3
Those who deny the relevance of intermediation
object to the tradition as undependable as its range
of reference is limited only to the Companion and
does not extend up to the Prophet (A) himself. In
their opinion, it is only one of ‘Ā’ishah’s statements
and not a command to be indiscriminately followed.
1. Ibn-ul-Qays arānī, al-Jam‘ bayn as-Sahīhayn (1:46) as quoted by

Mahmūd Sa‘īd Mamdūh in Raf‘-ul-minārah (p.261).
2. Muhammad bin ‘Alawī al-Mālikī, Shifā’-ul-fu’ād bi-ziyārat khayr-
-il-‘ibād (p.153).
3. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, Nuzhat-un-nazr bi-sharh nukhbat-ul-fikr fī
mustalah hadith ahl-ul-athr (p.89).
They add that, even if it carries the stamp of her

certification, it cannot serve as cogent argument as
it is based on personal opinion, which is generally
characterized by fluctuation. Sometimes the
personal opinion of a Companion may prove correct
but at other occasions it may prove incorrect.
Therefore, its application is not binding on the
believers.
A simple answer to this baseless objection is
that not only the tradition is properly certified, but
no Companion has ever raised any objection against
the mode of action prescribed by ‘Ā’ishah, nor has
such an objection been ever reported, just as no
objection has been raised against the person in the
tradition reported by M ālik ad-Dār who prays for
rain at the grave of the Holy Prophet (A).1 These
traditions reflect the collective opinion of the
Companions and such a consensus is quite valid. An
act, which enjoys the tacit support of the
Companions, cannot be spelled out as invalid or a
discredited form of innovation, and it is obligatory
for us to follow the Companions. In this context,
Imam Shāf‘ī says, “For us, their opinion about us is
far more authentic than our own opinion.”2
This tradition clearly establishes the fact that
‘Ā’ishah commanded the natives of M edina to rely
on the Prophet (A) in his grave as a source of
intermediation for divine blessings.
1. This tradition will be discussed later.

2. Ibn-ul-Qayyim, A‘lām-ul-muwaqqi‘īn ‘an rabb-il-‘ālamīn (2:186).
Ibn Taymiyyah has discarded the tradition as

mere fabrication. According to him, during the
entire life of ‘Ā’ishah, there was no such hole in the
roof of the Prophet’s tomb. But this objection is
weak as watered tea because Imam Dārimī and the
religious leaders and scholars who followed him
were more deeply aware of these details. For
example, a traditionist and historian from M edina,
‘Alī bin Ahmad Samhūdī has disconfirmed Ibn
Taymiyyah and supported Imam Dārimī’s
contention. According to him, Zayn-al-M irāghī
said, “Let it be known that it is a practice of the
people of M edina to date that, during a period of
drought, they open a window at the bottom of the
dome in the Prophet’s tomb in the direction of
prayer niche though the roof intervenes between the
grave and the sky. I say that in our period, too, one
of the gates in the boundary wall, enveloping the
tomb, called al-mawājahah, that is, the door that
opens towards the Prophet’s face, is flung open and
people gather there (for prayer).1
The Ottoman Turks followed the practice of offering
prayers through the mediation of the Prophet’s grave. The
practice remained in vogue till the early years of the
twentieth century. Whenever there was famine and scarcity
of rain, the residents of M edina persuaded a six-or-seven-
year-old child to climb the roof of the grave. (He performed
the ablution before climbing over the roof.) The child
tugged at the rope, which had been hung down the roof to
1. Samhūdī, Wafā’-ul-wafā (2:560).

close the hole in the grave, dug at the suggestion of the

M other of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah. When there was no
curtain between the sky and the grave, it started raining.

grave during ‘Umar’s tenure
M ālik ad-Dār has related:
The people were gripped by famine

during the tenure of ‘Umar (bin al-Khattāb).
Then a Companion walked up to the
Prophet’s grave and said, “O Messenger of
Allah, please ask for rain from Allah for
your Community who is in dire straits.”
Then the Companion saw the Prophet (A)
in a dream. The Prophet (A) said to him,
“Go over to ‘Umar, give him my regards
and tell him that the rain will come to you.
And tell ‘Umar that he should be on his toes,
he should be on his toes, (he should remain
alert).” Then the Companion went over to
see ‘Umar and passed on to him the tidings.
On hearing this, ‘Umar broke into a spurt of

crying. He said, “O Allah, I exert myself to
the full until I am completely exhausted.” 1
Ibn Taymiyyah has endorsed its authenticity in his book
Iqtidā’-us-sirāt-il-mustaqīm mukhālifat ashāb-il-jahīm
(p.373). Ibn Kathīr has confirmed the soundness of its
transmission in al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (5:167). Ibn Abū
Khaythamah narrated it with the same chain of
transmission as quoted by Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī in al-Isābah
fī tamyīz-is-sahābah (3:484), while the latter writes in
Fath-ul-bārī (2:495-6): “Ibn Abū Shaybah transmitted it
with a sound chain of transmission and Sayf bin ‘Umar
Tamīmī has recorded it in al-Futūh-ul-kabīr that the
dreamer was a Companion known as Bilāl bin Hārith
M uzanī.” Qastallānī has remarked in al-Mawāhib-ul-
laduniyyah (4:276) that Ibn Abū Shaybah has narrated it
with a sound chain of transmission while Zurqānī has
supported Qastallānī in his Commentary (11:150-1).
It is quite surprising that some people have tried to dub
even this soundly transmitted tradition as weak and,
therefore, lacking the sinews to face a rigorously probing
analysis, though this is far from the truth. They have
marshalled in their favour the following objections:
First objection: One of its narrators is A‘mash who is a
double-crossing impostor (mudallis).
1. Related by Ibn Abū Shaybah in al-Musannaf (12:31-2#12051);

Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (7:47); Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr, al-
Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-ashāb (2:464); Subkī, Shifā’-us-siqām fī
ziyārat khayr-il-anām (p.130); ‘Alā’-ud-Dīn ‘Alī, Kanz-ul-‘ummāl
(8:431#23535); and Abū Ya‘lā Khalīl bin ‘Abdullāh Khalīlī
Qazwīnī in Kitāb-ul-irshād fī ma‘rifat ‘ulamā’-il-hadith (1:313-4),
as quoted by Mahmūd Sa‘īd Mamdūh in Raf‘-ul-minārah (p.262).
Reply: Though A‘mash is an impostor, his tradition is

popular for two reasons whether its soundness is
proved or not:
1. A‘mash is regarded as a second-grade impostor,
and this is a class of impostors from whom our
religious leaders recorded traditions in their
authentic books. Therefore, it is proved that this
tradition narrated by A‘mash is accepted.
2. If we accept this tradition only on the basis of its
transmission by A‘mash, as is the practice in the
case of third-grade or even lower-grade impostors,
even then the tradition by A‘mash is likely to retain
its popularity as he has copied it from Abū Sālih
Dhakawān Sammān. Imam Dhahabī comments:
“When A‘mash begins a tradition with the word ‘an
(from) there is a possibility of imposture and
deception. But if he relates it from his elders like
Ibrāhīm, Ibn Abū Wā’il, Abū Sālih Sammān, etc.,
then it is presumed to possess sound linkage
(ittisāl). 1
In addition, Imam Dhahabī has also described
him as trustworthy (thiqah).
Second objection: Albānī in his book at-Tawassul,
ahkāmuhū wa anwa‘uhū observes, “I do not
acknowledge it authentic because the credibility and
memory of M ālik ad-Dār is not known and these are
the two basic criteria for any authentic narrator of
traditions. Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī in Kitāb-ul-jarh
wat-ta‘dīl [4/1/213(8:213)], while discussing M ālik
1. Dhahabī, Mīzān-ul-i‘tidāl (2:224).

ad-Dār, has not mentioned any narrator except Abū

Sālih who has accepted any tradition from him,
which shows that he is unknown. It is also
supported by the fact that Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī, who
himself is a leading figure of Islam and a memorizer
of traditions, has not mentioned anyone of them
who has pronounced him trustworthy (thiqah).
Similarly M undhirī has remarked that he does not
know him while Haythamī in his Majma‘-uz-
zawā’id, has supported his observation…”
Reply: This objection is refuted by the biographical
details which Ibn Sa‘d has furnished while
discussing him among the second-grade M edinan
Successors: “M ālik ad-Dār was a slave freed by
‘Umar bin al-Khattāb. He reported traditions from
Abū Bakr as-Siddīq and ‘Umar, and Abū Sālih
Sammān reported traditions from him. He was
known.”1
In addition, this objection is also cancelled by
Khalīlī’s (d.446 AH) comment on M āik ad-Dār:
“M ālik ad-Dār’s trustworthiness and reliability is
generally accepted and the group of Successors has
eulogized him.” 2
Besides, the biographical sketch provided by
Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī also serves to neutralize this
objection:
1. Ibn Sā‘d, at-Tabaqāt-ul-kubrā (5:12).

2. Abū Yā‘lā Khalīl bin ‘Abdullāh Khalīlī Qazwīnī, Kitāb-ul-irshād fī
ma‘rifat ‘ulamā’-il-hadith, as quoted by ‘Abdullāh bin Muhammad
bin Siddīq al-Ghumārī in Irghām-ul-mubtadī al-ghabī bi-jawāz-it-
tawassul bi an-nabī (p.9).
“M ālik bin ‘Iyād, a slave freed by ‘Umar, was

known as M ālik ad-Dār. He had seen the Holy
Prophet (A) and heard traditions from Abū Bakr.
He has taken traditions from Abū Bakr as-Siddīq
‘Umar Fārūq , M u‘ādh and Abū ‘Ubaydah, and Abū
Sammān and the two sons of this (M ālik ad-Dār)
‘Awn and ‘Abdullāh have taken traditions from
him.
“And Imam Bukhārī in at-Tārīkh-ul-kabīr,
(7:304-5), through reference to Abū Sālih, has
acknowledged a tradition from him that ‘Umar is
reported to have said during the period of famine: I
do not shirk responsibility but I may be made more
humble.
Ibn Abū Khaythamah has reproduced a long
tradition along with these words (which we are
discussing), ... and I have copied a tradition narrated
by ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān bin Sa‘īd bin Yarbū‘
M akhzūmī with reference to M ālik ad-Dār, in
Fawā’id Dāwūd bin ‘Umar and ad-Dabī compiled
by Baghawī. He said that one day ‘Umar called me.
He had a gold wallet in his hand, which had four
hundred dinars in it. He commanded me to take it to
Abū ‘Ubaydah, and then he narrated the remaining
part of the happening.
Ibn Sa‘d has placed M ālik ad-Dār in the first
group of Successors among the natives of M edina
and has averred that he has taken traditions from
Abū Bakr as-Siddīq and ‘Umar, and he was known.
Abū ‘Ubaydah has asserted that ‘Umar had
appointed him the guardian of his family. When
‘Uthmān was elevated to the office of the caliph, he

appointed him as the minister of finance, and that is
how he came to be known as M ālik ad-Dār (the
master of the house).
“Ismā‘īl Qādī has reported it from ‘Alī bin
M adīnī that M ālik ad-Dār was the treasurer of
‘Umar.” 1
Ibn Hibbān has attested to the trustworthiness
and credibility of M ālik ad-Dār in Kitāb-uth-thiqāt
(5:384).2
Now if M undhirī and Haythamī insist that they
do not know M ālik ad-Dār, it means that they have
not asserted anything about his credibility or lack of
credibility. However there are traditionists of great
repute like Imam Bukhārī, Ibn Sa‘d, ‘Alī bin
M adīnī, Ibn Hibbān and Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī who
know him. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī has even mentioned
him in Tahdhīb-ut-tahdhīb (7:226; 8:217).
It is shocking to learn that Albānī gives weight
to the opinion of those who do not know M ālik ad-
Dār and prefers them to those who know him.
Albānī has discarded the traditions of M ālik bin
‘Iyād who is popularly known by the title “ad-Dār”
while the great Companions appointed him as their
minister because they relied on his trustworthiness.
He was even given the portfolio of finance minister,
an office that requires honesty, integrity and a huge
sense of responsibility. On the contrary, Albānī
1. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, al-Isābah fī tamyīz-is-sahābah (3:484-5).

2. Mahmūd Sa‘īd Mamdūh, Raf‘-ul-minārah (p.266). Ibn Hajar
‘Asqalānī also mentioned in his Tahdhīb-ut-tahdhīb (7:226; 8:217).
gives credence to the traditions of those who

enjoyed a much lower status than M ālik ad-Dār.
The following examples support my contention:
1. He has pronounced Yahyā bin ‘Uryān Harawī as
hasan (fair) in Silsīlat-ul-ahādīth-is-sahīhah (1:49).
His argument is based on the statement made by
Khatīb Baghdādī in Tārīkh Baghdad (14:161) in
which he declares Yahyā bin ‘Uryān Harawī as a
traditionist of Baghdad.
This statement is quite transparent. Khatīb
Baghdādī has argued neither in favour of nor
against Yahyā bin ‘Uryān Harawī. His stance is
neutral, as he has not tried to establish the stature of
his narrations. He has not labelled them as authentic
or inauthentic. In spite of his posture of neutrality, it
is quite surprising that Albānī has called him fair
(hasan).
2. Abū Sa‘īd Ghifārī has also been pronounced a
fair narrator in Silsilat-ul-ahādīth-is-sahīhah
(2:298). After stating that he is no longer unknown
because two narrators have acknowledged traditions
from him, he writes, “So he is a Successor. A group
of those who have committed the traditions to
memory have verified the authenticity of his
traditions. Therefore, ‘Irāqī has declared the
traditions attributed to him as authentic (isnāduhū
jayyid), and there is no harm in it. This gave me a
sense of satisfaction and I felt deeply contented.”
The question is why has he tried to discriminate
between Abū Sa‘īd Ghifārī and M ālik ad-Dār?
3. Sālih bin Khawwāt has also been pronounced

credible in Silsilat-ul-ahādīth-is-sahīhah (2:436)
because a group of people has relied on his
traditions, and Ibn Hibbān has mentioned him in
Kitāb-uth-thiqāt.
While, according to our research, Ibn Hajar
‘Asqalānī has described him as an acceptable
narrator in Taqrīb-ut-tahdhīb (1:359) and has also
stated that he belonged to the eighth category of
Successors. If an eighth-grade narrator is being
described as credible, what justification is there to
pronounce a first-grade Successor as incredible?
The discrimination seems to be rooted more in
prejudice than reason.
Therefore, the silence of Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī is
hardly an argument against the unknown stature of
M ālik ad-Dār because his silence is based on lack of
evidence about the narrator. Thus the absence of
evidence and reasoning does not reflect the
unknowingness of the narrator, which his silence
neither explains nor indicates towards any definite
interpretation. On the contrary, it opposes any
attempt to establish the unknowingness of the
narrator. There are a number of narrators about
whom Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī has remained silent
though other scholars have argued about them and
the books on tradition and related issues are riddled
with similar examples.
Third objection: There is a suspicion of
discontinuance between Abū Sālih Dhakawān
Sammān and M ālik ad-Dār.
Reply: This suspicion is a fallacy, as it has no basis in

reality. In its rejection, it is sufficient to say that
Abū Sālih like M ālik ad-Dār was a native of
M edina and he has reported traditions from the
Companions. Therefore, he is not an impostor and a
fraud. It may also be noted that only
contemporaneity is an adequate guarantee for the
connection of transmission as Imam M uslim has
mentioned the consensus in the Preamble
(muqaddimah) of his as-Sahīh.
Fourth objection: There is no justification for the
soundness of this tradition because it entirely
depends upon a person whose name has not been
spelled out. Only in the tradition narrated by Sayf
bin ‘Umar Tamīmī, he has been named Bilāl and
Sayf has declared him as a weak narrator.
Reply: This objection is also groundless, because
justification does not depend on Bilāl but on ‘Umar
bin al-Khattāb’s act. He did not prevent Bilāl from
performing his act; on the contrary, he
acknowledged it. He rather himself cried and said:
‘my Creator, I do not shirk responsibility but I may
be made more humble.’ Therefore the person
visiting the grave, whether he is a Companion or a
Successor, does not affect the soundness of the
tradition.
The gist of the discussion is that the tradition related by
M ālik ad-Dār is sound, as I have stated in the earlier part of
my exposition. M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī writes:
“All those people who have made
reference to this tradition or narrated it or
reproduced it in their books have never

labelled it disbelief or infidelity. They have
not questioned the substance of the tradition
and it has been mentioned by a scholarly
person of high level like Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī
who has confirmed it as a soundly
transmitted tradition. Therefore his
confirmation needs no apology in view of
his highly distinguished stature among the
hadith-scholars.” 1
This tradition establishes the following principles:
1. Visiting graves with the intention of mediation and
seeking help.
2. It is valid to visit the grave of a pious dead person
during the period of one’s trials and tribulations to
seek help from him because if this act were invalid,
‘Umar would surely have forbidden that person to
do so.
3. The Prophet’s appearance in the dream of the
person who visited his grave and to give him good
tidings, argues in favour of the fact that it is quite
valid to seek help from non-Allah and the dead
because if it were invalid, it would have been
impossible for the Prophet (A) not to have
forbidden that person to do so.
4. Validation of the mode of address “O M essenger of
Allah (yā rasūl Allah)” even after his death.

(p.151).
5. Call for help and the act of intermediation dates

back to the early ages.
6. The holy personality of the Prophet (A) is a
fountain of guidance even after his death.
7. The head of the state is responsible for
administrative matters. The Holy Prophet(A), in
spite of being the chief of prophets, did not break
the state channel and, as a visible demonstration of
his sense of discipline, he commanded the man
visiting his grave to see the head of the state.
8. The man visiting the grave implored his help
through the instrumentality of the Ummah. This
shows the Prophet’s immeasurable love for the
Community of his followers.
9. Justification for making the Ummah as a source for
seeking his help.
10. Justification for making non-prophet a means of
help in the presence of the Prophet (A).
11. Anyone who strengthens his link with the Holy
Prophet (A) is rewarded by his sight and is
showered with his blessings.
12. The Holy Prophet(A), even after his death, is
aware of the weakness of his Ummah or anyone of
its rulers and he issues different commands for
removing these flaws.
13. To seek guidance from Allah’s favourites.
14. The acknowledgement of the Prophet’s commands
by the Companions after his death as just and
truthful.
15. Imposition of commands received in dreams on
others.
16. When intermediation was discussed in the presence

of ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb, he did not forbid it; rather
he cried and responded to it acknowledging it as
valid.
17. ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb’s love for the Holy Prophet
(A) that he incessantly cried as someone
mentioned the Holy Prophet (A).
6. Fulfilment of needs through the

In the first and second section we have established through
sound traditions that the believers relied on the Prophet
(A) as a means both before his birth and during his
earthly life. The famous tradition narrated by ‘Uthmān bin
Hunayf with reference to the Prophet’s life was discussed
in detail in which a blind man submitted his petition to the
Holy Prophet (A) and his eyesight was restored through
his mediation. Now we would like to explain that this mode
of intermediation was not confined to his life on earth
alone, but the Companions relied on it even after his death.
It is clear from Tabarānī’s tradition that a person used to
visit ‘Uthmān bin ‘Affān on a personal errand. ‘Uthmān bin
‘Affān not only was indifferent to him but also turned a
deaf ear to his need. That person met ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf
and lodged his complaint against it. ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf
said to him: fetch an earthen pot and perform the ablution,
then go to the mosque and offer two cycles of prayer and
say:
O Allah, I beseech you and submit

myself to you through the mediation of our
Prophet Muhammad (A), a merciful
Prophet. O Muhammad! I submit to my Lord
through your means so that He should fulfil
my need.
And then mention your need. The man went away and
he did as he was told to do. Later when he arrived at
‘Uthmān bin ‘Affān’s door, the porter caught him by his
hand and took him to ‘Uthmān bin ‘Affān who made him
sit beside him on the mat and asked him: what is your
need? He mentioned the need and the caliph fulfilled his
need and said to him: why haven’t you mentioned your
need so far? He told him further: do come to me whenever
you have a problem? When the man left his place, he met
‘Uthmān bin Hunayf and said to him: M ay God bless you!
He neither gave any thought to my need nor turned his
attention to me until you recommended me to him.
‘Uthmān bin Hunayf replied:
By God! I did not say this, but once I

was in the company of the Messenger of
Allah (A) that a blind man came over to
see him and complained to him about the
loss of his eyesight. The Prophet (A)
asked him to be patient, but he said: O
Messenger of Allah! I don’t have any
servant and I am in great trouble. The
Prophet(A) said: ‘fetch an earthen pot
and perform the ablution, then offer two
cycles of prayer and implore Allah with
these praying words.’ Then ‘Uthmān bin
Hunayf said: ‘By God! We had neither gone
out far away from the meeting nor had the
conversation among us stretched out that the
man came running to us as if he had never
been blind. 1
That is, ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf taught him the prayer that
had been used as the source of the Prophet’s help and
succour after his death. The point to be noted is that the
person was under the illusion that his need had been
fulfilled on account of ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf’s
recommendation to the caliph. So ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf
instantly shed his illusion and related to him the tradition he
had heard from the Prophet (A) and had himself put to
1. Related by Tabarānī in al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (9:31#8311) and al-

Mu‘jam-us-saghīr (1:183-4); Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah
(6:167-8); Mundhirī, at-Targhīb wat-tarhīb (1:474-6); Subkī,
Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām (p.125); Haythamī,
Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (2:279); and Suyūtī in al-Khasā’is-ul-kubrā
(2:201-2). Mundhirī graded it sahīh (sound).
test to prove that his need was fulfilled because he had

relied on the means of the Prophet (A) by calling on him
and seeking his help. He swore by God and convinced him
that he had not recommended him to the caliph but it had
all happened through the blessing of the Prophet’s
mediation.
Ibn Taymiyyah’s endorsement

Ibn Taymiyyah has related a story in the perspective of this
tradition that Ibn Abū Dunyā has narrated a tradition in his
book Mujābī ad-du‘ā’ that a person came over to see ‘Abd-
ul-M alik bin Sa‘īd bin Abjar. ‘Abd-ul-M alik pressed his
belly and told him that he was suffering from an incurable
discase. The man asked him: what is it? ‘Abd-ul-M alik
replied that it was a kind of ulcer that grows inside the belly
and ultimately kills the man. It is said that the patient
turned round and then he said:
Allah! Allah! Allah is my Lord. I regard

no one as His rival or partner. O Allah! I
beseech You and submit myself to You
through the mediation of Your Prophet
Muhammad (A), the merciful Prophet. O
Muhammad! Through your means I submit
myself to your and my Lord that He should
take mercy on me in my state of illness.
It is said that ‘Abd-ul-M alik pressed his belly again and

said: you are cured, you are no longer suffering from any
disease. Ibn Taymiyyah after recording the whole incident
in his book, comments:
I say that this and other forms of

supplication have been taken over from our
predecessors.1
The noteworthy point is that Ibn Taymiyyah has also
endorsed it that (1) it is an act of our predecessors, and (2)
it is quite valid to recover from disease through this act.
Proof of ritualistic assignment

The two traditions also make it clear that the practice of
ritualistic assignment by the saintly people to others is a
valid act because this has been the practice of Allah’s
favourites in the past. The Prophet (A) had not asked
‘Uthmān bin Hunayf, though, to pass it to other people.
7. Intermediation through the Prophet

(A) on the Day of Judgement
Even on the Day of Judgement the Holy Prophet (A) will
act as a means of forgiveness for the believers. The Qur'an
states:
1. Ibn Taymiyyah, Qā‘idah jalīlah fit-tawassul wal-wasīlah (p.91).

O our Lord! Bless us with all that you

have promised us through your messengers
and do not humiliate us on the Day of
Judgement. Surely You do not go back on
Your Word.1
In the light of these verses, the divine promise made to
all the prophets is here acting as a source of intermediation.
All the rewards promised to other prophets carry special
significance for the followers of the Holy Prophet (A)
through his means. On the Day of Judgement, grilled by the
unbearable heat, the entire mankind will rally round the
prophets but each prophet will tell them to move on to
some other prophet until the whole mankind will rally
round the Holy Prophet (A). The following is an agreed
upon tradition:
1. Qur'an (Āl-i-‘Imrān) 3:194.

The Holy Prophet(A) said: ‘when it is

the Day of Judgement, people, out of
nervousness, will call on one another. First
of all, they will call on Adam (D) and
request him to intercede on their behalf
before Allah but he will turn down their
request by saying that today it is beyond his
power to help them out and he will advise
them to call on Ibrāhīm (D) because he is
the Friend of Allah. So people will call on
Ibrāhīm (D) who will also excuse himself
by saying that he is not in position to help
them, therefore they should go to Mūsā (D)
because he is Allah,s interlocutor. They will
go to Mūsā (D) and he will also express his
inability to help them and advise them to see
‘Īsā (D) because he is the soul created by
Allah and His word. They will go to ‘Īsā
(D) and he will also tell them that he is not
able to help them. Therefore, they should go
to Muhammad (A) (because he is the
beloved of God). So all human beings will
rally round me and I will tell them that yes
(today) I hold the office of intercession. I
will seek permission from my Lord and I will
be granted the permission. Then He will
inspire me to praise and glorify Him with
such praises, which I cannot describe at this
time. (In short,) I will praise and glorify
Allah with those praises and prostrate
myself before Him. Then I will be told: ‘O
Muhammad, raise your radiant head, speak

and you will be heard, demand and you will
be blessed with it, and intercede (on behalf
of your people), your intercession will be
granted.’ So I will implore: ‘O Lord! My
Ummah, my Ummah!’ God shall command:
‘go and take them out of the Hell, whosoever
is left with faith even as small as the grain of
barley.’ So I will go and do so ( I will take
all such people out of Hell). Then I will
return and praise and glorify Him with those
praises and I will prostrate myself before
Him. So I will be commanded: ‘O
Muhammad, raise your radiant head, speak
and you will be heard, beg and you will be
blessed with it, intercede (on behalf of your
people) and your intercession will be
granted.’ I will implore: ‘O Lord, my
Ummah! My Ummah!’ I will be
commanded: ‘go and take them out of Hell
too, whosoever is left with faith even as
small as the tiny grain of rye.’ So I will go
and do so. Then I will return and praise and
glorify Him with the same praises and I will
again prostrate myself before Him. So I will
be commanded: ‘O Muhammad, raise your
radiant head, speak and you will be heard,
beg and you will be blessed with it and
intercede (on behalf of your people), your
intercession will be granted.’ I will implore:
‘O Lord, my Ummah! My Ummah!’ I will be
commanded: ‘go and take them out of Hell

whosoever is left with the tiniest faith, even
smaller than a grain of rye.’ Such a person
will also be taken out of Hell. Accordingly I
will go and do so (I will take them out of
Hell). (Hasan has added a few more words
to the tradition narrated by Anas. The
Prophet (A) said:) ‘I will return the
fourth time, and I will praise and glorify the
Lord in the same way, then I will prostrate
myself before Him, so I will be commanded:
‘raise your radiant head, and speak, you
will be heard, beg and you will be blessed
with it, and intercede (on behalf of your
people), your intercession will be granted.’
At that time I will implore the Lord that I
should be allowed to take out a person from
Hell who has recited lā ilāha illallāhu (there
is no deity except Allah) even once in his life
(from the core of his heart). The Lord will
reply, I swear by My honour, glory,
greatness and supremity that I will liberate
a person from the fire of Hell who has even
once recited lā ilāha illallāhu (there is no
deity except Allah). 1
1. Related through different narrators by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh, b.of

tawhīd (Islamic monotheism) ch.36 (6:2727-8#7072), b. o f īmān
(faith) ch.32 (1:24-5#44), b. of ambiyā’ (prophets) ch.5,12
(3:1215-6, 1226#3162,3182), b. of tafsīr (interpretation of the
Qur'an) ch.3,203 (4:1624-5, 1745-7 # 4206, 4435), b. of riqāq
(softening of hearts) ch.51(5:2401# 6197), b. of tawhīd,
ch.19,24,37 (6:2695-6, 2708-9, 2730#6975,7002, 7078). Muslim,
This tradition has proved, without any particle of doubt,

that on the Day of Resurrection the process of judgement
and accountability will be initiated through the mediation
of the Prophet’s prayer, praise and glorification of the Lord.
And on account of the Prophet’s mediation, the process of
accountability will start with his Ummah so that they do not
have to stay longer than necessary in the scorching heat of
the Day of Resurrection. The Qur'an has also explained in
the context of the Day of Judgement:
(It will be the day) when Allah will

disgrace neither His Prophet nor the people
who embraced faith along with him. (On
that day) their light (of faith) will keep
sprinting ahead of them and on their right
side.1
The Qur'anic verse spells out in unmistakable terms that
Allah will not humiliate the followers of the Last Prophet
as-Sahīh, b. of īmān (faith) ch.84 (1:182-4# 193); Tirmidhī, al-

Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of sifat-ul-qiyāmah (signs of Doomsday) ch.10
(4:622-4# 2434). Ahmad bin Hambal has recorded it in his Musnad
(1:4-5, 281-2; 2:435-6; 3:116,244,247-8) in six different contexts
through different narrators and all these contexts are linked
through a sound chain of transmission. Dārimī narrat ed it in his
Sunan (2:234-5#2807); Abū Dāwūd Tayālisī, Musnad (pp.268-
9#2010); Abū ‘Awānah, Musnad (1:171-4, 183-4); Ibn Abū
Shaybah, al-Musannaf (11:444-51#11720-1,3); Abū Ya‘lā,
Musand (1:56-9#59); Ibn Hibbān, as-Sahīh (14:377-9, 393-7#
6464,6467); Bayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul-īmān (1:285-6#308-9); Bagh awī,
Sharh-us-sunnah(15:157-60#4333); Haythamī in Mawārid-uz-
zam’ān (pp.642-3#2589) and Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (10:373-4).
1. Qur'an (at-Tahrīm) 66:8.
(A) through the means of his eternal blessing, on the

other hand, He will allow them to enter Paradise, with all
the glory and splendour associated with such an occasion.
A visible proof of the divine concession will be the
enveloping light to which they will be entitled through the
means of Allah’s Prophet (A).
All these traditions and proofs reinforce the reality of
intermediation and endorse it as a valid religious concept,
and not as a figment of the frenzied imagination. If, in spite
of these irrefutable indicators, someone still tries to confine
intermediation through the Prophet (A) only to his life on
earth, he is living in a world of fantasy and self-fabrication
because confining intermediation to his physical existence
remains unsupported both by argument and precedent.
The Prophet (A) wields authority even

after his death
Some people, on account of their ignorance and paucity of
knowledge, express the view that the Holy Prophet (A)
after his death wields no authority and he can neither hear
us nor can he pray for us. M ay Allah guard the believers
against such a perverse view! No M uslim with sound belief
can ever conceive such a possibility. Intermediation
through the Holy Prophet (A) is an established fact
supported by evidence from the Qur'an and the Sunnah and
this is a proof of his stature and distinction. Those who do
not believe in intermediation through the Prophet (A)
after his death are trying to lower his exceptional status.
It is part of the belief of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah
that a dead person can hear, possesses awareness, benefits
from the virtuous deeds of the living and is disturbed by

their wicked deeds. (It will be discussed in the sixth
chapter.) The point that clamours for attention is that this
belief has been established through the experience of an
ordinary man. When an ordinary person can exercise such
power, how can we possibly deny it to the Prophet (A)
who is the most superior person among Allah’s creatures.
Various authentic traditions testify to the reality that the
Prophet (A) is alive even after his death. It sounds like a
paradox to perverse ears but in his case it is as true as the
daily sunrise. He returns our greetings, the affairs of the
Ummah are reported to him, he asks forgiveness from
Allah over the evil deeds of the Ummah and praises and
glorifies Him over her good deeds. It is stated in a number
of traditions that once M arwān saw Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī
lying down over the Prophet’s grave and asked him what he
was doing. Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī gave a faith-freshening
reply. The tradition is recorded below:
It is attributed to Dāwūd bin Abū Sālih.

He says: one day Marwān came and he saw
that a man was lying down with his mouth

turned close to the Prophet’s grave. Then he
(Marwān) said to him, “Do you know what
are you doing?” When he moved towards
him, he saw that it was Abū Ayyūb al-
Ansārī. (In reply) he said, “Yes (I know) I
have come to the Messenger of Allah (A)
and not to a stone. I have heard it from the
Messenger of God (A) not to cry over
religion when its guardian is competent.
Yes, shed tears over religion when its
guardian is incompetent. 1
Hākim declared that it fulfils the requirements of
authentic traditions as demanded by Bukhārī and M uslim,
while Dhahabī has also called it sahīh (sound).
Seek his help today

The gist of the discussion is that it is a futile exercise to
prove arguments against intermediation through the
Prophet (A) and to establish authentic traditions as weak
and invalid through self-concocted strategies According to
the Prophet’s own statement, the benefit of his blessings is
still a tangible reality as it was during his earthly life; his
death has not changed this reality. And it is further
reinforced by the tradition with an impeccable chain of
1. Related by Ahmad bin Hambal with a sound chain o f transmission

in his Musnad (5:422); Hākim, al-Mustadrak (4:515); Tabarānī, al-
Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (4:158# 3999), al-Mu‘jam-ul-awsat (1:199-
200#286; 10:169# 9362); Subkī, Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-
il-anām (p.113); Haythamī, Majma‘-uz-zawāi’d (5:245); ‘Alā’-ud-
Dīn ‘Alī in Kanz-ul-‘ummāl (6:88#14967).
transmission that on the Day of Judgement, the process of

accountability will be initiated on his recommendation.
Let’s briefly speculate on the Day of Judgement. The
heat and warmth will be at its climax. The people will face
deep distress. The Lord will be present in His chair. The
Holy Prophet (A) will also honour the gathering with his
presence and he will be accompanied by all the prophets.
The earlier believers and the later ones will also form part
of the audience. In this scenario, when these people,
presuming Adam (D) as the first ancestor, will call on him
and request him to help them out of their trouble, but he
will send them on to Ibrāhīm (D), who will refer them to
M ūsā (D), who will direct them to see ‘Īsā (D) and
finally he will send all of them to the Prophet M uhammad
(A), the intercessor of mankind. During the whole
process, none of the honoured prophets will say: ‘what
disbelief are you perpetrating and what have you come to
us for? Allah Himself is there, why don’t you go to Him?’
On the other hand, they will despatch them willingly and
expectantly to the Holy Prophet (A) so that he may
intercede on their behalf before God. Thus we come to
realize that intermediation and appeal for help is a
continuous process, uninterrupted by the exigencies of
space-time and unaffected by the laws of physical
existence, and on the Day of Judgement a consensus among
the prophets will emerge on the conceptual and practical
relevance of intermediation. The subtle point to note is that
when the first personality in the world of humanity
committed error, he offered to the Lord the mediation of
the Holy Prophet (A) and as a result his error was
condoned. The Prophet’s mediation relieved him of the
agony he had been suffering from as a consequence of his

error. Similarly on the Day of Judgement when life on earth
will come to an end and the people will experience the
agony of waiting in uncertain anticipation of the process of
accountability, they will be liberated from their torture only
through the means of the Holy Prophet (A). It is now
transparent from these examples that the first man in the
world of humanity was relieved of his agony through the
mediation of the Prophet (A), and the world is drawing to
a close and mankind is passing through the torture of
waiting in a superheated environment, they will also be
relieved of their ordeal through the means of the Prophet
(A). Fortunate are the people who even today hold on to
this belief and will also witness this scenario on the Day of
Judgement.
SECTION FOUR
the Prophet’s relics
It is a fact that the objects and articles associated with the
righteous and the virtuous are an overflowing source of
bounty and munificence. This is the reason that it was the
usual practice of the Companions to preserve his relics and
to draw benefits and blessings out of them. This proves that
they offered them to Allah as instruments of mediation
when they needed His help and assistance. Allah Himself
has made reference to the relics of the prophets in the Holy
Qur’ān. For example, the following Qur’ānic verse
indicates the mode in which Banī Israel drew on the relics
of the progeny of M ūsā (D) and Hārūn (D):
And their prophet told them: ‘a sign of

his authority (being from Allah) is that there
257
shall come to you the Ark of the covenant. In

it there shall be an assurance of security
(peace of mind) from your Lord and from
the relics left by the family of Mūsā and
Hārūn carried by angels. In this is a symbol
for you if you indeed have faith. 1
At another place in the Holy Qur’ān Allah has related
the incident in which Ya‘qūb (D) drew blessing from
Yūsuf’s shirt:
‘Go with this my shirt and cast it over

the face of my father; he will come to see
clearly, and (then) come you to me together
with all your family.’ And when the caravan
left (Egypt), their father (Ya‘qūb) said
(while sitting in Kan‘ān): ‘I do indeed scent
the presence of Yūsuf if you do not think me
a dotard on account of old age.’ They said:
‘By God! Truly you are in the same old
drifting state of love.’ Then when the bearer
of the good news came, he cast the shirt over

Ya‘qūb’s face and instantaneously his

eyesight returned. Ya‘qūb said: ‘Did I not
say to you, I know from God that which you
know not.’1
A study of the books on tradition and the Prophet’s life
and conduct reveals that, in addition to relying on the Holy
Prophet (A) for prayer, the Companions received
blessings from him in various other ways. For example,
they had their bodies touched with his hand; they
themselves touched his body as a form of benediction; they
blessed themselves with the water left over from his
ablution and also with the water he used to wash his hands;
and with his leftover food. Similarly, they received
blessings from his sweat, from his saliva, from the mucus
coming out of his nose, from his hair (which came off
during his haircut and they did not let them fall on the
ground), from his nails, from his dress, from his staff, from
his ring, from his bed and cot and from his praying mat. In
short, they drew blessings from any object that was even
marginally associated with his body. Even after his death,
the Companions and the leading believers derived blessings
from his grave and the pulpit. They received blessing even
from the houses and places where he had lived, the spots at
which he had prayed and the dust of the paths he had
walked through. Every successive generation after the
period of the Companions and Successors including
caliphs, kings and religious leaders, preserved the Prophet’s
signs and relics with great reverence. On special days
1. Qur’ān (Yūsuf) 12:93-6.

M uslims were allowed to see them, draw blessings from

them and pray to Allah through their mediation.
This reverential attitude should be maintained in the
context of the Prophet’s traditions and in any reference to
his exalted personality. The same attitude should be
reflected in our treatment of the Companions and members
of the Prophet’s family. If we consistently display this
attitude, Allah will not only reinforce our faith but also
shower His blessings on us. But if we treat them
disrespectfully, Allah will curse us with trouble and
affliction, which the common man often fails to understand.
The Companions possessed a number of his relics. Not only
some of these are given below, but also the way they are
used as means is also briefly described:
1. Desire to be buried in the Prophet’s vicinity

‘Umar bin al-Khattāb had a strong desire to be buried in the
vicinity of the Prophet’s grave. When he was at his
deathbed, he sent his son to seek permission from ‘Ā’ishah
as she had reserved the specific spot for herself. But, on
‘Umar’s request, she responded: ‘I liked to keep this spot
for myself but now I give preference to ‘Umar’s desire over
mine.’ ‘Abdullāh returned and conveyed the glad tidings to
his father. At this ‘Umar said: ‘all praise to Allah! This was
the most pressing matter for me.’ The tradition runs as
follows:
Husayn bin ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān from ‘Amr

bin Maymūn al-Awdī has narrated: He said:
I saw ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb, he said: ‘O
‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar! Go over to the Mother
of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah, and give her my
regards and then ask her if I am permitted to
be buried beside my companions.’ ‘Ā’ishah
replied: ‘I had this spot marked for myself
and today I prefer ‘Umar to myself.’ When
he came back, ‘Umar asked him: ‘what news
have you brought?’ He replied: ‘O leader of
the believers! She has given you the
permission.’ At this ‘Umar said: ‘today
nothing matters to me more than this resting
place. When I pass away, take me to (this
place), give my regards and request that
‘Umar bin al-Khattāb seeks permission. If I
am given the permission, then bury me
there, otherwise bury me in an ordinary

graveyard for the Muslims.’1
The only interpretation of the desire expressed by both
‘Umar and ‘Ā’ishah is that they wanted to receive divine
blessings through the mediation of the Holy Prophet (A)
by being buried close to him.
2. The small water bag of leather as a source of

blessing
1. ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān bin Abū ‘Amrah has attributed it to
his grandmother who heard it from Kabshah Ansāriyyah:
Allah’s Messenger (A) went over to

see her and there was a small water bag of
leather hanging there. He drank water from
it while standing. Then she cut off the mouth
of water bag on account of its blessing
because the Prophet’s mouth had touched
it. 2
1. Bukhārī transmitted it in his as-Sahīh, b. of janā’iz (fun erals) ch.94

(1:469#1328), b. of fadā’il-us-sahābah (virtues of the
Companions) ch.8 (3:1355#3497).
2. Ibn Mājah narrated it with a sound chain of transmission in his
Sunan, b. of ashribah (drinks) ch.21 (2:1132#3423); Tirmidhī
graded it hasan (fair) sahīh (sound) gharīb (rare or un familiar) in
his al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of ashribah, ch.18 (4:306#1892), and in
ash-Shamā’il-ul-Muhammadiyyah (p.178#203), Ahmad bin
Hambal, Musnad (6:434); Humaydī, Musnad (1:172#354); Ibn
2. Umm Sulaym cut off the mouth of the water bag from
which the Prophet (A) had drunk water. Anas says:
That the Prophet (A) came over to see

Umm Sulaym and there was a small leather
bag (of water) hanging in the house. He
drank (water) from this leather bag while
standing. Anas says that Umm Sulaym cut
off the mouth of the leather bag so it is (still)
1
with us.
3. Cure through the mediation of the Prophet’s

gown
It is narrated by ‘Abdullāh, a slave freed by Asmā’ bint
Abū Bakr:
Hibbān, as-Sahīh (12:138-9#5318); Tabarānī, al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr

(25:15#8); and Baghawī in Sharh-us-sunnah (11:379#3042).
1. Related by Ahmad bin Hambal in his Musnad (3:119; 6:431);
Tirmidhī, ash-Shamā’il-ul-Muhammadiyyah (p.179#205); Abū
Dāwūd Tayālisī, Musnad (p.229#1650); and by Tabarānī in al-
Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (25:127#307) and in al -Mu‘jam-ul-awsat
(1:379#658).
That she (Asmā’ bint Abū Bakr) took out

the gown that belonged to Kasrawanī
Tayālisān, its collar and slits were lined
with silk cloth. She said: ‘this was in the
possession of ‘Ā’ishah, when she died, I took
it over and the Holy Prophet (A) used to
wear it. We used to wash it for the sick and
along with it we asked for the recovery of
the sick.1
Nawawī has commented on it:
And this tradition confirms that it is a

meritorious act to seek blessing through the
relics and robes of the virtuous. 2
4. The Prophet’s ring

‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar has narrated:
1. Related by Muslim in his as-Sahīh, b. of libās waz-zīnah (dress

and embellishment) ch.2 (3:1641#2069); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of
libās (dress) 4:49 (#4054); Ibn M ājah, Sunan, b. of libās, ch.18
(2:1188-9#3594); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (6:347-8); Ibn
Sa‘d, at-Tabaqāt-ul-kubrā (1:454).
2. Nawawī, Sharh Sahīh Muslim (14:44).
The Messenger of Allah (A) had a

silver ring made for himself. It was in his
hand, then it remained in Abū Bakr’s hand,
then it remained in ‘Umar’s hand, then it
remained in ‘Uthmān’s hand, then from his
hand it fell into a well at Arīs. The following
words were engraved on it: Muhammad, the
Messenger of Allah. 1
5. Blessing through the Prophet’s blanket

The M other of Believers, ‘Ā’ishah lovingly guarded a
blanket in which the Holy Prophet (A) had passed away
as is attributed to Abū Hurayrah that ‘Ā’ishah took out a
thick blanket and showed it to us. She said:
1. Related by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh, b. of libās (dress) ch.48

(5:2204#5535); Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of libās waz-zīnah (dress and
embellishment) ch.12 (3:1656#2091); and Abū Dāwūd in Sunan, b.
of khātim (ring) 4:88 (#4215).
The Holy Prophet (A) had breathed

his last in this blanket. 1
6. Blessing through the Prophet’s sandals

1. Anas kept with him a pair of the Prophet’s shoes and a
cup from which he used to drink. Bukhārī comments with
reference to the pair of shoes:
‘Īsā bin Tahmān reported that Anas

brought out a pair of old sandals and
showed them to us. Each one of the pair had
two laces. Then Thābit al-Bunānī, reporting
it from Anas, told me that the pair of shoes
belonged to the Prophet (A). 2
2. Similarly, according to another tradition, ‘Ubayd bin
Jurayh said to ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar: “I see you wearing a
pair of shoes shorn of hair.” ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar replied:
“I have seen the M essenger of Allah (A) wearing such
shoes which are denuded of hair, and he used to put his feet
1. Related by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh, b. of khumus (fi fth part) ch.5

(3:1131#2941).
2. Bukhārī transmitted it in his as-Sahīh, b. of khumus (fi fth part ) ch.5
(3:1131#2940), b. of libās (dress) ch.40 (5:2200#5519-20);
Tirmidhī in ash-Shamā’il-ul-Muhammadiyyah (p.83#73).
into them after ablution. Therefore, I like to wear such

shoes.”1
3. Qastallānī writes in his book al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah
(2:118-9) that ‘Abdullāh bin M as‘ūd was one of the
Prophet’s attendants and attended him with a pillow, a
tooth-brush, a pair of sandals and water for ablution. When
the Prophet (A) stood up, he helped him put on the
sandals, and when he sat down, ‘Abdullāh bin M as‘ūd
picked up the sandals and tucked them under his arms.
Qastallānī adds: One of the virtues, benefits and
blessings of the Prophet’s sandals has been particularly
stressed by Shaykh Abū Ja‘far bin ‘Abd-ul-M ajīd. He says:
I gave a sample of the pair of sandals to one of my students.
One day he came over to me and said: yesterday, I
discovered a strange blessing in the sandals. M y wife was
on the point of death from severe pain. I placed the sandals
on the aching spot and said: O Allah! show me a miracle
from the owner of this pair of sandals. Allah showed His
mercy and my wife instantly recovered. 2
Abū Bakr Ahmad bin Abū Muhammad ‘Abdullāh bin
Husayn Qurtubī has given a poetic expression to his
feelings about the pair of sandals:
1. Related by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh b. of libās (dress) ch.36

(5:2199#5513); and Tirmidhī in ash-Shamā’il-ul-Muhammadi yyah
(p.84#74).
2. Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (2:466-7).
Such shoes whose exalted status we

acknowledged because only through this
acknowledgement, we exalt ourselves.
Therefore, they should be kept at a lofty
place, because, in reality, these are the
crown (on the head) although they appear to
be shoes.1
When Imam Fakhānī cast his first glance at the sandals,
he burst into a poetic expression:
And if the Madman of Laylā had been

asked to choose between a meeting with
Laylā and the pelf of the world, he would
have spontaneously replied: “I hold the dust
blowing up from her shoes even dearer than
my own soul and it is the best cure for
blowing off its problems”.
It is noteworthy that scholars from the Deoband school
of thought have written books about the Prophet’s shoes:
1. Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (2:470); Nabhānī, al-

Anwār-ul-Muhammadiyyah (p.258).
1. M awlānā Shihāb-ud-Dīn Ahmad M uqrī wrote a book

called Fath-ul-muta‘āl fi madh-in-ni‘āl.
2. M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī wrote a tract Nayl-ush-
shifā bi-ni‘āl-il-Mustafā, which is part of his book Zād-
us-sa‘īd.
M awlānā M uhammad Zakariyyā Kandhalwī comments:
“The virtues and blessings of the
Prophet’s sandals are found at the end of the
tract Zād-us-Sa‘īd by M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī
Thānwī. Anyone who is keen on details is
advised to refer to it. In short, its blessings
are infinite. The scholars have performed
repeated experiments. If you keep them in
your possession, you may see the Holy
Prophet (A), you may be delivered from
the oppressors and may achieve popularity.
In brief, to depend on it as a source of
intermediation is an unwavering guarantee
of success. The method of intermediation is
also explained in it.”1
This discussion clearly proves that the real capital is the
unfathomed love for the Holy Prophet (A) and the
unflagging respect for the things and objects directly or
indirectly associated with him, as has been poetically
expressed by Imām Ahmad Radā Khān:
1. Kandhalwī, Shamā’il Tirmidhī with Urdu commentary Khasā’il

nabawī (p.77).
“If I have a pair of the Prophet’s

sandals to place on my head.”
“Then I shall consider myself no less
than a properly crowned king.”
7. Blessing through the holy goblet

1. Abū Burdah narrates:
‘Abdullāh bin Salām said to me,

“Shouldn’t I serve you (water) in the goblet
1
from which the Prophet (A) had drunk.
2. Abū Hāzim from Sahl bin Sa‘d narrates:
One day the Companions had the

pleasure of the Prophet’s company at
Saqīfah banī Sā‘idah. Then he asked Sahl to
get him (some water). Then I brought out
this goblet for him and served him (water) in
1. Bukhārī narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of ashribah (drinks) ch.29

(5:2134).
it. Abū Hāzim said: Sahl brought out that

goblet for us and we also drank from it.
Then ‘Umar bin ‘Abd-ul-‘Azīz requested
that he should hand over the goblet to him
and Sahl handed it over to him. And the
tradition by Abū Bakr bin Ishāq says: he
said, O Sahl, get me some water to drink.1
3. Hajjāj bin Hassān relates:
We were with Anas that he sent for a

vessel, which had three female iron lizards
and an iron ring in it. He took it out of a
black cover, which was less than medium
size and more than one-eighth of it, and at
Anas’s order, water was brought in it for us.
We had the water and poured some of it
over our heads and faces and sent
salutations on the Holy Prophet (A). 2
The chain of transmission of this tradition is sahīh
(sound).
1. Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of ashribah (drinks) ch.9 (3:1591#2007);

Bukhārī, as-Sahīh, b. of ashribah, ch.29 (5:2134#5314).
2. Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (3:187); Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-
nihāyah (4:370).
4. And when the goblet that was in the possession of

Anas, and from which the Holy Prophet (A) used to
drink, cracked, he took tremendous pains to repair it. His
painstaking efforts are an ample proof of the love and
respect the Companions had for the articles directly or
indirectly associated with the Holy Prophet (A). The
tradition says:
When the Prophet’s goblet cracked,

(Anas) repaired it with a silver chain,
instead of (repairing it) with something
ordinary. ‘Āsim (the narrator) says: ‘I have
myself seen that goblet and have also drunk
water from it.’ 1
8. Blessing through the holy hair

The Holy Prophet (A) himself taught his followers to
preserve the relics and practically created in his
Companions the awareness and the urgency that they
should let no opportunity slip to collect his blessings.
1. Anas narrates that after performing the sacrificial rites
at the juncture of hajj:
1. Bukhārī narrat ed it in his as-Sahīh, b. of khumus (fi fth part) ch.5

(3:1132#2942); and Ibn Kathīr in al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:369).
The Holy Prophet (A) held the right

side of his head in front of the barber, he
shaved off his hair. Then he called Abū
Talhah al-Ansārī and handed him the
(shaved) hair. Then he held the other side in
front of the barber, he also shaved off the
hair on this side and he also handed those
hair to Abū Talhah and said to him:
‘distribute these hair among the people.’ 1
2. Ibn Sīrīn has reported it from Anas:
When the Messenger of Allah (A) had

his head shaved; Abū Talhah was the first
person to receive his hair. 2
3. Similarly another tradition is attributed to Anas:
1. Muslim transmitted it in his as-Sahīh, b. of hajj, ch.56

(2:948#1305); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of manāsik (rituals of hajj)
(2:203#1981); Tirmidhī in al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of hajj, ch.73
(3:255#912) and graded it hasan (fair) sahīh (sound); Ahmad bin
Hambal, Musnad (3:111,208,214); Humaydī, Musnad
(2:512#1220); Ibn Khuzaymah, as-Sahīh (4:299#2928); Bayh aqī,
as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (5:134); and Baghawī in Sharh-us-sunnah
(7:206#1962).
2. Bukhārī transmitted it in his as-Sahīh b. of wudū’ (ablution) ch.32
(1:75#169).
I saw that a barber was shaving the

Prophet’s head and the Companions stood
around him in the shape of a circle. They
wished that each strand of hair falling off
the Prophet’s head should fall into the hand
of one of them (they did not wish it to fall on
the ground).1
4. Ibn Sīrīn relates:
I told ‘Abīdah that we are in possession

of the Prophet’s hair which I obtained from
Anas or his family. ‘Abīdah said: ‘if I
possessed anyone of these hair, I will hold
that hair even dearer than the entire world
and whatever it contains.’2
Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī says: “This tradition furnishes the
proof that it is valid to draw divine blessings from the
Prophet’s hair and confirms the permissibility of its
acquisition.” 3
5. Thābit al-Bunānī relates that Anas said to him:
1. Muslim narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of fadā’il (virtues) ch.19

(4:1812#2324); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (3:133,137); Ibn
Sa‘d, at-Tabaqāt-ul-kubrā (1:431); Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā
(7:68); and Ibn Kathīr in al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:140).
2. Related by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh, b. of wudū’ (ablution) ch.32
(1:75#168).
3. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, Fath-ul-bārī (1:274).
This is a hair belonging to the dear

Messenger of Allah (A), so you should
place it under my tongue. He says the hair
was placed under his tongue and when he
was buried, the hair was still under his
tongue. 1
6. ‘Uthmān bin ‘Abdullāh bin M awhab relates:
My family sent me to Umm Salamah with

a goblet of water. Israel clutched his three
fingers in a manner that they looked like the
goblet, which contained the Prophet’s hair,
and when someone was under the influence
of an evil eye or suffered from pain, he used
to send a utensil (of water) to Umm
Salamah. So when I peered into the utensil, I
saw a few red hairs.2
Badr-ud-Dīn ‘Aynī says: “Umm Salamah kept the
Prophet’s hair in a silver bottle. When people fell ill, they
1. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, al-Isābah fī tamyīz-is-sahābah (1:71).

2. Bukhārī, as-Sahīh, b. of libās (dress) ch.64 (5:2210#5557); Ibn
Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:390).
received blessings from those hairs and recovered from

their illness as a result of this blessing. If someone was
under the spell of a malevolent eye or just fell ill, he would
send his wife to Umm Salamah with a utensil holding
water; she would pass the hair through the water and the
patient would recover by drinking that water, and after that
the hair was put away in the bottle.”1
9. Victory in war through the mediation of the

Prophet’s hair
Qādī ‘Iyād narrates in ash-Shifā (2:619):
Khālid bin Walīd’s cap contained some

of the Prophet’s hair. When the cap fell
away during battle, he rushed to grab it.
When a large number of Companions lost
their lives as martyrs in this battle, the
people blamed him. He replied: ‘I did not
put up all that struggle just for the cap, but
the cap contained the Prophet’s hair. I
feared I would be deprived of their blessings
1. Badr-ud-Dīn ‘Aynī, ‘Umdat-ul-qārī (22:49).

in case they fell into the hands of the

infidels.’
10. Making a coffin out of the clothes worn by

the Prophet (A)
1. When Alī’s mother, Fātimah bint Asad died, her funeral
rites were meticulously observed. After the bath, when it
was time to dress her up in a shirt, the Prophet (A)
handed his own shirt to the women and commanded them
to dress her up in that shirt and then wrap the coffin round
it.1
To drape her dead body in his shirt was most
presumably intended to shower divine blessings on her.
2. When the Prophet’s daughter, Zaynab or Umm
Kalthūm died, he blessed her with his own trouser-sash to
2
wrap the coffin.
1. Tabarānī narrated it in al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (24:351-2#871) and al-

Mu‘jam-ul-awsat (1:152-3#191); Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr, al-Istī‘āb fī
ma‘rifat-il-ashāb (4:382); Abū Nu‘aym, Hilyat-ul-awliyā’ wa
tabaqāt-ul-asfiyā’ (3:121); Ibn-ul-Jawzī, al-‘Ilal-ul-mutanāhiyyah
(1:268-9#433), Sifat-us-safwah (2:38); Ibn-ul-Athīr, Asad-ul-
ghābah (7:213); Samhūdī, Wafā’-ul-wafā (3:897-8); and Ibn Haj ar
‘Asqalānī in al-Isābah fī tamyīz-is-sahābah (4:380).
2. Bukhārī narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of janā’iz (funerals) ch.8, 17
(1:422-3,425#1195,1204); Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of janā’iz, ch.12
(2:648#939); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of janā’iz, (3:200#3157);
Nasā’ī, Sunan, b. of janā’iz (4:28-33); Tirmidhī, al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh,
b. of janā’iz, ch.15 (3:315#990); Ibn M ājah, Sunan, b. o f janā’iz,
ch.8 (1:468-9#1458); Mālik bin Anas, al-Muwattā, b. of janā’iz,
ch.1 (1:222#2); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (5:84, 6:407);
Humaydī, Musnad (1:175-6#360); Ibn Hibbān, as-Sahīh
(7:302,304#3032-3); Tabarānī, al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (25:45-
50#86,88-95,97-99).
3. Similarly, a woman presented a shawl to the Holy

Prophet (A). When he was dressed in it, someone said to
him: O M essenger of Allah! What a beautiful shawl! Please
give it to me; and he gave the shawl to him. The audience
were displeased by it and started cursing the person who
had requested for the shawl: when you knew that the
Prophet (A) never turns down the request of a petitioner,
then why did you ask for this shawl? That person replied: I
have taken this sheet of cloth not for wearing but for my
coffin to draw blessings from it. The words of the tradition
are as follows:
Sahl bin Sa‘d says: A woman brought a

burdah, that is, a sheet of cloth for the Holy
Prophet (A). Sahl asked the people: do
you know what burdah is? People replied: it
is a large and open sheet of cloth. Sahl said:

burdah is a kind of sheet which has stripes in
it. The woman said: O Messenger of Allah! I
present (this sheet) to you for wearing. The
Holy Prophet (A) accepted the shawl
because, under the circumstances, he
needed it. Then the Holy Prophet (A)
wore it. One of the Companions had his eyes
set on the shawl and he said to the Prophet
(A): What a graceful sheet of cloth!
Please give it to me. He said: Yes, you take
it. When the Prophet (A) left, his
Companions rebuked him. They said: You
haven’t done good (especially) when you
saw that the Prophet (A) had accepted it
and also needed it, and you know that
whenever a petition is made to the Prophet
(A), he never turns it down. The man
replied: when the Prophet (A) had worn
it, I expected it to bring blessings to me in
case I am buried in it. 1
Sahl bin Sa‘d relates that he was buried in that sheet of
cloth.
4. Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh narrates:
1. Bukhārī narrat ed it in his as-Sahīh, b. of adab (good manners)

ch.39 (5:2245#5689), b. of janā’iz (funeral p rayers) ch.28
(1:429#1218), b. of buyū‘ (sal es) ch.31 (2:737#1987), b. of libās
(dress) ch.17 (5:2189#5473); Ibn Mājah, Sunan, b. of libās, ch.1
(2:1177#3555); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (5:333-4 ); and Ibn
Sa‘d in at-Tabaqāt-ul-kubrā (1:454).
The Holy Prophet (A) went over to

‘Abdullāh bin Ubayy after he had been
buried. He had his dead body taken out,
covered his mouth with his saliva and
draped him in his own shirt.1
The same tradition has also been reported in a modified
form:
The Holy Prophet (A) reached

‘Abdullāh bin Ubayy when he had been
placed inside the grave. He commanded him
to be taken out (and when he was taken out)
he (the Prophet) placed him over his knees,
rubbed him with his own saliva, breathed
into him and draped him in his own shirt. 2
5. ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar narrates:
1. Bukhārī transmitted in his as-Sahīh, b. of janā’iz (funeral p rayers)

ch.22,76 (1:427#1211); and Ahmad bin Hambal in his Musnad
(3:371).
2. Bukhārī related it in as-Sahīh, b. of libās (dress) ch.7
(5:2184#5459), b. of janā’iz (funeral prayers) ch.22 (1:427#1210);
Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of sifāt-ul-munāfiqīn wa ah kāmuhum
(pertaining to the charact eristics of the hypocrites and the
command concerning them) 4:2140 (#2773); Nasā’ī, Sunan, b. of
janā’iz (4:37-8); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (3:381); Bayh aqī,
as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:402); and Wāqidī in Kitāb-ul-maghāzī
(2:1057).
When ‘Abdullāh bin Ubayy died, his son

went over to the Messenger of Allah
(A) and said to him: ‘O Messenger of
Allah! I implore you to bless him with your
shirt to make out of it a coffin for him, and
you offer prayer on it and also pray for his
forgiveness.’ So he gave him his shirt.1
6. When ‘Abdullāh bin Sa‘d bin Sufyān was martyred in
the battle of Tabūk, the Holy Prophet (A) coffined him in
his own shirt.2
7. When ‘Abdullāh bin Hārith bin ‘Abd-ul-M uttalib bin
Hashim died, the Holy Prophet (A) buried him in his own
1. Bukhārī narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of libās (dress) ch.7

(5:2184#5460), b. of janā’iz (funerals) ch.22 (1:427#1210), b. of
tafsīr (interpretation of the Qur’ān) ch.160,161 4:1715,1716
(#4393,4395); Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of sifāt-ul-munāfiqīn wa
ahkāmuhum (the signs of hypocrites and their commands) 4:2141
(#2774); Nas ā’ī, Sunan, b. of janā’iz (funerals) 4:36, and Tafsir
(1:551-2#244); Tirmidhī, al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of tafsīr, ch.10
(5:279-80#3098); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (2:18); Ibn Hibbān,
as-Sahīh (7:447#3175); Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr, as -Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-
ashāb (2:336); Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:402; 8:199), and
Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (5:287); Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-
nihāyah (3:635); and Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī in al-Isābah fī tamyīz-is-
sahābah (2:336).
2. Ibn-ul-Athīr, Asad-ul-ghābah (3:262); Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, al-
Isābah fī tamyīz-is-sahābah (2:318).
shirt-coffin and said: “He is fortunate and he has received

blessings from it.”1
11. Blessings through the Prophet’s spittle

In 6 Hegira, when the Holy Prophet (A) set out for
M akkah with his devoted Companions to offer hajj, the
infidels intercepted him. Since the intention was to perform
hajj, he did not allow his Companions to be provoked,
though they bubbled over with the spirit of self-sacrifice for
the divine pleasure. M eanwhile, negotiations between the
two parties were held. ‘Urwah bin M as‘ūd (who had not
embraced Islam at that time) represented the infidels. At
this juncture, he directly witnessed the passionate
attachment of the Companions with the Holy Prophet
(A) and when he returned to his camp, he mentioned it to
the infidels in these words:
1. Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr narrated it in al-Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-ashāb

(2:279); Ibn-ul-Athīr, Asad-ul-ghābah (3:207); and Ibn Hajar
‘Asqalānī in al-Isābah fī tamyīz-is-sahābah (2:292).
O my nation, (the infidels of Makkah)!

By God! I have attended the courts of the
kings (royal courts). I have also been to (the
courts) of Caesar, Khosrau and Najāshī, but
I swear by Allah that I have never come
across a king who is revered as much by his
Companions as Muhammad (A). By
Allah, whenever he throws out his spittle, it
lands on the palm of some Companion or the
other who rubs it on his face or body. When
he commands his Companions, they rush to
comply with it, and when he performs
ablution, they even quarrel with one another
to obtain the leftover water, and when he is
speaking, the Companions lower their voices
in his presence and, out of reverence, they
do not look at him straight. And surely he
has made a good offer, so you should accept
it. 1
2. ‘Ā’ishah relates that the Holy Prophet (A) used to
mention in the context of patients:
In the name of Allah, with the help of the

soil of our land and the saliva from the
1. Bukhārī narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of shurūt (conditions) ch.15

(2:976#2581); and Bayhaqī in Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (4:104).
mouth of some of us, our patient shall

recover by the will of our God.1
Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī’s comments on the tradition are as
follows:
“The Prophet’s words “from the saliva
of some of us” prove that he used to apply
his saliva while using a protective
invocation (ruqyah) over something.
Nawawī says: ‘the tradition means that the
Holy Prophet (A) put his saliva on his
forefinger and rubbed it on to the soil, then
he froze it and applied it to the patient or the
wound and while applying it, he recited the
words of the tradition.’ Qurtubī says: ‘this
tradition proves that it is valid to treat any
disease by using a protective invocation over
it, and it also makes it clear that it was a
common and popular practice among them.’
He is also of the opinion that the Prophet’s
placing of his forefinger on the soil and
sprinkling it with earth justifies its relevance
while blowing protective invocation through
it… And, surely, it describes the mode of
receiving blessings through the attributes of
the Lord and the relics of the Prophet (A).
Then blowing breath laden with protective
1. Bukhārī transmitted it in his as-Sahīh, b. of tibb (medicine) ch.37

(5:2168#5413); Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of salām (peace) ch.21
(4:1724#2194); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (6:93); Hākim, al-
Mustadrak (4:412); and B aghawī in Sharh-us-sunnah (5:224-
5#1414).
invocation into something and a divinely

inspired sense of purpose and determination
have amazing implications which simply
stun human reason.1
There are countless examples found in the authentic
books on tradition that when a child was born, the
Companions brought him to the Prophet (A) to name him
and to administer him the first food after his birth. He put
his saliva into the mouth of the newborn and thus the first
thing the child’s belly received was the Prophet’s saliva.
3. Asmā’ bint Abū Bakr says:
I (while in Makkah) was pregnant with

‘Abdullāh bin Zubayr (that is, he was in my
belly). The period of pregnancy was near
completion that I set out for Medina. I got
down at Qubā’ and gave birth to my son
(‘Abdullāh bin Zubayr) at Qubā’. Then I
took him over to the Holy Prophet (A) and
placed him in his lap. He sent for a date and
chewed it. Then he put his saliva into the
child’s mouth, and the first thing that
entered his stomach was the Prophet’s
1. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, Fath-ul-bārī (10:208).

saliva. Then he applied the date to his

palate, prayed for him and offered his
congratulations. 1
4. Anas narrates:
When ‘Abdullāh, the son of Abū Talhah

al-Ansārī, was born, I brought him to the
Holy Prophet (A). At that time, he was
wearing a shawl and rubbing oil on to a
camel. He said: have you got any dates? I
replied, yes. Then I gave him a few dates, he
munched them with his teeth and then he put
it into the child’s mouth by opening it. The
child started sucking it. He said: the
Muslims of Medina love the dates and then
he named the child as ‘Abdullāh. 2
1. Bukhārī narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of fadā’il-us-sahābah

(virtues of the Companions) ch.74 (3:1422-3#3697), b. of ‘aqīqah,
ch.1 (5:2081#5152); Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of ādāb (good manners)
ch.5 (3:1691#2146); and Ahmad bin Hambal in Musnad
(6:93,347).
2. Muslim narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of ādāb (good manners) ch.5
(3:1689#2144); and Ahm ad bin Hambal in Musnad
(3:175,196,212).
12. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s

perspiration
1. It is narrated by Thumāmah through Anas:
That Umm Sulaym used to spread a

leather mattress for the Holy Prophet (A)
where he enjoyed his midday nap. Anas
relates that when the Holy Prophet
(A) woke up, I collected his perspiration
and his hair, put these into a bottle and
blended them with perfume. Thumāmah
relates that when Anas was on the brink of
dying he willed that the scent be applied to
his coffin. He relates that the scent was
applied to his coffin. 1
2. There is another tradition on similar lines:
1. Related by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh, b. of isti’dhān (asking

permission) ch.41 (5:2316#5925).
Anas bin Mālik relates that the Holy

Prophet (A) visited us and had his midday
sleep. When he broke into perspiration, my
mother came up with a bottle. She wiped his
sweat and put it into the bottle. When the
Prophet (A) woke up, he said to her: Umm
Sulaym! What are you doing? She replied:
this is your perspiration which we will mix
with our perfume and this is the best
perfume.1
13. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s

handwash
It is narrated by Abū M ūsā:
1. Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of fadā’il (merits) ch.22 (4:1815#2331);

Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (3:136).
I was with the Holy Prophet (A) when

he visited Ji‘rānah, a place between Makkah
and Medina. Bilāl also accompanied him. A
bedouin called on him and said to him: O
Muhammad! You haven’t kept your promise.
He said to him: cheer up! He said: you have
repeated “cheer up!” a number of times. He
turned in a state of rage to Abū Mūsā and
Bilāl and said (to them): this person has
rejected my glad tidings, but you should
accept it. Both of them said: O Messenger of
Allah, we have accepted (the glad tidings).
Then he sent for a goblet full of water,
washed both of his hands and face in it,
rinsed his mouth in it and then said to them:
drink it and pour it over your face and chest
and cheer up. Both of them took over the
goblet from him and did as he had asked
them to do. Umm Salamah called them from
behind the curtain. Leave some of it in the

utensil for your mother. So they left some
water for her too. 1
14. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s nail

M uhammad bin ‘Abdullāh bin Zayd has reported it from
his father:
The Holy Prophet (A) had his hair cut

in a piece of cloth and gave it to him, out of
which he distributed some among the
people, then he had his nails clipped and
gave them to him.2
This tradition has a sound chain of transmission and its
narrators are men of credibility.
15. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s staff

1. ‘Abdullāh bin Anīs has reported it from his father:
1. Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of fadā’il-us-sahābah, (virtues of the

Companions) ch.38 (4:1943#2497).
2. Related by Ahmad bin Hambal in Musnad (4:42).
When I called on the Prophet (A) , he

said to me as he saw me: “The successful
face (the successful man).” He says: I said
to him: O Messenger of Allah, I have killed
him (Khālid bin Sufyān). He said: You have
spoken out the truth. Then the Messenger
(A) stood up beside me and went to his
house and blessed me with his staff and
said: O ‘Abdullāh bin Anīs! Keep it with
you. When I came out carrying the staff, the
people asked me: what is this (staff)? He
replied: this has been given to me by the
Messenger of Allah (A) and he has
commanded me to keep it. The people said:
won’t you return it to the Messenger (A)?
Ask the Prophet (A) about it. ‘Abdullāh
bin Anīs says that I called on the Holy
Prophet (A) and asked him: O Messenger
of Allah! why have you given this staff to
me? He replied: on the Day of Judgement
this will serve as a mark of recognition
between us when few people will cooperate

with others. ‘Abdullāh bin Anīs tied the staff
to his sword and always kept it with himself
until he passed away. He had willed about
the staff that it should be placed in his
coffin, so we buried them together. 1
2. Anas bin M ālik has reported:
That he had a short stick given to him by

the Holy Prophet (A). When he died, it
(the stick) was buried with him, between his
2
shirt and the side of his body.
3. Qādī ‘Iyād relates in as-Shifā (2:621):
Jahjāhā al-Ghifārī snatched the

Prophet’s staff from ‘Uthmān’s hand, placed
it on his knee and made a sacrilegious effort
to break it. But people stalled him in his
tracks by protesting, but (he was punished
by the unknown for this act), a boil broke
out on his knee which turned into a running
1. Ahmad bin hambal, Musnad (3:496); Ibn Sa‘d, at-Tabaqāt-ul-

kubrā (2:50-1).
2. Related by Ibn Kathīr in al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:368).
sore. As a result, his leg was amputated and

he died the same year.
16. Blessing through the Prophet’s pulpit

Sitting on the pulpit, the Holy Prophet (A) taught religion
to his Companions. The lovers of the Prophet (A) were
extremely fond of this pulpit and preserved it like his other
relics to draw blessings from it. Qādī ‘Iyād relates:
Ibn ‘Umar was often seen touching with

his hand the part of the pulpit where the
Prophet (A) used to sit and then rubbing
his hand all over his body.1
17. Blessing through the gold given by the

Prophet (A)
It was the usual practice of the Companions that they held
every object associated with the Prophet (A) even dearer
than their own life and went to extraordinary lengths not to
let it waste and to preserve it in its untarnished splendour.
They saved the dinars given to them by the Prophet
(A) and avoided spending them even in the face of the
most pressing temptation.
Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh has related:
Once I was travelling with the Holy Prophet (A).
Since I was riding a sluggish camel, I lagged behind
1. Qādī ‘Iyād, ash-Shifā (2:620).

everyone. When the Prophet (A) passed by me, he asked:

who are you? I said: Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh. He asked me:
what’s the matter? I replied: I am riding a sluggish camel.
He asked me for a stick and I brought the stick to him. He
applied it to the camel and reprimanded it. Then the same
camel ran ahead of all others. He wanted to buy my camel
but I said: O M essenger of Allah! This is already yours and
you can have it without payment. But the Holy Prophet
(A) insisted on buying it and said: I have bought it from
you for four dinars, and permitted me to ride it to M edina.
When we reached M edina, he said:
O Bilāl! Pay (Jābir) his price, and add

some more to it.
Bilāl paid him four dinars, adding a carat of gold to the
price.
Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh relates:
The (carat of) gold given by the beloved

Messenger of Allah (A) never parted us.
(The narrator says): and that carat (of gold
gifted by the Holy Prophet) always remained
in Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh’s purse, and never
left it. 1
1. Bukhārī, as-Sahīh, b. of wakālah (repres entation) ch.8

(2:811#2185); Muslim, as-Sahīh, b. of musāqāt (wat ering) ch.21
(3;1222-3#715); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (3:299,314).
18. Blessings through the Prophet’s hands and

feet
1. Anas bin M ālik relates:
After morning prayers, the servants of

Medina brought their utensils full of water
to the Messenger of Allah (A). He dipped
his finger into every utensil. Often it
happened in the mornings and he dipped his
hand in it. 1
2. ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar narrates that he was in one of the
regiments of the M essenger of Allah (A). People,
fighting the non-believers, fled from the battlefield and I
was one of them. Later, we repented and we decided to
return to M edina and were determined to take part in the
next holy war. There, we expressed a desire to meet the
M essenger of Allah (A). We would stay in M edina if our
repentance were granted, otherwise we would move on to
some other place. Then we called on the Prophet (A) and
said to him: O M essenger of Allah! We are the fugitives.
He turned to us and said:
1. Related by Muslim in his as-Sahīh, b. of fadā’il (virtues) ch.19

(4:1812#2324).
No, you are going to join the fighting

again. ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar relates that (on
hearing this we were very pleased,) we came
closer to him and kissed his hand. He said: I
am the place of refuge for the Muslims, (that
is, I am their asylum and place of retreat.
Where will they go except coming to me,
1
whether they are in error or not)?
3. Umm Abān bint Wazi‘ bin Zāri‘ has reported from her
grandfather Zāri‘ who was a member of the ‘Abd-ul-Qays
delegation. He said:
When we went to Medina, we hurried out

of our vehicles and started kissing the hands
2
and feet of the beloved Prophet (A).
4. Bukhārī has added the following words to the tradition
narrated by Umm Abān. According to him, her grandfather
said:
1. Abū Dāwūd narrat ed it in his Sunan, b. of jihad (3:46#2647), b. of

adab (good manners) (4:356#5223); Tirmidhī, al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh,
b. of jihad, ch.36 (4:215#1716); Ibn Mājah, Sunan, b. of adab,
ch.16 (2:1221#3704); Bukhārī, al-Adab-ul-mufrad (p.338#972);
Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (2:70,100); Ibn Sa‘d, at-Tabaqāt-ul-
kubrā (4:145); Ibn Abū Shaybah, al-Musannaf (8:561-2#5256-7);
Sa‘īd bin Mansūr, Sunan (2:209-10#2539); Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-
kubrā (9:76-7), Shu‘ab-ul-īmān (4:50-1#4311); and Baghawī in
Sharh-us-sunnah (11:68-9#2708).
2. Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of adab (good manners) 4:357 (#5225);
Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (7:102).
When we arrived (in Medina), we were

told: over there is the Messenger of Allah
(A). So we grasped his hands and feet and
kissed them.1
5. Safwān bin ‘Assāl has narrated:
A Jewish delegation kissed the hands

2
and the feet of the Holy Prophet (A).
Summary
All the traditions discussed in the preceding pages are
sound as they have been taken over from the certified and
authentic books of traditions. They furnish ample and
irrefutable evidence that the relics of the prophets and the
saints are an effective source of divine blessings. The
Companions, who preserved them meticulously, did not use
them as display counters; on the contrary, they prayed to
God through their mediation for averting calamities.
1. Related by Bukhārī in his al-Adab-ul-mufrad (p.339#975).

2. Ibn Mājah narrat ed it in his Sunan, b. of adab (good manners)
ch.16 (2:1221#3705); Tirmidhī in al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of isti’dhān
(asking for permission) ch.33 (5:77#2733) and graded it hasan
(fair) sahīh (sound); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (4:239); Ibn Abū
Shaybah, al-Musannaf (8:562#6258); Abū Dāwūd Tayālisī,
Musnad (p.160#1164); Hākim in al-Mustadrak (1:9 ) labelled it as
sahīh while Dhahabī endorsed him. Tabarānī, al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr
(8:69-70#7396); Abū Nu‘aym, Hilyat-ul-awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-ul-
asfiyā’ (5:97-8); Bayhaqī, Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (6:268).
Besides, they also prove that the Companions drew

blessings from them and achieved higher objectives.
CHAPTER SIX
Persons other than
Prophets
Intermediation through Persons other than Prophets 301
Some people, in spite of their awareness of the injunctions

of Qur’ān and Sunnah and the practice of the Companions,
believe that it is possible to seek means in the earthly world
and therefore, it is valid to seek means and extend help, but
after death the creature has no control over his body, so
how can he be relied upon as intermediary? Since it is
beyond his control to serve as means and help others, so it
is a form of disbelief.
This pig-headedness needs a twofold elaboration. First
of all, it is an established fact that the creature, whether he
is alive or resting in his grave, has absolutely no control
over his body in both cases. These powers are only
conferred on him by Allah, which we exercise during our
worldly existence to handle a variety of matters. It, in fact,
is Allah’s blessing on the creature and, if Allah decides to
withdraw it from him during his earthly life, he will be
deprived even of the capacity to pull a straw. So, just as in
this world of cause-and-effect, Allah has absolute control
over all the powers of the creature, and yet it is not a kind
of disbelief to rely on his means and seek help from him,
similarly Allah does not condemn it as disbelief if someone
seeks help from another creature after death or relies on his
mediation. Just as in life it is disbelief to regard the creature
as the real helper but he can be depended upon as means
and his help can be derivatively invoked, similarly it is
quite valid to regard the saints, as derivative helpers after
death and to trust as means and beseech them for help.
Disbelief whether it is associated with a living person or a
dead person remains disbelief. But to seek help from
someone in his derivative capacity whether he is dead or
alive is quite valid and does not amount to disbelief. Islam
does not believe in double standards that an act is a form of
belief if you perform it in a mosque and it turns into
disbelief if you perform it in a temple. Islamic injunctions
and the consequences that follow from them display a
consistent pattern. Thus, if we treat a medical expert as the
true helper and seek his assistance, it will be considered a
form of disbelief. On the other hand, if we regard Allah as
the true helper and seek the help of a virtuous person as a
form of treatment, it is quite valid and is in no way
inconsistent with Islamic Shariah.
The real purpose of a man’s life is to be included
among the favourites of God and to acquire as much
knowledge of the divine springs of Power as is consistent
with human limitations. Therefore, to realize this purpose,
human beings rely on the saints and the virtuous people
because they not only themselves have cultivated divine
consciousness but also develop it in those who are closely
associated with them. This is the reason we find Ibrāhīm
(D) praying to God to include him among His favourites
so that he could persuade his followers to pursue a similar
goal:
O my Lord! Make me perfect in

knowledge and conduct and include me
among those whom You have rewarded with
Your nearness.1
Here, the word hukman means the acme of human
capacity for knowledge and conduct. Qādī Thanā’ullāh
Pānī Patī says:
That is, to bring knowledge and conduct

to such a climactic point that one develops
the complete ability to represent the sublime
office of divinity and to provide unflawed
guidance and political leadership to
2
humanity.
Imam Rāzī writes:
“When acquisition of knowledge as the meaning of
hukman has been established, it is equally established at the
same time that he (the Prophet Ibrāhīm) prayed to Allah for
the kind of knowledge that guaranteed his total absorption
in the divine qualities and attributes, a knowledge whose
purity serves as a self-adjusting filter to drive out all
impurities.” He further comments:
1. Qur’ān (ash-Shu‘arā’) 26:83.

2. Qādī Thanā’ullāh Pānī Patī, at-Tafsīr-ul-mazharī (7:72).
And this knowledge proves that the
divine knowledge or consciousness develops
in the heart of a creature by Allah’s will and
Ibrāhīm’s supplication – and include me
among those whom You have rewarded with
Your nearness – is a pointer to the fact that
for a creature to be saintly or virtuous is
1
exclusively the outcome of Allah’s will.
Therefore, the acquisition of divine knowledge is made
possible only by means of the virtuous and pious people.
To be associated with them and to acquire divine
knowledge through their mediation has been the practice of
the prophets. And any creature who desires the favour of
Allah through the means of the pious and the saintly
people, never feels frustrated and his prayer is invariably
granted, and he is included among the virtuous people.
Then he attains divine consciousness as is declared by
Allah:
And surely (even) in the Hereafter, they

will be in the ranks of the righteous.2
There is irrefutable evidence of reliance on these
righteous people for the fulfilment of their needs and the
relief of their pains and troubles. In its support, the
Qur’ānic verse in which Allah is commanding the believers
to associate themselves with the righteous, is quite
sufficient and conclusive. Allah says:
1. Rāzī, at-Tafsīr-ul-kabīr (24:148).

O believers! Fear Allah, and remain in

(the company) of the truthful. 1
In this verse, Allah, on the one hand, is instructing the
believers in the uniqueness and immutability of His Power;
on the other hand, He is enjoining upon them to adopt the
company of the truthful in order to elevate themselves to a
position which the truthful have already attained. At
another place, Allah says:
And follow the path of the (person) who

2
turned towards Us.
Similarly, the prophet Yūsuf’s prayer is also recorded
in the holy Qur’ān:
Take my soul at death as a Muslim and

unite me with the righteous. 3
The holy Prophet (A) himself prayed to Allah using
similar words. 4
Some people might object to the authenticity of the
tradition, picking out flaws in its chain of transmission or
1. Qur’ān (at-Tawbah) 9:119.

2. Qur’ān (Luqmān) 31:15.
4. Ahmad bin Hambal transmitted it in his Musnad (5:191); Hākim,
al-Mustadrak (1:516); Tabarānī, al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (5:119,157
#4803,4932); and Haythamī in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (10:113).
coming out with some other frivolous remarks, but no
believer can deny the credibility of the prayer by Yūsuf
(D) as it is recorded in the holy Qur’ān which is nothing
but absolute truth. Thus it is established that it has been the
practice of the prophets to mediate their supplications
through the virtuous and the righteous. The recording of
these forms of supplication in the Qur’ān is most probably
intended to persuade the believers to follow the practice of
the prophets.
Ibn-ul-Firāsī narrates that Fīrāsī said to the Prophet
(A): O M essenger of Allah! Shall I beg you for
something? He replied:
No, and if you can’t help begging, then

you should beseech the pious and the
1
righteous (for help).
Some people believe that the supplication of the pious
and the virtuous is granted during their lifetime, but after
death they cannot help anyone, as they themselves are
helpless. They believe that the righteous are a source of
help but only during their earthly existence, and it is
disbelief to rely on them for help after their death.
The supporters of this view are victims of a grave
misunderstanding because the reality is just the reverse. It
1. Abū Dāwūd narrated it in his Sunan, b. of zakat (2:122#1646);

Nasā’ī, Sunan, b. of zakat (5:95); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad
(4:334); Bukhārī, at-Tārīkh-ul-kabīr (7:138); B ayhaqī, as-Sunan-
ul-kubrā (4:197); Ibn ‘Abd-ul-B arr, at-Tamhīd (4:107); and ‘Alā’-
ud-Dīn ‘Alī in Kanz-ul-‘ummāl (6:502#16721).
is true as the green of the grass and the blue of the sky that
Allah is the only source of blessing and no creature can
arrogate this exclusively divine prerogative to himself. If he
does so, he is committing unabashed disbelief. Therefore,
to think that the prayer is mediated through one of His
favourites in his life and He turns a cold shoulder to his
prayer when he is dead smacks of a self-contradiction, as it
tends to identify the saint with Allah as the source of help.
The fact is that God Alone has the power to fulfil the needs
of the creatures through the mediation of the saints whether
they are dead or alive.
Those who object to making saints and the pious as
means of help and assistance after death are obviously in
the wrong groove. They are only fumbling in the dark and
smashing their cluttered heads against the slippery walls of
an unlighted tunnel which leads into an even darker
dungeon. Their objections are grounded in the
misconception that reliance on the saints and the pious for
the acquisition of Allah’s blessing is contingent on their
manifest life while Allah’s dispensing of His blessings to
His creatures through the saints and the pious is absolutely
unrelated to the fact of their being dead and alive. The
traditions and the quotes of the Companions that follow are
purported to eliminate the doubts raised by these objectors.
A wide spectrum of evidence is marshalled to prove the
fact that it is not only valid to rely on the saints and the
pious for help after their death but it has also been the
practice of the prophets and Allah’s favourites. These are
the people who can truly guide us and lead us to our
salvation. Ibn Taymiyyah sums up the controversy at the
end of his book al-‘Aqīdat-ul-wāsitiyyah:
Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah are

aligned to (cling to) the faith of Islam,
guarding themselves gingerly against all
forms of doctoring. This includes the
truthful, the martyrs and the pious
(according to their grades). It also includes
the people who are the source of guidance
and the minaret of light. These are the
people who have achieved distinction on the
basis of a consistently virtuous mode of
living. The Substitutes and the Imams of dīn
also belong in this category who rallied the
Muslims to (the path of) guidance. This is
the group who received divine patronage to
remain (truthful) and it was about this group
that the holy Prophet (A) had said: “A
group of my Community, who have been
divinely guided to stick to the path of truth,
will not cease to exist till the Day of
Judgement, and those who oppose them or
degrade them will never be able to do them
any harm.”1
The second point revolves around the objection that the
dead cannot be relied upon as means and they lack the
capacity for help. This conclusion is also based on perverse
reasoning. Allah Himself has referred to the purgatorial life
of His favourites at various places in the Qur’ān. There is
no difference of opinion among the followers of any
ideology or religion about the life of the martyrs. What
luxuries must grace the purgatorial life of the Prophet
(A) whose most lowly follower is guaranteed not only
life till the Day of Judgement if he dies a martyr but who
also receives all the requisite divine blessings! Therefore,
by regarding the Prophet (A) as a derivative helper, it is
quite valid to seek his help and assistance after his death as
it was valid during his earthly existence. Rather, his
purgatorial life is as active and dynamic as his other life
because his followers are sending salutations on him in a
spirit of matchless devotion and angels have been
appointed to convey these messages of sincerity and deep
attachment to the Prophet. This symphony of sound and
voice which his followers play every second and every
minute is a living proof of the blessings Allah has conferred
on him even in his purgatorial life.
If the acts of intercession, beseeching the Prophet’s
help and his mediation were acts of disbelief, then they
should be indiscriminately pronounced as forms of
1. Muhammad Khalīl Harās, Sharh al-‘Aqīdat-ul-wāsitiyyah (p.153).

disbelief everywhere; they should apply equally to his
earthly existence, purgatorial life and his life in the
Hereafter, because disbelief is condemned by Allah in
every colour and hue. But the facts point in the opposite
direction: Islamic teachings unambiguously reveal that the
Companions relied on the Prophet’s mediation at various
occasions in their life and besought him for help and they
will also seek his help and intercession even on the Day of
Judgement and they will seek his means, and as a result of
this reliance on his means and appeal for help, the Prophet
(A) will reward his followers by interceding before Allah
for their salvation. Thus, when it is valid during the earthly
life and after-life of the Prophet (A) how can it be
declared invalid and a form of disbelief during his
purgatorial life?
Proof of purgatorial life

The teachings of Qur’ān and Sunnah prove the reality of
life after death or life in the grave as clearly as they depict
the reality of resurrection of the dead on the Day of
Judgement. Allah says in the holy Qur’ān:
How can you reject the faith in Allah?

Seeing that you were without life, (and) He
gave you life; then He will cause you to die
and will again bring you to life. Then again
to Him will you return.1

The Qur’ānic verse makes an explicit reference to two
kinds of death, two kinds of life and finally the return of all
mankind to Allah on the Day of Judgement. In the light of
the holy verse, the first kind of death was our state of non-
existence when we had not stepped into the world of
existence. The life that followed this state is our life on
earth. Then death will overreach us and people will
accordingly perform our funeral rites and bury us. The life
that will follow is called the purgatorial life which is given
to man in the grave or in his capacity as a dead person. The
angels interrogate him and open a window in the grave
leading either to Paradise or Hell. After the second life, we
will be returned. Thus the purgatorial life spans the arrival
of the angels in the grave for interrogation and the divine
breath blown into the dead bodies for their resurrection.
This relates to the purgatorial life of an ordinary human
being whether he is a believer or a non-believer. Now let us
examine another verse about the life of the martyrs:
And say not of those who are slain in the

way of Allah that they are dead, (they are
not dead) but they are living though you are
not conscious (of their life). 1
The same theme is expressed in different words:

And those who are slain in the way of
Allah, do not (even) think of them as dead.
But they live in the presence of their Lord,
they find their sustenance (in the blessings
1
of Paradise).
The followers of all religions believe in the life of the
martyrs. However, besides the Qur’ānic verses, a number
of traditions draw our attention to the fact that there is life
after death even for the non-believers and infidels and they
are endowed with the capacity to respond to the words of
the living. For example, after the battle of Badr, the Prophet
(A) himself called the slain infidels by their names and
asked them:
Surely, we found the promise of our Lord

absolutely true. (O infidels and non-
believers!) Did you also find the promise of
your lord true?
At this juncture ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb said to the
Prophet (A): “O Prophet! You are addressing bodies
which have no soul in them.” To make it clear, the Prophet
(A) addressed the Companions:
I swear by the Power Who has in His

control the life of Muhammad! The words I

am speaking to these (infidels and non-
believers), they far excel you in their power
to listen to them. 1
This agreed-upon tradition attests not only to the
purgatorial life after death of the infidels and non-believers,
but it also attests to their power of listening which excels
even that of the Companions.
Similarly, the Prophet (A) taught every person
passing by a graveyard of the M uslims to address the
residents of the grave by the particle “Yā (O)” and send
salutations on them. This is the reason that M uslims teach
their children to say as-salāmu ‘alaykum yā ahl-al-qubūr
(O residents of graves, peace be on you) whenever they
pass by a graveyard.
When the life of the infidels and non-believers, the life
of the ordinary believers, and the life of the martyrs and the
saints have been confirmed by the Qur’ān and the Sunnah,
how is it possible to deny the life of the prophets,
particularly the life of the holy Prophet (A)? Especially,
when he himself has repeatedly and explicitly declared:
1. Bukhārī narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of maghāzī (military

expeditions led by the Prophet) ch.7 (4:1461#3757); Muslim, as-
Sahīh, b. of jannah wa sifat na‘īmihā wa ahlihā (Paradise,
attributes of its and natives) ch.17 (4:2203#2874); Ahmad bin
Hambal, Musnad (3:145; 4:29); Tabarānī, al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr
(5:96#4701); Baghawī, Sharh-us-sunnah (13:384#3779); Ibn
Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (1:210); Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī,
Fath-ul-bārī (7:301); & Haythamī in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (6:90-1).
Allah has declared it forbidden for the

earth to eat the bodies of the prophets. So
the prophets are living and they regularly
receive their sustenance. 1
This sahīh (sound) tradition conclusively proves that
the absolute and incomparable power of Allah keeps the
prophets alive in their graves. Another tradition records that
the affairs of the Ummah are regularly presented to the
Prophet (A) who expresses his gratitude to Allah for their
good deeds and prays for His forgiveness for their
misdeeds. The words of the tradition are as follows:
Your deeds are presented to me. If they

are good, I express my gratitude to Allah,
1. Ibn Mājah narrat ed this sahīh (sound) hadith in his Sunan, b. of

janā’iz (funerals) ch.65 (1:524#1636-7), b. of iqāmat-us-salāt was-
sunnah fīhā (establishing prayer and its sunnahs) ch.79
(1:345#1085); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of salāt (prayer)
1:275#1047); Nasā’ī, Sunan, b. of jumu‘ah (Frid ay pray er) 3:92;
Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (4:8); Ibn Hibbān, as-Sahīh
(3:191#910); Dārimī, Sunan (1:307#1580); Ibn Khuzaymah, as-
Sahīh (3:118#1733); Ibn Abū Shaybah, al-Musannaf (2:516);
Hākim, al-Mustadrak (1:278); Tabarānī, al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr
(1:217#589); and Bayhaqī in as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:249).
and if the deeds are not good, then I pray to
Allah for your forgiveness. 1
The Lord, who has the power to give life and
sustenance to the whole mankind both in this world and the
1. Haythamī transmitted it in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (9:24) and said that

that tradition had been reported by Bazzār (in his Musnad) and its
sub-narrators are all of sahīh (sound) hadith. ‘Irāqī has con fi rmed
the soundness of its transmission in his book Tarh-ut-tathrīb fī
sharh-it-taqrīb (3:297). Ibn Sa‘d has recorded it in at-Tabaqāt-ul-
kubrā (2:194). Qādī ‘Iyād has inscribed this tradition in ash-Shifā
(1:19); and Suyūtī, recording it in al-Khasā’is-ul-kubrā (2:281)
and Manāhil-us-sifā fī takhrīj ahādīth ash-Shifā (p.3), has
commented that Ibn Abū Us āmah in his Musnad has rep roduced it
through Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh Muzanī and Bazzār in his Musnad
who have relied on its narration by ‘Abdullāh bin Mas‘ūd with a
sound chain of transmission. It has been endorsed by Kh afājī and
Mullā ‘Alī Qārī in their commentaries on ash-Shifā, i.e. Nasīm-ur-
riyād (1:102) and Sharh ash-Shifā (1:36) respectively. Hadith-
scholar Ibn-ul-J awzī has reproduced it in al-Wafā bi-ahwāl-il-
mustafā (2:809-10) from Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh and Anas bin Mālik.
Subkī has copied this tradition in Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-
il-anām (p.34) from Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh Muzanī, and Ibn ‘Abd-ul-
Hādī in as-Sārim-ul-munkī (p.266-7) has authenticated its veracity.
Bazzār’s tradition has also been recorded by Ibn Kathīr in al-
Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (4:257). Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī narrated it
through Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh Muzanī in al-Matālib-ul-‘āliyah (4:22-
3#3853). ‘Alā’-ud-Dīn ‘Alī copied Ibn Sa‘d’s tradition in Kanz-ul-
‘ummāl (11:407#31903) and from Hārith (#31904 ). Nabhānī
related it in Hujjatullāh ‘alal-‘ālamīn fī mu‘jazāt sa yyid-il-
mursalīn (p.713).
Hereafter, also has the power to keep the prophets alive in
the graves and give them sustenance. The unnatural and
unscientific Greek philosophical discussions, which have
percolated into Islamic literature, are no match to the
natural and immutable principles of Islam. The injunctions
of Islam clearly explain different kinds of life and the
modes of addressing people in their purgatorial life and
declare categorically that the prophets, martyrs, saints and
ordinary M uslims, even infidels and non-believers, are
alive in their graves. As far as the martyrs are concerned,
the Qur’ān itself is a witness that they regularly receive
their sustenance. Therefore, those who acknowledge
intermediation and appeal for help in the earthly existence
as valid but treat it as invalid, even as a form of disbelief
after death should remember that death is the taste of a
moment, which passes away. According to Iqbāl, death is
“a message of awakening behind the smokescreen of
dream.”
Purgatorial life is a midway house between the earthly
life and the life after death, which will be conferred on
people on the Day of Judgement. Just as it is valid to
beseech the help of a person during his earthly life and
during his life after death and to rely on his means, it is also
an equally valid act to beseech his help and to rely on his
means in his purgatorial life. This does not border on
disbelief, because in all the three kinds of life, earthly,
eternal and purgatorial, Allah is the real Helper and the
creature whose help is being sought or is relied upon as
means is the derivative helper. This is in consonance with
the Islamic teaching and does not even remotely smack of
disbelief. To treat the creature as the real helper in all the
three categories of life is tantamount to disbelief. It should
be noted that the cause of disbelief is not located in the
categories of life but in the division of real and derivative.
The life and capacity of the soul

After a logical and categorical proof of the reality of the
purgatorial life of human soul, it is sheer irrational
stubbornness to deny the reality of intermediation and
seeking help from others after their death. To beseech help
and assistance from the souls of the prophets and the saints
or to rely upon their means is as justified as to seek help
from living persons or the angels or to rely upon their
means. When we seek help from a living being we are, in
fact, seeking help from his soul. The human body is the
dressing of the real man – soul. After death, when the soul
is liberated from the material constraints of the body and,
on account of its freedom from impurities of the flesh, then,
like the angels, even more than them, it has the power to
perform non-material acts. The soul is independent of the
rules and regulations of the phenomenal world because her
world – the world of command – is different from the
cause-and-effect world of the body. Allah highlights this
reality in the holy Qur’ān:
And these (infidels) ask you questions

about the soul. Tell them that the soul is by
the command of my Lord.1

The souls are blessed with a greater capacity of action
and performance in their purgatorial life than they had
enjoyed in conjunction with their bodies. They live in the
world of command and can come more easily to the
assistance of those who implore them for help. It may be
noted that the prophets and the saints pray to Allah for the
petitioners, and in response to their supplication, Allah
fulfils the need of the concerned person. It is just like an
adult person praying for a child or a brother praying for his
brother. The problem is that those who deny life to the
residents of the graves believe that the dead are not in a
position to pray. But the true Islamic belief is that they are
alive and recognize their visitors in proportion to their
consciousness and understanding. The soul’s awareness
grows even more acute after it has been separated from the
body, and by jettisoning its physical inhibitions, it is made
even more powerful.
Another way to understand the meaning of
intermediation and seeking help from others is that the
power for Whom mediation is sought or whose help is
being sought is Allah Himself. But the petitioner says that
he covets Allah’s help through the mediation of the holy
Prophet (A) for the fulfilment of his need. He implores
Allah through His favourites. He says to Allah: I am from
among the favourites of these saints, therefore, show
special mercy to me as I am very close to them and love
them immensely. Thus Allah condones his sins for the sake
of the holy prophets and also on account of his close
association with the saints and fulfils his need.
The people who gather to offer the funeral prayer of a
person pray for his forgiveness by Allah on a similar basis.
They, in fact, serve as a means of forgiveness for the dead
person and also act as his helpers.
The dead as a source of benefit for the

living
The final shot fired by these deniers of intermediation
through the saints and the pious is that the dead cannot
benefit the living because they lack the power even to shoo
away a fly sitting on their body. How is it possible that a
dead person, shorn of physical power, can help the living
and that the living turn to him for help?
This hypothetical objection is actually based on their
unawareness of the Prophet’s traditions and teachings of
the religious leaders. As we have already explained, the
people who die and leave this worldly life, do not in fact
die, but enter another life (purgatorial life). Though they
are dead in our eyes, they are not actually dead, only their
mode of life has changed as they have been transferred
from one kind of existence to another kind of existence.
This can be explained by another example. Suppose
there are two tubelights in a room. One of them is white
and the other is blue. The light of the white tube is
spreading all around while the blue tube is off. Now what
will happen if the off-button of the white tube is pressed
and precisely at that moment the on-button of the blue tube
is also pressed? The room is the same, all the things in it
are in their proper place, its doors, windows and curtains,
etc., are also intact, but there is a change in the inner
ambience of the room, that is, in the earlier state,
everything appeared in the white light in its original colour,
and now everything in the room appears to wear a different
complexion on account of the colour radiated by the blue
tube. Now the question is: Has the colour of everything in
the room really changed? Has the material composition of
the objects changed? The answer is in the negative. Every
object is present in its original state. The difference lies
only in our perception. The same applies to the dead
people. When the light of their worldly life is put out, we
think they are dead, while, in reality, the tubelight of their
purgatorial life is put on. Just as the saints and the pious are
relied upon during their earthly life – while the real source
of help is Allah – similarly, they can be relied upon as a
means of help to fulfil our needs and to seek the nearness of
Allah even when they have left this material world.
Suyūtī has copied in his book Sharh-us-sudūr bi-sharh
hāl-il-mawtā wal-qubūr (pp.257-9) fifteen traditions
bearing on this theme, and furnishing a proof of the reality
of purgatorial life, he has affirmed that the dead can benefit
the living.
Ibn-ul-Qayyim has written an exhaustive book on “the
soul” which is the most authentic book on this subject. At
one place he has reported from ‘Abdullāh bin M ubārak that
Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī said:
The deeds of the living are presented to

the dead. If they see virtuous (deeds), they
are pleased and rejoiced, and if they see
(evil) deeds, they say: O Allah! Return
them.1
Narrating another tradition, Ibn-ul-Qayyim writes:
“‘Ibād bin ‘Ibād called on Ibrāhīm bin Sālih and at that
time Ibrāhīm bin Sālih was the ruler of Palestine. ‘Ibād bin
‘Ibād said to him: give me some advice. Ibrāhīm bin Sālih
said:
What should I advise you? May God

make you a pious man! I have received the
news that the deeds of the living are
presented to their dead relatives. Now you
just reflect on your deeds which are
presented to the Messenger of Allah (A).
After relating this, Ibrāhīm bin Sālih cried so bitterly
that his beard became wet. 2
In addition, there are many other traditions which prove
that the deeds of the living are presented to the dead.
Therefore, people, who are the victims of doubt, should
study them to correct their faith which, according to Ibn
Taymiyyah, is the faith of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah as
has already been explained, which leads one to the straight
path and brings one increasingly closer to the pleasure of
the Lord. Exclusive reliance on reason can prove disastrous
1. Ibn-ul-Qayyim, Kitāb-ur-rūh (p.13).

2. Ibn-ul-Qayyim, Kitāb-ur-rūh (p.13).
as reason is a deceptive chameleon and puts on a variety of
guises to deceive its own followers; it is totally
undependable and those who rely on it for true
enlightenment, can never be blessed with guidance as
misguidance is their destiny. According to Iqbāl:
“Move beyond reason because this

light”
“Is only the candle on the way; it is not
the destination.”
SECTION ONE
Intermediation
through the pious
1. Mediation of pious parents
Allah says:
And their father was a pious (person).1

The backdrop of the episode narrated in this verse is
that M ūsā (D) and Khadir (D) stayed at a village. The
natives played host to them. When they left there, they saw
the wall of two orphan brothers caving in which harboured
their treasure under it. Khadir (D) reconstructed the wall
without any recompense. M ahmūd Ālūsī relates that Khadir
(D) performed this act because their father was a pious
person. The obvious conclusion is that Allah saved them on
account of the mediation of their parents and some
interpreters say that the pious father belonged in the fifth
generation while others place him in the seventh
generation.
1. Qur’ān (al-Kahf) 18:82.

We come to learn from this verse that honouring the
children of the pious persons, regardless of the worth of
their personal deeds, and only on the basis of their lineage,
was the practice of the saints and the prophets. The
question arises here that in the present-day world why
should we respect the children of the pious when they
themselves are more inclined towards evil than good? It is
true that, according to the Qur’ān, the criterion of human
excellence is piety, but if sense of personal achievement or
individual worth has value, one’s genealogy or family links
should also be considered valuable. Therefore, they are
being rewarded for the piety of their father. This was also
the practice of the saints and the prophets. Now suppose the
children are expelled from the fold of Islam on account of
some evil act (may God forbid), then they, according to the
reservation expressed in Qur’ān: “Surely, he is not included
1
among your family members,” do not fall within the area
of this qualification, like the son of Nūh (D) as well as
Yazīd. Since the reservation applies to Yazīd, he does not
deserve any respect or regard.
2. ‘Abbās as a means of help

This is about famine and drought, which had taken a heavy
toll of cattle. The people, led by ‘Abbās, offered the prayer
for rain.
1. Qur’ān (Hūd) 11:46.

The meaning of ‘Umar’s intermediation
through ‘Abbās
It is reported from Anas that when ‘Umar prayed for help
through the mediation of ‘Abbās bin ‘Abd-ul-M uttalib
during the time of famine, he said:
O Allah, we used to offer to You the

mediation of the holy Prophet (A) and
You saturated us with rain, and now we rely
on the mediation of the Prophet’s uncle, so
saturate us with rain (through his
mediation). 1
Anas relates that they were saturated, that is, it rained
which put an end to drought.
Similarly, ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar narrates that, during the
year of famine, ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb prayed to Allah for
rain through the mediation of ‘Abbās bin ‘Abd-ul-M uttalib.
Then he addressed the people:

fo r rain at the time of drought) ch.3 (1:342-3#964), b. of fadā’il-us-
sahābah (virtues of the Companions) ch.11 (3:1360#3507); Ibn
Hibbān, as-Sahīh (7:110-1#2861); Ibn Khuzaymah, as-Sahīh
(2:337-8#1421); Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr, al-Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-ashāb
(3:97); Bayhaqī, as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:352), Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah
(6:147); Baghawī, Sharh-us-sunnah (4:409#1165); Subkī, Shifā’-
us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām (p.128); Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī,
Fath-ul-bārī (2:494); and Zurqānī in his Commentary (11:152).
O people, the Messenger of Allah (A)

treated ‘Abbās in the same way as a child
treats his father (that is, the Prophet (A)
treated ‘Abbās as his father). He deeply
respected him and fulfilled the promises
made by him. O people, you should also
follow the Prophet (A) in the case of
‘Abbās and offer him to Allah as a means of
help and support so that He sends rain on
you.1
Then ‘Abbās prayed in these words:
O Allah, calamity (and trouble) comes

as a result of sin and only penitence lifts this
calamity, and the people, on account of my
relation with Your Prophet (A), have
1. Hākim transmitted it in his al-Mustadrak (3:334); Ibn Haj ar

‘Asqalānī, Fath-ul-bārī (2:497); Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-
laduniyyah (4:277); and Zurqānī in his Commentary (11:152).
offered me to You as a means of seeking
Your help, and these hands of ours,
besmeared in sins, are before You and our
foreheads are bowed down with penitence.
1
So give us rain.
We learn from the narrations that when ‘Abbās offered
the prayer, soon after it, the clouds rolled up from behind
the hills and spread over the sky and the land was filled
with rain. The people rejoiced, and touching the body of
‘Abbās as a mark of respect, they said: O beloved of the
two sacred places of M akkah and M edina, we congratulate
you. And ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb added on this occasion:
By God! This is what mediation is in the

court of Allah and this is what the ‘exalted
2
status’ means.
Subkī comments:
And, similarly, this (episode) justifies the

act of intermediation through the pious
creatures of Allah, and this is an act which
1. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī narrat ed it in Fath-ul-bārī (2:497); Subkī,

Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām (p.128); Qastallānī, al-
Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah (4:277); and Zurqānī in his Commentary
(11:152).
2. Related by Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr in al-Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-ashāb
(3:98).
the Muslims have never denied. But only one
of the Muslim sects (inventors of the new
faith) has (denied intermediation). 1
Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī writes in the context of this
tradition:
The episode involving ‘Abbās makes it

clear that to seek intercession from the
virtuous, the pious and members of the
Prophet’s family is a desirable act. In
addition, this event proves the high status of
‘Abbās as well as reveals ‘Umar’s respect
for him and the acknowledgement of his
status.2
Those who exploit this tradition as a negation of
intermediation through the Prophet (A) after his death
suffer from a misapprehension because when
intermediation was sought through ‘Abbās, it was the time
of prayer. That is, ‘Umar, being the caliph, pushed ‘Abbās
forward, instead of himself leading the prayer. During his
earthly existence, the Prophet (A) himself led the
prayers, and the master leading the prayer served as an act
1. Subkī, Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām (p.128).

2. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, Fath-ul-bārī (2:497); and Zurqānī also copied
in his Commentary (11:152).
of mediation for the Companions. Now, when the Prophet
(A) himself was not physically present among them,
‘Umar requested his uncle to stand in his place and through
his mediation prayed for rain. Therefore, their objections is
automatically cancelled out. It might have sounded credible
if there were some other prayer instead of the prayer for
rain as at this occasion the Prophet (A) was not supposed
to lead the prayer himself.
The blessing of the Prophet’s family

Being the caliph, ‘Umar was supposed to lead the people in
the prayer for rain. This was what the protocol demanded
and this was what the people expected. But he deliberately,
as a token of respect for the holy Prophet (A) and his
family, sacrificed the worldly protocol for spiritual protocol
and this should be the hallmark of all true believers who
prefer collective gain to personal benefit so he gave
precedence to ‘Abbās over himself so that through his
means he could come even closer to the holy Prophet
(A). He also prompted the people to persuade ‘Abbās to
lead the prayer. The motive behind the move was twofold;
first, to further add to the dignity of the Prophet’s family
and, second, to expedite the acceptance of the prayer. He
himself had led the prayers at this spot because, during his
lifetime, this had been the practice of the Prophet (A)
himself and what could be more precious for ‘Umar than to
continue the practice of the Prophet (A). Besides, the
episode transparently revealed the respect and honour these
people extended to the Prophet (A)and his family. Each
step ‘Umar took and each measure he adopted, was
expressly designed to promote the honour of the family of
the Prophet (A).
‘Umar also expressed this attitude in his own prayer: ‘O
Allah, we in our prayer to You used to rely on the
mediation of the Prophet (A), and You blessed us with
the rain. Now we rely on the mediation of his uncle,
therefore, bless us with rain.’ That is, during the life of the
holy Prophet (A), we relied on his mediation. Like this,
he took the people out, led them in prayer and then prayed
to You. Now all this is not possible on account of his death,
and we give precedence to the members of his family so
that our prayer is accepted by You without delay.
The prayer for rain is offered at the juncture of famine
and drought. If we reflect on the tradition deeply, we will
discover that ‘Umar is laying greater stress on the act of
mediation than on the act of supplication. He is not saying:
O people, cry your hearts out, shower Allah with your
implorings and He will bless you with rain. Not once did he
say that. All his hope is focused on the act of mediation and
the act of supplication is pushed into the background. After
‘Abbās had led the prayer, ‘Umar also asked him to
supplicate before Allah and he prayed: O Allah! This
nation, on account of my blood link with the Prophet
(A), has asked me to lead them in prayer. That is, he
presented to Allah the mediation of the holy Prophet (A).
Therefore, his act of leading the prayer actually established
the act of intermediation through the Prophet (A).
It will be incorrect to infer from the words of ‘Umar
that he relied on the mediation of ‘Abbās and not on that of
the Prophet (A) because ‘Abbās was alive while the
Prophet (A) was dead. The point to be noted is that he
relied on ‘Abbās’s mediation on account of his close link
with the Prophet (A) as is clearly reflected in his own
supplication. Therefore, it is clear that he is actually
depending on the Prophet’s mediation.
Those who believe in intermediation through the living
and deny it after death and accuse M uslims of disbelief on
account of their reliance on intermediation after death are,
in fact, themselves misdirected. If intermediation is
disbelief, then it applies equally to the dead and the living
as no one believes that it is valid to acknowledge not-God
as God during his life and invalid after his death. This
discriminatory attitude is a reflection of their perverse
mentality and is in conflict with the spirit of true faith.
3. Command for supplication through the

mediation of Uways Qaranī
The holy Prophet (A), being the greatest well-wisher of
his Ummah, has opened many avenues for its betterment
and devised a number of means to facilitate this process.
One of the means prescribed by him is the act of
supplication through the saints and the righteous. The
statements made by him in different contexts imply that he
himself had commanded his followers to supplicate through
the righteous as he persuaded a person of ‘Umar’s stature to
have his supplication mediated through Uways Qaranī who
was one of the Prophet’s closest proxy associates. He
belonged to Yemen and could not attain the stature of the
Prophet’s Companion as he could not spare any time from
tending his old mother and call personally on the Prophet
(A). The Prophet (A) also loved his devotee deeply.
He gave the glad tidings of his Ummah’s salvation through
his supplication and said to ‘Umar that, if possible, he
should persuade him to supplicate for his redemption. His
statement has been narrated by Usayr bin Jābir:
The residents of Kufa called on ‘Umar in

the form of a delegation. One of the
delegates was a person who used to have fun
with Uways. ‘Umar asked: Is there anyone
of you who comes from Qaran? That person
came forward. ‘Umar said: The Messenger
of Allah (A) had said: “A person from
Yemen will come to you. His name will be
Uways. In Yemen, there will be no one else
besides his mother. He was suffering from
leprosy. He supplicated to Allah and Allah
removed all the spots except a white spot of
the size of a dinar or a dirham. If anyone of
you comes across him, you should ask him
to pray for your redemption.” 1
Again, another tradition makes reference to Uways
Qaranī. The Prophet (A) said to ‘Umar:
If he swears by God and says something,

Allah will keep his word. If you can
persuade him to supplicate for your
2
salvation, you must get it done.
Then, according to the Prophet’s prediction, a number
of M uslims came from Yemen to take part in the jihad. One
of them was Uways Qaranī and ‘Umar asked him to pray
for him. 3
The conclusion to be drawn from the Prophet’s
statement is that he himself commanded his followers to
depend on the mediation of the righteous and the pious.
1. Muslim narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of fadā’il-us-sahābah

(virtues of the Companions) ch.55 (4:1968#2542); Hākim, al-
Mustadrak (3:403); Abū Nu‘aym, Hilyat-ul-awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-ul-
asfiyā’ (2:79-80); and Ibn ‘Asākir in his Tahdhīb tārīkh Dimashq
al-kabīr generally known as Tārīkh/Tahdhīb Ibn ‘Asākir (3:163).
2. Related by Muslim in his as -Sahīh, b. of fadā’il-sahābah (virtues
of the Companions) ch.55 (4:1969#2542).
3. Muslim narrated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of fadā’il-us-sahābah
(virtues of the Companions) ch.55 (4:1968#2542); Hākim, al-
Mustadrak (3:403-4); Abū Nu‘aym, Hilyat-ul-awliyā’ wa tabaqāt-
ul-asfiyā’ (2:80); and Ibn ‘Asākir in his Tahdhīb tārīkh Dimashq
al-kabīr generally known as Tārīkh/Tahdhīb Ibn ‘Asākir (3:163).
The master for whom the whole universe was created, who
was ordained as the Prophet to introduce us to the religion
of truth, who is Allah’s most beloved creature, whose
office is the recitation of the Qur’ānic verses, he himself is
saying: ask my servant Uways to pray for your redemption.
We know that Allah is even closer to us than our main
artery, He listens to our supplications but in spite of all this,
he is saying: ask Uways Qaranī to pray for you. Therefore,
it is now quite transparent that to pray through the
mediation of the pious and the righteous is compatible with
the will of the Lord and His M essenger (A) and this is
what constitutes the essence of faith and religion.
4. Victory through the Companions and the

Successors
Abū Sa‘īd Khudrī has reported a tradition that the Prophet
(A) said:
A time will come that groups of people

will come and fight a battle. It will be said:
Is anyone among you a Companion of the
Prophet (A)? It will be said yes and then
victory will be achieved. Then a time will
come that it will be said: Is there anyone
among you who was in the company of the
Prophet’s Companions? It will be said yes
and victory will be achieved. Then a time
will come and it will be said: Is there
anyone among you who was in the company
of the Successors of the Prophet’s
Companions, it will be said yes and then
1
victory will be achieved.
This tradition is authenticated by a sound chain of
transmission, and besides Bukhārī, it has also been reported
by Abū Ya‘lā with proper certification through Jābir in his
Musnad (4:132#2182). Haythamī has narrated it in
Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (10:18) and has confirmed its
authenticity.
This sound tradition establishes the validity of
intermediation through the pious and the righteous.
5. Stalling of punishme nt through the

mediation of the Substitutes
Shurayh bin ‘Ubayd narrates:
1. Related by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh, b. of jihad, ch.75

(3:1061#2740), b. of manāqib (merits) ch.22 (3:1316#3399), b. of
fadā’il-us-sahābah (virtues of the Companions) ch.1
(3:1335#3449).
A reference was made to the natives of

Syria in the presence of ‘Alī. At that time he
was in Iraq. People said: O leader of the
faithful, send your curse on Syrians. He
said: No, I heard the holy Prophet (A) say
that there will be forty Substitutes in Syria.
Whenever one of them dies Allah replaces
him by another Substitute: on account of
them, the natives of Syria are saturated with
rain and they have victory over their
enemies through the mediation of these
Substitutes and the curse is lifted from the
natives of Syria through their mediation. 1
Haythamī says that the narrators of this tradition are
sahīh (sound) except Shurayh bin ‘Ubayd who is thiqah
(trustworthy).
6. Fulfilme nt of people’s needs through

the mediation of the righteous
It is narrated by ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar that the Prophet
(A) said:
1. Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (1:112); Haythamī, Majma‘-uz-

zawā’id (10:62).
There is no doubt that there are some of
Allah’s creatures that He has especially
designated them for the fulfilment of the
people’s needs. People, in a state of
nervousness, take their needs to them and
these are the special creatures of Allah who
are immune to His punishment.1
7. Inte rmediation through Allah’s

favourites in the jungle
‘Abdullāh bin M as‘ūd has narrated that the Prophet (A)
said:
When you lose your means of transport

in a jungle, you should call: O creatures of
Allah! Help me, recover my transport! O
creatures of Allah! Help me, recover my
transport! There are many of Allah’s
creatures on this earth. They will help you
recover it.2
1. Haythamī narrat ed it in Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (8:92).

2. Tabarānī narrat ed it in al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (10:217#10518); Abū
Ya‘lā, Musnad (9:177); Ibn-us -Sunnī, ‘Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah
(p.162#502); Haythamī, Majma‘-uz-zawā’id (10:132 ); and Ibn
Hajar ‘Asqalānī in al-Matālib-ul-‘āliyah (3:239#3375).
M ahmūd Sa‘īd M amdūh writes in Raf‘-ul-minārah
(p.225):
“The tradition, being narrated from different quarters,
transformed itself from a weak tradition into a sound one
which the M uslims have invariably followed.”
8. Subsistence through the blessing of the

weak and the decrepit
M us‘ab bin Sa‘d has narrated that the holy Prophet (A)
said to Sa‘d:
It is on account of the weak that you are

blessed with victory and provided
subsistence. 1
Summary
We have relied on a few narrations from a vast treasury of
traditions to find out that intermediation through the pious
and the saints is an established fact, which has continued
uninterrupted from the early days to the present. No
argument can disprove the reality of this sound practice.
1. Related by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh, b. of jihad, ch.75

(3:1061#2739).
SECTION TWO
Intermediation
through the relics of
the pious
1. Inte rmediation through Ibrāhīm’s site
Just as intermediation is permitted through Allah’s
favourites, similarly it is allowed through the articles and
objects associated with them. For instance, intermediation
through Ibrāhīm’s footprints is recorded in the holy Qur’ān
in these words:
And (it was commanded that) you should

make the site on which Ibrāhīm stood into a
place of worship. 1
Prayer is offered to Allah no matter where it is offered.
In this Qur’ānic verse the believers are exhorted to turn the
footprints of Ibrāhīm (D) into ‘a place of worship’
because this site is more suitable for prayer which clearly

establishes the proof of intermediation through the
footprints of Ibrāhīm (D).
Ibrāhīm’s site
The stone on which Ibrāhīm (D) stood during the
construction of Ka‘bah is called Ibrāhīm’s site (maqām
Ibrāhīm). This is the sacred stone which etched on itself his
footprints and is still preserved in a bronze gauze in front of
the door of Ka‘bah. Ibrāhīm (D) had completed the
construction of Ka‘bah walls while standing on it. The
stone moved around the Ka‘bah in any direction Ibrāhīm
needed it. So, on account of its association with His
Prophet (D), Allah has especially impressed upon the
believers to turn this spot into a place of worship.
It proves that the places and sites associated with any
favoured creature of Allah are elevated to a stature of
respect and dignity. On account of this association, people
receive blessings from it and it becomes a source of
mediation for the acceptance of their prayers by Allah.
2. Relics of the saints as a means of life

Sāmirī made a calf of gold and put into its mouth the dust
from the feet of Jibrīl’s horse. M ūsā (D) felt outraged by
this sight and asked Sāmirī:
O Sāmirī! (Tell me) what is the matter

with you. 1
1. Qur’ān (Tā-Hā) 20:95.

Sāmirī said:
I saw something which those people had

not seen. So I took a fistful (of dust) from the
footprints (of the angel who had come to
1
you).
It is explained in books of exegesis that Jibrīl (D) had
come to M ūsā (D) in the desert of Sinai on a horseback.
Wherever the horse stamped its feet, grass sprouted from
the sandy and dry earth. When Sāmirī saw Jibrīl (D), he at
once understood that he was one of Allah’s favourites. His
feet were so exceptional that wherever they touched the dry
earth, greenery sprang up from that spot. That is why he
preserved some of this earth and when after making the calf
he put it into its mouth, it started speaking.
It proves that the relics of Allah’s favourites are a
means of life. That earth served as a means of the calf’s
power of speech which made him articulate.
3. Consensus of exegetes on acquisition of

blessing and on intermediation through
the relics of the saints
Allah says:
1. Qur’ān (Tā-Hā) 20:96.

And their prophet said to them: The sign

of his kingdom (being from Allah) is that you
will receive a chest. In it there will be things
for your peace of mind, and relics
(tabarrukāt) left over by the children of
Mūsā and Hārūn. The angels will be
carrying it and if you are believers, then
1
surely there is a big sign for you.
It may be made clear that we have taken over the word
tabarrukāt (relics) from Shāh Walī Allah M uhaddith
Dihlawī and its details are found almost in all books of
exegesis. For instance, Ma‘ālim-ut-tanzīl, Tafsīr-ul-
Jalālayn, at-Tafsīr-ul-kabīr, al-Jāmi‘ li-ahkām-il-Qur’ān,
Rūh-ul-bayān, Rūh-ul-ma‘ānī, Lubāb-ut-ta’wīl fī ma‘ānī at-
tanzīl, al-Madārik, at-Tafsīr-ul-mazharī etc., may be
looked through for further information. Here, we will focus
on three famous books of exegesis to drive home the
relevant point:
1. Khazā’in-ul-‘irfān fī tafsīr-il-Qur’ān
M awlānā Na‘īm-ud-Dīn M urādābādī has given a very
comprehensive description of the coffin. We have
reproduced it from Khazā’in-ul-‘irfān fī tafsīr-il-Qur’ān:
“This chest was made of the boxwood and carved in
gold. It was three hands in length and two hands in width
and Allah had descended it on Adam (D). It contained the

pictures of all the prophets and at the end it contained a
picture of the holy Prophet (A) inside a red ruby. The
Prophet (A) is in a state of prayer and he is surrounded
by his Companions. Adam (D) had a look at all the
pictures. By inheritance, this chest passed down to M ūsā
(D). He kept the Old Testament in it. So it also contained
fragments of the Old Testament tablets as well as M ūsā’s
staff and his clothes and sandals, Harūn’s turban and his
staff and a little bit of manna which soothed the hearts of
Banī Israel. After him, this coffin was inherited by Banī
Israel. Whenever they were in trouble, they placed the
coffin in front of them and offered supplications for success
which was invariably granted. Owing to its blessing, they
achieved victory over their enemies. But when Banī Israel
grew morally corrupt, Allah thrust ‘Amāliqah upon them.
He snatched away the coffin from them and put it at a dirty
and dungy place. On account of defiling it and other acts of
sacrilege, he suffered from a variety of diseases. Five of his
settlements were razed to the ground and they were
convinced the destruction was caused because they had
dishonoured the coffin. Thus they placed it in an ox-driven
cart, and released the oxen. The angels brought it to Tālūt
in the sight of Banī Israel. The coffin proved to be a symbol
to the Bani Israel for Tālūt’s kingship. On seeing this, Banī
Israel acquiesced in his kingship.”
This shows that it is obligatory on us to honour and
esteem the relics of our elders. Supplications are granted
and needs are fulfilled on account of their blessing and their
desecration causes the destruction of the misdirected
people. The pictures in the coffin had not been made by any
man but had come from Allah.
2. Tafsīr Mājidī
An extract taken by M awlānā ‘Abd-ul-M ājid Daryābādī
from Tafsīr Mājidī is given below:
“The technical name of this special chest is tābūt
sakīnah. This was the most important cultural and national
heritage of Banī Israel. It contained the original manuscript
of the Old Testament as well as the relics of the prophets
intact. Israelis considered it as the source of immense
blessing and sanctity and treated it with great reverance.
They kept it with them through war or peace, travel or rest
and guarded it jealously. It was not very huge. According to
the research of present-day Jewish religious scholars, its
measurement was as follows:
length 2½ feet
width 1½ feet
height 1½ feet
“Banī Israel linked their entire fortune with it. A long
time ago, the Palestinians had wrested it away from them.
They considered it highly ominous and were impatient and
jittery for its return. Since the time of its return to Tālūt,
according to history, to the reign of Sulaymān (D) it
remained in the possession of Banī Israel and he placed it
in the Sulaymānī Temple after its construction had been
completed. After that, it is untraceable. The Jews generally
believe that it is still buried in the foundations of the
Sulaymānī Temple.
“Some followers of the straight path believe that the
respect accorded to the manuscript of the Old Testament,
the relics of M ūsā (D) and Hārūn (D) and those of their
children as well as the saints is ultimately proved and
vindicated by the story of the coffin as it was the way of the
prophets and the righteous.”
3. Bayān-ul-Qur’ān
M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī writes in his exegesis Bayān-
ul-Qur’ān:
“And these people requested the Prophet (D) that they
would be content if they could observe any visible sign that
he had been sent to them as king from Allah. At that time,
their Prophet (D) said to them: the sign of his appointment
as king by Allah is the chest that will come to you without
your effort which contains an object of contentment and
blessing from your Lord, that is, the Old Testament which
is surely from Allah, and some left-over things which
belong to M ūsā (D) and Hārūn (D), that is, some of their
clothes etc. In short, the angels will bring the chest, and
thus the arrival of the chest is a complete sign for you if
you are believers. The chest contained the relics. And
according to the verse it contained an original prescription
for drawing blessing from the righteous.”
The purpose of this elaborate description is that when
Allah had conferred on Banī Israel, through the means of
the relics of their prophets, temporary and eternal, visible
and invisible benefits, and the Qur’ān is a witness to it and
this is not self-deception or mere superstition as some
people readily and uncritically seem to suggest – then why
won’t Allah confer these visible and invisible blessings on
the followers of M uhammad (A) on account of their deep
love and devotion for him? Surely, their blessings will be
countless and far more superior to the ones conferred on the
earlier communities. But it is unfortunate that we have
developed only a speculative and intellectual relation with
the Prophet (A), thus weakening our emotional and
spiritual link with him.
But people who have developed an emotional and
spiritual nexus with him are enjoying his blessings even
today. It is a fact that some people cured their eye diseases
by touching them with the sheets of paper on which his
praise had been inscribed – and these were written during
the time of the writer Sharf-ud-Dīn Būsīrī. Similarly, our
elders have mentioned countless blessings flowing from the
sample of the Prophet’s sandals. M awlānā Aswhraf ‘Alī
Thānwī has described with particular detail the blessings of
the sample in his journal Nayl-ush-shifā bi-ni‘āl-il-Mustafā
as we have already explained. 1
4. Evidence from tradition about

receiving blessing from the relics of the
saints and the prophets
It is narrated by ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar:
People in the company of the Prophet

(A) got down at Hajar in Thamūd
1. see ch.5, section 4.

territory. They drank water from its wells
and (also) kneaded the flour with it. Then
the Prophet (A) commanded them to spill
the water and feed the kneaded flour to the
camels and said to them: Take the drinking
water from the well visited by Sālih’s she-
camel. 1
5. Construction of mosques beside the

tombs of the saints
Allah says:
They (the believers) said, those who had

control over their affairs that we will build a
mosque (at their door so that the Muslims
should pray in it and draw a special blessing
from their close association). 2
When the Companions of the Cave (ashāb-ul-kahf)
woke up after 309 years, and then died naturally later, a
difference of opinion developed among the people. Some
of them expressed the opinion that the entrance of the cave
should be closed down by building a wall around it and
those, who were more influential, said that a mosque
should be built near it so that M uslims could pray there and
draw blessing from their close association. In this way, the
memory of the Companions of Kahf will also remain fresh.
1. Related by Muslim in his as -Sahīh, b. of zuhd war-raqā’iq (piety

and softening of hearts) ch.1 (4:2286#2981).
Qādī Thanā’ullāh Pānī Patī has interpreted the verse in
these words:
This Qur’ānic verse favourably argues

that building a mosque near the tombs of the
saints for drawing blessings from them so
that Muslims could pray there, is quite
valid.1
Some people, discarding the misinterpretation of others
whose sole purpose is to cast doubts in the minds of people,
say:
And the meaning of this tradition – that

they converted the graves of their prophets
into mosques – is that they had started
worshipping these graves as the same
meaning is established through another
tradition in which Abū Marthad al-Ghanawī
quotes the Prophet (A) as saying: Don’t

sit on the graves nor turn toward them while
praying1.2
The tombs of the saints – where Qur’ānic verses are
recited round the clock and from where the faith-boosting
voices remembering Allah issue in high-pitched accents –
when a person, immersed in prayer and the concentration of
effort it entails, submits his need to Allah, through the
mediation of His Own saints, the Lord accepts the prayer
processed through His favourites.
Who deserves the benefit through

mediation?
In the earlier pages we have proved from the Qur’ān and
the traditions with reference to the prophets, relics of the
prophets as well as relics of the saints and the pious that
intermediation through them is not only valid but is also
compatible with the will and desire of the M essenger of
Allah (A). This is our religious belief and any deflection
from it for a believer is simply inconceivable. Now,
winding up the debate we will prove with the help of the
Qur’ān who deserves the benefit of the act of
intermediation? In this context it may be kept in mind that
both a believer and a non-believer benefit from mediation
in proportion to their grades. It is said that not only human
beings but the animals also benefit from the mediation of
the saints. This is the reason that the dog of the
1. Related by Muslim in his as-Sahīh, b. of janā’iz (fun erals) ch.33

(2:668#972).
Companions of the Cave benefited from them. Allah has
mentioned it in the Qur’ān:
And their dog is (sitting) at (their)

threshold, stretching forth his two forelegs. 1
The divine wisdom in keeping the Companions of the
Cave alive for 309 years was to make them a symbol of
Allah’s might for the coming human generations. But even
more amazing is the fact that, during the same period, the
dog sat alive at their door through their blessing without
eating or drinking anything. On account of being their dog,
it remained alive for 309 years. If the dog had belonged to
someone else, it would not have survived for even a short
period and died without food and drink. Another point to
note is that the dog did not even belong to them, it
belonged to their baker. When they set out on their journey,
it also set out with them and the Qur’ān has particularly
stressed its steadfastness in keeping the company of these
men. The question is that it is a natural canine posture, then
what is so special about it that the Qur’ān has laid unusual
emphasis on it. It is because the dog did not give up the
company of the saints and the righteous and demonstrated
its loyalty by remaining seated at the door. The company of
these pious persons not only kept it alive for 309 years but
also distinguished it from other dogs. It is on account of
these saints that Allah has mentioned it in the Qur’ān along
with them:

(Now) some people will say:

(Companions of the Cave) were three, the
fourth being their dog, and some will say
they were five, the sixth being their dog,
doubtfully guessing at the unknown, and
some will say they were seven, the eighth
being their dog.1
In this verse, the dog is being mentioned along with the
Companions of the Cave. The dog proved its loyalty and
did not desert them. The dog’s behaviour pleased Allah so
much that He has bracketed it with the Companions of the
Cave, that is, wherever He has mentioned them, He has
also mentioned the dog.
In the Qur’ānic verse, the posture of the dog is also
being stressed. We learn from this that if the dog cannot die
before a specific time by adopting the company of the pious
people of Allah and its reference is made in the Qur’ān,
then how can a M uslim with correct faith be deprived of
Allah’s favour if he mediates his prayer for its immediate
acceptance through one of Allah’s prophets or saints or
offers the mediation of some object associated with them or
supplicates to Allah at a sacred spot or lives in the company
of the saints and the pious, because Allah’s favourite
creatures are the divinely certified means to lead people to

the path of His pleasure and to interject in them the divine
consciousness. It is, therefore, established as an
incontrovertible fact that only a M uslim with correct faith
is the real beneficiary of the rewards that accrue to him
through the mediation of the saints and the pious people of
Allah.
353
CHAPTER SEVEN
Religious Leaders who

believe in Intermediation:
their Experiences and
Observations
Religious Leaders who believe in Intermediation 355
It is an established fact that on account of the distinction

Allah has conferred on His favourites and the blessings He
has showered upon them, it has been the practice of our
religious leaders and scholars to rely on them to resolve
their worldly problems, attain salvation in the Hereafter,
make their graves and tombs the focus of their
supplications and seek help and assistance from the chosen
people of Allah who are buried in them and seek their help
for spiritual and inner benefits and blessings. These acts,
which shaped the conduct and mode of living of the saints
and the scholars in the past are now the granite foundation
of the concepts and beliefs of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-
Jamā‘ah. M oreover, they had not moulded their attitudes
and deeds on a superficial, unconscious or sentimental
basis. A great deal of reflection and reasoning laced these
modes of conduct and were framed by comprehensive
experimentation, observation and practical orientation.
Therefore, on the basis of investigation, and not mere
sentiment, it can be affirmed that their statements were
sound and authentic and on account of their immunity from
doubt and ambiguity, they furnish a cogent argument for all
those believers who are blessed with sufficient wisdom and
intelligence to appraise the depth and truth of these
statements.
Religious scholars, enlightened saints and our spiritual
leaders have pronounced the tombs of these favourites of
Allah as inexhaustible fountain-heads of light and blessing
where our supplications are acknowledged and robed as
destinies. Reliance on these sanctified persons opens the
shuttered avenues of success. Their attention and response
unravels the tangles of the Hereafter and their spiritual help
serves as a source of salvation for our worries and all forms
of distress. To cap it all, their statements are consistent with
the criterion of experience and observation, which is the
basis of the modern inductive method of all scientific
progress. Therefore, they cannot be brushed under the
carpet as mere hearsay and deserve our positive response as
they are grounded in facts and proved by experience.
This world is inhabited by two sets of people. The first
set of people are those who are rebellious and disobedient,
and on account of their law-breaking tendencies, they form
a coterie of persons who are hell-bent to protect and
promote the interests of the devil and are a cause of
constant torture for Allah’s creatures. On the other hand are
those who are good-natured, pure, and well-behaved and
with a positive outlook and are determined to promote the
welfare of the people. Such noble persons and untainted
souls form their own fraternity and come closer to one
another through mutual interaction, following the axiomatic
principle that “birds of a feather flock together.” These
courageous, highly determined and spiritually motivated
people, through sheer hard work and concentration, leave
behind indelible tales of sincerity and honesty, patience and
steadfastness, love and sacrifice that the readers are simply
stunned by their exceptional nature.
These holy personages have graced every period of
human history. Outwardly, they live on the sidelines but
they are easily placed on account of their habits and
manners, their character and mode of conversation. Their
love and concern for the creatures of Allah is so gushing
that it cannot be contained like the perfume of flowers. The
chain of their blessing is continuous, because it goes
against the divine grain that His creatures are deprived of
the benefit and blessing of His chosen people in any era of
human history. Therefore, these favoured servants of Allah
are not only a source of blessing for the people in their
manifest life but also benefit them after death; rather their
blessings acquire greater frequency and intensity when they
are transferred to another mode of existence after leaving
this phenomenal world. They bless the seekers of their help
as effectively as they did during their earthly sojourn. The
one who seeks their help instinctively knows that he has
been helped by them. In the context of intermediation and
help, we propose to cast a cursory glance at the conduct,
experiences and observations of these righteous people who
have provided glimmers of light and guidance to the
creatures of Allah groping in the amorphous shades of
darkness and depression.
Ideas and beliefs of religious leaders

1. Imam Zayn-ul-‘Ābidīn
Imam Zayn-ul-‘Ābidīn supplicates to the Holy Prophet
(A) for help and intercession in these words:
O mercy of the worlds! You are the

intercessor for the sinners.
On account of your infinite generosity,
mercy and magnanimity, intercede for us on
the Day of Judgement.
O, who has come to all the worlds as a
source of mercy! Help Zayn-ul-‘Ābidīn.
Who is confined by the party of the
oppressors (and beseeches your help).
2. Imam Mālik
Imam M ālik’s prominence as one of the four jurists of
Islam is well-established. Once caliph Abū Ja‘far M ansūr
visited M edina and he asked Imam M ālik: “While
supplicating, should I turn my face to the prayer niche [and
turn my back to the Holy Prophet (A)] or should I turn
my face to the Holy Prophet (A) (and turn my back to the
prayer niche)?” On this interrogation, Imam M ālik replied:
“(O caliph!) Why do you turn your face from the Holy
Prophet (A), as he is the source of mediation for you and
for your ancestor Adam (D) on the Day of Judgement?
Rather you should (pray and supplicate by) turning towards
the Prophet (A) and seek his intercession so that he
intercedes for you before Allah on the Day of Judgement.
Allah has declared:

the Granter of repentance, exteremely
Merciful. 1
This incident has been narrated by Qādī ‘Iyād in his
ash-Shifā (2:596) with a sound chain of transmission.
Besides, it has been related by a number of other
traditionists of impeccable credibility. Subkī in Shifā’-us-
siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām, Samhūdī in Khulāsat-ul-
wafā, Qastallānī in al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah, Ibn Jamā‘ah
in Hidāyat-us-sālik and Ibn Hajar Haythamī in al-Jawhar-
ul-munazzam.
3. Imam Qurtubī
He has mentioned intermediation in the interpretation of the
verse 64 of surah an-Nisā’ in his al-Jāmi‘ li-ahkām-il-
Qur’ān (5:265-6).2
4. Imam Hākim
In his book al-Mustadrak (2:615) he has mentioned the
tradition relating to Adam’s intermediation through the
holy Prophet (A) and has pronounced it as sound.1

2. see p. 212.
5. Imam Bayhaqī
He has related in his book Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah (5:489)
the tradition in which Adam (D) relied on the mediation of
the Holy Prophet (A). He has painstakingly avoided
reference to any disconfirmed (mawdū‘) tradition in his
2
book.
Imam Bayhaqī in his book Dalā’il-un-nubuwwah
(6:166-7), has also recorded a tradition attributed to
3
‘Uthmān bin Hunayf. In addition, in the same book (p.147)
and in as-Sunan-ul-kubrā (3:352) he has also narrated the
incident of ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb seeking ‘Abbās’s
4
mediation for rain.
6. Qādī ‘Iyād
He has, in his book, ash-Shifā (1:227-8) narrated Adam’s
intermediation through the Holy Prophet (A) with the
help of sound and famous traditions. 5 In addition, in the
chapters on ‘visiting the Prophet’s grave,’ ‘virtues and
merits of the Prophet (A)’ and in many other chapters in
his book he has referred to the qualities and attributes of the
Holy Prophet (A).
7. Imam Nawawī
Imam Nawawī in the sixth chapter of his book al-Īdāh has
mentioned the issue of intermediation.6 Besides, he has
1. see p. 147.
2. see p. 148.
3. see p. 180.
4. see p. 325.
5. see pp. 150-1.
6. see p. 213.
recorded in al-Adhkār a number of supplications which
prove the reality of intermediation. 1
8. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah

Ibn Taymiyyah in his book Qā‘idah jalīlah fit-tawassul
wal-wasīlah, commenting on the Qur’ānic verse:

nearness and accessibility). 2
writes:
“Offering mediation in the court of Allah springs from
one’s faith in the Holy Prophet (A) and in his obedience.
And it is by virtue of this obedience and faith that it is
obligatory for every believer under any circumstances,
outwardly or inwardly, during and after the Prophet’s life,
and during his presence or absence. Once this condition is
laid down, it cannot be voluntarily discontinued by any
person on any excuse or pretext. And the only way to
escape the divine wrath and punishment is to make the
Holy Prophet (A) a means of salvation by obeying him
and by reposing his trust in him, because the Prophet (A)
is the owner of the highest station of distinction in Paradise
and he is the intercessor for his followers and the former
and the latter ones will envy his position. His stature is the
highest in the court of Allah and he is the greatest among
the intercessors. Allah has declared about M ūsā (D):
1. see p. 212.
And with Allah, he was highly dignified

(and respectable). 1
And about ‘Īsā (D) Allah has declared:
He will enjoy respect and status (both)

in this world and the Hereafter. 2
“While the Holy Prophet (A) is blessed with the
highest distinction among the prophets, his supplication and
intercession will benefit only the person for whom he will
pray and intercede. When he prays and intercedes for a
person, he will make his prayer and intercession a source of
mediation in the presence of Allah, as was the practice of
the Companions.”3
Once he was questioned whether it was valid or invalid
to depend on the mediation of the Prophet (A), he
replied:
“All praise for Allah! By the consensus of the M uslims
it is quite valid and proper to rely on the means of faith in
the Prophet (A), his obedience, his remembrance, his
supplication and intercession, similarly his deeds and the
deeds of his followers, which they have performed in
obedience to the Prophet’s commands. And the
Companions used to depend on his mediation during his
life on earth and after his death, they depended on the
1. Qur’ān (al-Ahzāb) 33:69.

3. Ibn Taymiyyah, Qā‘idah jalīlah fit-tawassul wal-wasīlah (pp.5-6).
mediation of his uncle, ‘Abbās as they used to rely on his
mediation during his earthly life.” 1
9. Subkī
He has discussed at length the question of intermediation in
his book Shifā’-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām and has
proved its relevance as a vibrant concept in Islam, as we
have mentioned at different places in the course of the
book.
10. Imam Ibn Kathīr

Imam Ibn Kathīr has commented on verse 64 of surah an-
Nisā’ in his book Tafsīr-ul-Qur’ān al-‘azīm (1:519-20) and
raised the issue of intermediation. He has not levelled any
objection against ‘Utbī’s tradition in which a Bedouin
supplicates at the Prophet’s tomb for his intercession.2 In
his book al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (1:131; 2:291-2) he has
related the event of Adam’s reliance on the Prophet’s
mediation and expressed no reservations about the
tradition.3 Imam Ibn Kathīr has related in al-Bidāyah wan-
nihāyah (5:167) the episode of the man who visits the
Prophet’s grave and prays for rain through his means and
he has pronounced this tradition quite sound.4 In addition,
he has also related in the same book (5:30) that during the
1. Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmū‘ fatāwā (1:140).

2. see p. 208.
3. see p. 148.
4. see p. 230.
battle of Yamāmah, the battle-cry of the Muslims was yā
Muhammadāh (O M uhammad! Help us).1
11. Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī

He has in his books al-Isābah fī tamyīz-is-sahābah (3:484)
and Fath-ul-bārī (2:495-6) narrated the incident of the man
who visited the Prophet’s grave for rain through his
mediation. 2
12. ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān Jāmī

He enjoys enviable reputation in the fields of poetry,
mysticism, philosophy and tradition. Besides, his burning
and yearning love for the Prophet (A) bubbles up in his
verses. He expresses his faith in intermediation in these
words:
It was the manifestation of the blessing

of the Prophet’s name that Adam (D)
received pardon and Nūh was saved from
the devastating impact of the tempest.
13. Suyūtī
He has related the tradition of Adam’s intermediation in
ad-Durr-ul-manthūr (1:58) and al-Khasā’is-ul-kubrā (1:6)
in addition to narrating it in ar-Riyād-ul-anīqah fī sharh
1. see p. 32.
2. see p. 230.
asmā’ khayr-il-khalīqah where he spells out its soundness
by endorsing the view expressed by Bayhaqī.1
14. Qastallānī
The qualities and accomplishments of a special group of
saints are recorded in the traditions. The blessing of their
supplication causes rain and brings victory and triumph to
the M uslims. Qastallānī’s views about them are given
below:
When ordinary people fall into trouble,

first of all, the Heralds supplicate for them,
then turn by turn the Nobility, Substitutes,
the righteous and the ministers (supplicate
for them). If their supplication is granted,
well and good, otherwise, the saint of the
highest rank, ghawth (who is all the time
engrossed in Allah’s worship,) supplicates
for them, and before he winds it up, his
prayer is granted. (This is Allah’s special
blessing on them.) 2
1. see p. 151.
2. Qastallānī, al-Māwāhib-ul-laduniyyah (2:726); Zurqānī,
Commentary (7:487).
Qastallānī has also mentioned intermediation in the
beginning of al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah. 1
15. Ibn Hajar Haythamī

Ahmad Shihāb-ud-Dīn Ibn Hajar Haythamī M akkī, who
possesses an eminent position among experts on Islamic
jurisprudence and tradition, has proved on the basis of the
experience and observation narrated by Abū ‘Abdullāh
Qurayshī that Allah’s favourites help people after death as
they help them during life and the value of their benefit is
not in the least reduced. Produced below is an incident
attributed to Abū ‘Abdullāh Qurayshī:
A severe drought had enveloped Egypt in its grip and
the people’s distress caused by hunger and thirst remained
unrelieved inspite of their prayers and supplications:
So I journeyed towards Syria, when I

reached near Allah’s friend (Ibrāhīm’s)
tomb, he met me on the way. I said to him:
‘O Messenger of Allah! I have come as a
guest. You should show your hospitality in
the form of a supplication for the natives of
1. see p. 149.
Egypt.’ He prayed for them, so Allah drove
their famine away from them. 1
In this extraordinary reference, the description of the
face-to-face meeting with Ibrāhīm (D) has been
commented upon by Imam Yāfi‘ī in these words:
The statement made by Abū ‘Abdullāh

Qurayshī that he had a face-to-face meeting
with the Friend is based on truth. Only an
ignorant person can deny it who is unaware
of the mode of living and status of the saints
because these people observe the earth and
the heavens and see the prophets in their
living condition. 2
In addition, Ibn Hajar Haythamī has penned down a
special treatise al-Jawhar-ul-munazzam on the theme of
intermediation. On its page 61, he has spelled out
intermediation through the holy Prophet (A) as a fair
(hasan) act.
16. Nūr-ud-Dīn Qārī

He is generally known as M ullā ‘Alī Qārī. He has discussed
this issue in his book Sharh ash-Shifā.
1. Ibn Hajar Haythamī, al-Fatāwā al-hadīthiyyah (pp.255-6).

2. Ibn Hajar Haythamī, al-Fatāwā al-hadīthiyyah (p.256).
17. Ahmad Shihāb-ud-Dīn Khafājī
Khafājī has justified intermediation in Nasīm-ur-riyād, an
exegesis of ash-Shifā.
18. Muhammad bin ‘Abd-ul-Bāqī Zurqānī

He has proved the relevance of this issue in his
Commentary (1:118-20; 12:220-3). 1
19. Muhammad bin ‘Alī Shawkānī

Shawkānī has expressed the relevance of intermediation
through the Holy Prophet (A) in his book Tuhfat-udh-
2
dhākirīn (p.195).
20. Ibn ‘Ābidīn Shāmī

The reputation of Ibn ‘Ābidīn Shāmī as an eminent
religious scholar has spread far and wide. His intellectual
subtlety and juristic expertise have added many extra
feathers to his illustrious cap. His intellectual and
investigative masterpiece Radd-ul-muhtār ‘alā Durr-il-
mukhtār provides food for thought even today for scholars
in the form of its hefty volumes and reveals his analytical
vision. A number of traditions relate that when he decided
to take up the burden of such a stupendous work, which
amounts to enclosing an ocean within a teapot, he, instead
of relying on his invaluable intellectual ability and subtlety,
prayed to Allah through the mediation of the Holy Prophet
(A). His mode of presentation was as follows:
1. see p. 149.
2. see p. 179.
And I beg Allah through the means of

His exalted Prophet (A), His high-ranking
obedient servants, and especially the truthful
Imam A‘zam (Abū Hanīfah) that he should
ease my problem by His kindness and enable
me to complete it. 1
This form of supplication proved so effective and the
blessing of mediation gave him such power that he
composed the record-breaking book on Islamic law. It is so
authentic and so well-documented that no other book has
excelled it in repute and popularity.
The encouraging factor in this context is that it is an
exegesis of the book called Durr-ul-mukhtār and before he
started writing the book, he had written its holy pages
relating to Jibrīl (D) after he received permission from the
Prophet (A) which Ibn ‘Ādidīn Shāmī has mentioned in
these words:
And the exegete had clearly received the

Prophet’s permission either in the form of
an inspiration or a dream. It was by virtue
1. Ibn ‘Ābidīn Shāmī, Radd-ul-muhtār ‘alā Durr-il-mukhtār (1:3).

of the Prophet’s blessing that this exegesis
edged out the interpretations of others.1
If we reflect on the backdrop of these events, we will
find that it is more a product of faith than labour, obedience
than hardwork.
21. Mahmūd Ālūsī

Commenting on the earlier verses of surah an-Nāzi‘āt, he
explains in these words the justification of reliance on
Allah’s favourites and seeking help and support from them:
1. Ibn ‘Ābidīn Shāmī, Radd-ul-muhtār ‘alā Durr-il-mukhtār (1:9).

It is said: In the introductory sentences
of this surah, the separation of the souls of
pious persons from their bodies at the time
of death is described and Allah has sworn by
these different states of the souls. These
souls have to be wrenched out of the bodies
because, on account of their long and deep
association with their bodies, they are
disinclined to leave them. The reason for
this disinclination is that, in order to earn
virtues, the body acts as a means of
transport, and it is on this count that there is
a greater possibility of adding to the score
of one’s virtues. Then these souls fly to the
world of angels and reach the sanctuary of
purity, and on account of their force and
nobility, they blend with the elements that
help decide the destinies of the creatures,
that is, they are included among the angels,
or they acquire administrative capability.
That is why it is said: ‘when you are invaded
by troubles, you should seek help from the
residents of the tombs, that is, from the
favourites of Allah who are embodiments of
virtue and purity, and those who have left
us.’ There is no doubt that a person who
visits their tombs, receives spiritual help by
virtue of their blessings, and on many
occasions, the knots of difficulties unwind
through the mediation of honour and
reverence they enjoy. 1
He adds:
It is also said that in these sentences

Allah has sworn by these good-natured
people, who step into the field of virtue and
sanctity and try to purify both the inner and
the outer self through worship, persistent
practice and a concerted confrontation with
the evil and, as a result, are permeated with
immediate divine consciousness. (These
sentences may be applied to these holy
persons in the sense that) they control their
own instinctive cravings and concentrate all
their energies on the world where holiness
prevails, and finally achieve perfection after
passing through the evolutionary phases so
that they can guide those who are stuck up
in their flawed schedules and invest their
lives with a sense of purpose and direction. 2
1. Mahmūd Ālūsī, Rūh-ul-ma‘ānī (30:27-8).

2. Mahmūd Ālūsī, Rūh-ul-ma‘ānī (30:28).
22. Shāh ‘Abd-ul-Haqq Muhaddith Dihlawī
Shāh ‘Abd-ul-Haqq M uhaddith Dihlawī comments in his
exegesis of Shaykh ‘Abd-ul-Qādir Jīlānī’s book Futūh-ul-
ghayb that when the saints cross into the area of divine
knowledge and consciousness, which is immune to the
exigencies of mortality, they are blessed with a special
power which enables them to perform acts unmediated
through external causes, and they are transformed into
embodiments of exceptional light and cognizance as they
have arrived from the mortal world into the the world of
immortality. In this way they achieve that level of
perfection which the common believers will receive in
Paradise.
23. Muhammad Zāhid Kawtharī

In his Maqālāt, he has dilated upon the theme of
intermediation and proved its practice and efficacy by
refuting the objections of those who are opposed to it. In
his view, intermediation through the prophets and saints
during their lives and after their death is not only valid but
dates back to the days of early M uslims whose integrity
was inviolate and whose understanding of the faith was
unquestionable.
24. Mawlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī

M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī, commenting on the blessings
of the holy Prophet (A) in his book Nashr-ut-tīb, writes:
It was transparently reflected from the foreheads of his
ancestors. It was his universal light that persuaded Allah to
accept Adam’s repentance; again it was his light that
salvaged Nūh (D) from the tempestuous waves and
transformed the glowing coals of fire into the blossoms of
flowers for Ibrāhīm (D).
The panegyric that his uncle ‘Abbās composed in his
praise has some of the verses as follows:
And you were with Allah’s Friend when

he faced the ordeal of the fire.
How could your light in his back burn
him out?
And when you were born,
The earth was lighted up and the cosmos
turned into a place of radiance.
So we in this light
And illumination are passing through the
way of guidance.
The holy Prophet (A) listened to these verses by
‘Abbās with rapt attention and expressed his appreciation
instantly. If they were grounded in mere fantasy, he would
have stalled him in his tracks. Since he did not do so, it
proves that he was in agreement with the substance of the
verses and therefore, this is a form of tradition which is
embodied in the form of address or delivery.
Besides, M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī, has named the
thirty-eighth part of his book as “intermediation through the
Prophet (A) at the time of supplication.” In this part, after
mentioning a tradition attributed to ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf,
he writes: “It proves that just as intermediation through
someone’s supplication is valid, similarly, reliance on
someone in the supplication for intermediation is also
valid.” When during the period of ‘Uthmān bin ‘Affān,
‘Uthmān bin Hunayf asked a petitioner to utter the same
supplication which the Prophet (A) has taught to the
blind Companion, M awlānā Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī makes it
the basis of establishing the validity of intermediation after
death. In addition, he has proved the relevance of
intermediation through someone other than a prophet (D)
by ‘Umar’s intermediation through ‘Abbās. M awlānā
Thānwī has also declared the act of intermediation through
the Prophet’s grave during the time of ‘Ā’ishah as valid.
Finally, after reproducing ‘Utbī’s tradition in which a
bedouin had called on the Prophet’s grave for the
repentance of his sins, as we have explained in reference to
the 64th verse of surah an-Nisā’ in the 3rd section of chapter
five, he writes: “As it happened in the early days, and there
is no contradiction of it, it has acquired the status of a
proof.”
25. Ahmad bin Zaynī Dahlān

A M akkan jurist of M uslim law, Ahmad bin Zaynī Dahlān
in his journal Fitnat-ul-Wahhābiyyah, has established the
legality of intermediation, beseeching the prophets and
saints for help and intercession, and he has cogently refuted
the doubts and allegations of those who are opposed to
these perfectly legal acts.
26. Muhammad bin ‘Alawī al-Mālikī

A well-known contemporary religious scholar posted at
M akkah M uhammad bin ‘Alawī al-M ālikī in his book
Mafāhīm yajib an tusahhah has conducted well-
documented research on the concept of intermediation. In
addition, in his book Shifā’-ul-fu’ād bi-ziyārat khayr-il-
‘ibād he has proved the relevance of intermediation in a
comprehensive manner.
27. Muhammad Hishām Kabbānī

He is a famous contemporary religious scholar and he has
written a book comprising seven volumes Encyclopedia of
Islamic Doctrine on the beliefs of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-
Jamā‘ah. In the fourth volume of his book he has justified
the belief in intermediation on the basis of a vast array of
historical and rational arguments.
28. Mahmūd Sa‘īd Mamdūh

He has compiled a book on the genesis and exegesis of a
large number of traditions relating to the theme of
intermediation. It is called Raf‘-ul-minārah. He has
established the truth of intermediation by refuting the
objections of its denigrators in reference to the sound
traditions they have adduced against the relevance of
intermediation.
Experiences and observations of the great
saints
The secrets of the worlds of purgatory, angels and divinity
are revealed to Allah’s saints in a manner and style that is
denied to the common run of people. Their opinion is
authentic in all human and non-human fields of activity and
it can neither be challenged nor any flaws found in its
inherent cogency. Therefore, it is quite rational, and a
recognition of human limitations, to believe in their
opinions because their statements are not based on any
inanity or triviality but have been derived through extra-
ordinary observation and supported by the ballast of divine
sanction, as no one can deny that “what is heard cannot
equal what is seen.”
Given below are some of the experiences of the great
saints who have attaind Allah’s pleasure through worship,
concentration and exceptional deeds of piety and human
services:
1. The tomb of Umm Harām bint Milhān

Umm Harām bint M ilhān accompanied the M uslim army
that invaded Cyprus. The Prophet (A) had predicted that
she would participate in the naval war. It so happened that
she fell down from a horse boarding a ship or just her foot
slipped and she died as a martyr and she was buried at that
spot and her blessings were revealed to the people. Her
grave came to be known as the grave of a pious woman,
and people supplicate at her grave, their supplications are
granted by Allah and people also supplicate for rain
through her mediation. 1
2. The tomb of Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī

He was one of the great Companions. He took part in the
battle of Constantinople. Near the enemy border he fell ill.
As the illness grew worse, he dictated his will as follows:
When I die, take my dead body with you,

when you line up against the enemy, bury
2
me in your feet.
So, acting on his will, the Islamic soldiers buried him at
the foot of the fort and warned the enemies that in case they
tried to desecrate his grave, no church in the Islamic
country would remain safe. Thus, even the enemies were
forced to revere his grave, and people soon came to know
the blessings emanating from the grave. Whatever they
prayed for at the grave was immediately granted.
And Abū Ayyūb’s grave lies near the

ramparts of the fort and everybody knows
it... When people pray for rain there, it starts
raining.3

2. Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr, al-Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-ashāb (1:404-5).
3. Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr, al-Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-ashāb (1:405).
M ujāhid says:
Whenever there is famine, people expose

1
the grave, so it starts raining.
3. Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī

The famous traditionist Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī has recorded
his observation about the tomb of Imam ‘Alī bin M ūsā
Radā:
Whenever I was staying in the city of Tūs

and had a problem, I called on the tomb of
Imam ‘Alī bin Mūsā Radā and prayed to
Allah to solve that problem, the prayer was
invariably granted and the problem was
solved. And this is an experience I have had
repeatedly. 2
4. Imam Shāfi‘ī
Imam Shāfi‘ī describes his own experience about the
blessings of the tomb of Imam Abū Hanīfah:
1. Ibn ‘Abd-ul-Barr, al-Istī‘āb fī ma‘rifat-il-ashāb (4:6).

2. Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī, Kitāb-uth-thiqāt.
I derive blessing from the person of

Imam Abū Hanīfah and I visit his grave
everyday. When I face a problem, I offer two
optional cycles of prayer and visit his grave
and (while standing) I pray to Allah to solve
my problem. And I have not even left the
place that my problem is solved.1
This was the statement and practice of such a great
Imam whose status and scholarly stature had been
acknowledged by the entire world of Islam. His conceptual
and intellectual integrity was simply unassailable. When he
himself is saying that visiting the tombs of Allah’s
favourites is a source of blessing, then there is hardly any
justification for denying its credibility.
Shāh ‘Abd-ul-Haqq M uhaddith Dihlawī has reproduced
a statement by Imam Shāfi‘ī in his book Ashi‘‘at-ul-lam‘āt
(2:923):
“The lighted grave of M ūsā Kāzim is a patent antidote
for the acceptance of prayer.”
1. Khatīb Baghdādī has related the incident with a sound ch ain of

transmission in his Tārīkh Baghdād (1:123); Ibn Hajar Haythamī,
al-Khayrāt-ul-hisān fī manāqib-il-imām al-a‘zam Abū Hanīfah
(p.94); Muhammad Zāhid Kawtharī, Maqālāt (p.381); and Ibn
‘Ābidīn Shāmī in Radd-ul-muhtār ‘alā Durr-il-mukhtār (1:41).
It was Imam Shāfi‘ī’s practice that he called on the
tombs, supplicated extensively and his supplications were
accepted. From this he drew the correct inference that these
places were patent or elixir for the acceptance of prayer.
That is why he pronounced the tomb of Imam M ūsā Kāzim
as a patent antidote.
5. Ibn-ul-Jawzī
In the biography of saints Sifat-us-safwah (2:266), he
writes about Ibrāhīm bin Ishāq Harabī:
And his grave is open to everyone.

People receive blessing from it.
He has also described Adam’s intermediation through
the holy Prophet (A) in the first chapter of his book al-
Wafā bi-ahwāl-il-Mustafā (1:33). 1
6. ‘Abd-ul-Ghanī Maqdisī Hambalī

A swelling appeared on the upper side of his arm. He
rubbed the affected part against the grave of Imam Ahmad
bin Hambal and the swelling subsided.
M uhammad Zāhid Kawtharī says: “This incident is
recorded in Diyā’ M aqdisī Hamblī’s book al-Hikāyāt-ul-
manthūrah and I have seen it in his handwritten
manuscript.2
1. see p. 149.
2. Muhammad Zāhid Kawtharī, Maqālāt (p.381).
7. Abū al-Qāsim Qushayrī
He is included among the great mystics and traditionists. In
the third and fourth centuries he acted as a source of
inspiration for scholars and intellectuals. He has described
his personal experience of the famous saint M a‘rūf Karakhī
in these words:
He was one of the eldest holy persons

and his supplication was unexceptionally
granted. Even now supplication is offered
while standing by his grave for recovery
from an illness. The natives of Baghdad say:
Ma‘rūf (Karakhī’s) grave is patent
1
medicine.
8. Mujaddid Alf Thānī

M ujaddid Alf Thānī mentions one of his own perplexities:
“I was involved in a problem but there seemed to be no
way out. A considerable period of time elapsed but the
problem refused to be solved. A worry constantly niggled
me that I may not be held accountable for this lapse,
therefore, I should try to get rid of it as soon as possible. I
felt quite uncomfortable and I prayed to Allah repeatedly to
help me out of this state of anxiety.” His own words are as
follows:
1. Abū al-Qāsim Qushayrī, ar-Risālat-ul-qushayriyyah (p.41); Khatīb

Baghdādī, Tārīkh Baghdād (1:122); Ibn-ul-Jawzī, Sifat-us-safwah
(2:214).
By chance, I happened to pass by the

tomb of a relative, and I also sought his help
in this matter. Meanwhile Allah’s blessing
also helped me and the reality of the matter
was unravelled, and the spiritual relation I
have with the holy Prophet (A) stood me
in good stead and consoled a sorrowful
heart.1
9. Shāh Walī Allah Muhaddith Dihlawī

He was one of those great saints who, on account of his
God-given vision and divine knowledge, could see the
inner reality with his naked eye and then proclaimed it
publicly. He has written a matchless book Fuyūd-ul-
haramayn based on observations. The gist of its ninth and
tenth chapters is as follows. He says:
“We called at M edina, and we clearly saw with our own
eyes the soul of the holy Prophet (A) and on that day this
reality was revealed to us that the pure soul can also be
1. Majaddid Alf Thānī, Maktūbāt Imam Rabbānī (3:149#220).

seen like the body and the secret of the life of prophets after
death was also disclosed to us.
“On the third day we called and sent salutations on the
Prophet (A), and also visited the graves of Abū Bakr as-
Siddīq and ‘Umar Fārūq.
“Then we humbly submitted: we have called on you
with great expectations to receive your mercy and blessing.
Have mercy on us.”
He adds:
The holy Prophet (A) expressed great

joy and I felt that the sheet of his kindness
had wrapped and covered me. Then he
embraced me, and appeared before me,
disclosed many secrets and personally
informed me and briefly helped me and told
me how I could seek his help for my needs.
A brief summary
These are a few of the observations and experiences which
span centuries of human existence. They clearly prove that
the graves and tombs of the chosen people of Allah are a
steady source of divine blessings and benefits for mankind.
The discerning persons do not treat these spots of the saints
as worthless or as mere heaps of mud and mortar; rather
they believe that they are men of distinction and Allah has
specially rewarded them for their piety and human service.
Some of these saints are looked upon as ultra-
magnanimous. Therefore, no one should entertain any
doubt or reservation about their purity and exceptional
status.
A person, who himself is stripped of spiritual vision,
has no right to misguide people about these favourites of
Allah. He has no right to say that these people are dead,
lying inert and lifeless in their graves, and therefore, lack
the power and the energy to help anyone. His statement is
completely baseless and is justified neither by historical
precedent nor by rational argument.
An important point to be noted in this context is that
only those residents of the tombs deserve our reverence
who had attained access to the nearness and the pleasure of
Allah and whose pious acts and virtuous deeds had made
them popular during their lives. Only such persons are to be
implored for help. This point has been clarified by Shāh
‘Abd-ul-‘Azīz Muhaddith Dihlawī in unmistakable terms.
He says:
Help should be sought only from the

famous saints.
as the public opinion is the litmus test of the popularity
or unpopularity of a saint. He has also prescribed a method
for discovering the stature of a saint and for seeking help
from him. This can be looked up in Fatāwā ‘Azīzī.
The Last Word
In the earlier pages we have established the reality of
intermediation with cogent reasoning and solid evidence
from the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. The evidence, and a
rational interpretation of the evidence, clearly prove that
intermediation is a correct, valid and legal way to attain
access to Allah’s favour and for the instant acceptance of
our supplications. The evidence is mainly drawn from the
Qur’ān and the Sunnah, which are the basic dependable
sources of knowledge for the believers. Allah and His
beloved Prophet (A) have commanded us to seek means
of help and assistance. From the time of the Companions to
the present-day, the M uslims collectively relied upon all
the valid forms of intermediation, and to cap it all, the
Companions themselves relied on the Prophet’s mediation.
He never discouraged them or told them at any occasion:
‘you are indulging in innovation or disbelief on account of
intermediation as it violates the basic principle of your
faith.’
On the other hand, to suit their needs, he himself
encouraged and persuaded them to rely on his mediation, as
we have described the incident of the blind Companion in a
tradition attributed to ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf whose eyesight
had instantly returned through the mediation of the holy
Prophet (A) along with many other irrefutable examples.
It has been the cherished practice of the early believers,
the Companions, the Successors and their Companions to
rely on the intermediation through the holy Prophet (A)
and the great Companions. If someone denies
intermediation and tries to misinterpret the statements and
acts of the Prophet (A), he should keep in mind the
Prophet’s saying in which he had pronounced his
Companions as the most honoured ones among the
believers. He said:
The best people are those who are in my

time, then the people who will come after
them, (and) then the people who will come
after them. 1
The tradition clearly indicates that the act of the
Companions, Successors, and then their Companions, the
early believers and the religious leaders is far more reliable,
dependable and commendable than the act of those who
deny the relevance of intermediation and cook up spurious
explanations to refute its legality. Obviously, the denier,
like the proverbial liar, has no legs, not even the crutches,
to stand upon because props of sand are no substitute for
the staves of ballast and concrete which derive their
strength not only from correct faith but also from its
equally sensible and rational interpretation.
It is also quite true that Allah is even closer to us than
our main artery, and anyone who denies this reality in fact
denies a Qur’ānic injunction. But, along with it, we should
also concentrate on His Sunnah. If Allah had willed, He
could have sent His Word and commands, unmediated and
1. Bukhārī rel ated it in his as-Sahīh, b. of shahādāt (witnesses ) ch.9

(2:938#2509), b. of fadā’il-us-sahābah (virtues of the
Companions) ch.1 (3:1335#3451), b. of riqāq (softening o f hearts)
ch.7 (5:2362#6065); and Tirmidhī graded it hasan (fair) sahīh
(sound) in his al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, b. of manāqib (m erits) ch.57
(5:695#3859).
unfiltered, but He has not opted for this course of action or
mode of revelation. He chose His revered prophets as the
carriers of His M essage. This is the established divine
practice. Then how is it possible to attain access to Him or
win His pleasure by ignoring His practice, that is, without
relying on the means of His prophets and messengers? Is it
possible without them to act on His revealed commands in
the way He desires us to act? If Allah had desired that His
creatures should have direct access to Him and witness His
blessings upfront, He would never have sent the honoured
messengers and commanded the believers through the holy
Qur’ān to seek means of help and support.
This can be illustrated by a simple example. Dams
generate electricity but from there it cannot be directly
supplied to houses and factories. If anyone tries to obtain
electricity directly from a dam, he will be burnt into
cinders. First of all, electricity is supplied to the grid
stations from the power station and then it is supplied to
different places in varying voltage with the help of a variety
of transformers. People do not rely on this alone, but they
use other gadgets, like stabilizers etc., to make its domestic
and industrial supply as safe and secure as possible. All
these precautions are taken to ensure regular supply and
minimize risk.
When we cannot operate our domestic and electric
outfits by obtaining electricity directly from the power
station, how is it possible to draw Allah’s blessings directly
from Him. How is it possible for us sinners to have
unveiled and unscreened access to the glory of Allah when
His honoured Prophet M ūsā (D) and his seventy
Companions could not stand even a reflection of His
glimpse? M ūsā (D) fell unconscious while his seventy
Companions, overawed and overdazzled, collapsed dead as
doornails on the spot, as it is revealed in the fifty-fifth verse
of surah al-Baqarah. When His own chosen Psrophet (D)
fell unconscious by the sight of even the faintest reflection
of His splendour and seventy of His Companions lost their
lives, how is it possible for us creatures of sin and guilt of
the fifteenth century to even dream about an access to His
uncurtained glory?
Unfortunately, today, we have tailored religious
injunctions to our nature and convenience. Whatever caters
to our temperament and pampers our mood is faith; and
whatever goes against our grain and is in conflict with our
liking and inclination, even though it is established by
sound traditions and the practice of the favourites of Allah,
we throw it into the dustbin as a piece of discarded toast.
This is sheer expediency and fundamentally incompatible
with the universal principles of our faith. Therefore, the
imperative need of the times is not to follow a calculus of
compromise but to understand the essence of our faith,
which is the faith of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah, and
follow its principles without any attempt at self-indulgence
and self-gratification.
May Allah bless us with the power and
ability to understand our faith correctly!
Glossary
Ādam (D): name of the first Prophet of Allah, i.e. Adam.
Athar: pl. āthār. lit. relating. Generally used for a hadith
related by one of the Companions, as distinguished from
one of the Prophet’s own.
da‘īf: an inaccurate narration which does not qualify to be
either sahīh (sound) or hasan (fair), and hence cannot be
used as a basis of an Islamic opinion.
dīn: it is an Arabic word for religion. It is more
specificially used for the religion and revealed books of the
prophets and the messengers. It is a comprehensive term
covering not only religious rites and rituals but also applies
to all aspects of life and provides guidance in all of its
pursuits, while madhab (religion) is restricted to man’s
spiritual life and regulates its relationship with God alone.
dinar: an ancient gold coin.
dirham: a silver coin weighing 50 grains of barley with
cut ends. It equals to one-twelfth of ūqiyah (128 grams) of
gold in value.
du‘ā’: lit. to call someone; making supplication to Allah.
Fajr: dawn or early morning before sunrise; morning
prayer.
391
gharīb: a hadith or version reported by one reliable or
unreliable narrator which differs in context with another
hadith or version reported by a group of reliable narrators.
A gharīb hadith can be sahīh (sound) or da‘īf (weak).
ghawth: lit. one to whom we can cry for help. A mediator;
a title given to a saint of the highest order.
hadith: pl. hadiths. The sayings, practice and approved
traditions of the Prophet M uhammad (A).
hāfiz: lit. a guardian or protector. (1) one of the names of
God, al-Hāfiz. (2) a governor, guardian of the M akkan
temple. (3) one who has committed the whole of the Qur’ān
to memory. (4) one who has committed 1 lakh hadiths to
memory.
hajj: the yearly pilgrimage of the M uslims to M akkah.
Hārūn (D): the prophet Aaron.
hasan: a hadith, narrated by a reliable chain of
transmission though not approaching the grade of sahīh
(sound) hadith, but records a complete chain of narrators up
to the Prophet (A).
Imam: one who leads people in prayers; an eminent
Islamic scholar.
‘Īsā (D): name of Allah’s penultimate messenger, Jesus.
Isrāfīl: name of an angel of high rank.
istighāthah: to ask someone for help.
Jibrīl (D): the archangel Gabriel who brought the
revelations of Allah to His messengers.
Glossary 393
jihad: the word jihad, in terms of the acquisition of a

desirable and commendable objective, carries a number of
meanings. Jihad is striving against the evils of the self, and
it is also the struggle waged for the propagation of Islam
and the integrity of Ummah. For example, to launch jihad
through tongue and pen for the improvement and
development of the Islamic society; an armed struggle
against the exploitive forces is also jihad but this is ‘minor
jihad’ while a perpetual struggle against the evil wishes of
one’s self is ‘major jihad’. Jihad is one of the cardinal
articles of Islam.
Ka‘bah: a cube-shaped building at the centre of al-
M asjid-ul-Harām (the great mosque at M akkah) towards
which all M uslims face in prayer. It is also known as the
House of Allah.
kawthar: lit. abundance. A pond in Paradise.
lahd: the hollow made in the grave on the Ka‘bah side, in
which the corpse is placed.
maqām Ibrāhīm: the place at M akkah within the
boundary of al-M asjid-ul-Harām, to have the impression of
the footprints of the Prophet Ibrāhīm (D). There is a stone
on which Ibrāhīm (D) stood while he and his son, the
Prophet Ismā‘īl (D), were building the Ka‘bah.
Maryam: the Prophet ‘Īsā’s mother; M ary.
mawdū‘: a mawdū‘ tradition narrated by a liar, a narrator
whose act of lying in relating traditions has been proved.
Mīkā’īl: name of an angel, M icheal.
mu’adhdhin: one who gives the adhān, the call to prayer,
loudly calling people to come and perform the prayer.
Mūsā (D): the prophet Moses.
nawāfil: pl. of nafl, a voluntary act; a work of
supererogation.
Nūh (D): the prophet Noah.
Rabb: one of the names of Allah; Sustainer.
sahīh: sound. A hadith with an unbroken chain of narrators
ranging from the Prophet M uhammad (A) and
approaching an era through reliable narrators without being
shādh (odd) or mu‘allal (faulty) in between the two cross
relaters.
Sālih (D): the prophet Salih.
Shariah: lit. road. It is a legal modality of a people based
on the revelation of their prophet/messenger. The last
Shariah is that of Islam that abrogates all previous shariahs.
Sunnah: pl. sunnahs. lit. the path, way or a form, the
customary practice of a person or a group of people. It has
come to refer almost exclusively to the legal way or ways,
orders, statements and acts of worship, etc., of the Prophet
M uhammad (A) which have become the models to be
followed by the M uslims.
surah: a chapter of the holy Qur’ān. There are 114
chapters in the holy Qur’ān.
taqwā: lit. it means abstinence; piety. In its technical
sense, it means to abstain from dubious acts for Allah’s
pleasure and for fear of His displeasure.
Glossary 395
‘Uzayr (D): name of the prophet Ezra.

Ya‘qūb (D): the prophet Jacob.
Yūsuf (D): name of the prophet Joseph.
Zakariyyā (D): Arabic name of the prophet Zachariya.
zakat: a yearly fixed percentage of wealth and property of
the M uslims liable to zakat to be paid to the poor and the
needy of the M uslim Community. It is obligatory, as it is
one of the five indispensable pillars of Islam.
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Tabarānī, Sulaymān bin Ahmad (260-360/873-971)
180. al-Mu‘jam-ul-awsat, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
M aktabat-ul-ma‘ārif, 1st ed. 1405/1985.
181. al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr, Cairo, Egypt: M aktabah Ibn
Taymiyyah, n.d.
182. al-Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr, M osul, Iraq: M atba‘t-uz-
zuhrā’-il-hadīthah, 2nd ed., n.d.
183. al-Mu‘jam-us-saghīr, Beirut, Lebanon: Dār-ul-
kutub-il-‘ilmiyyah, 1403/1983.
Tantāwī Jawharī (b. 1287/1870)
184. al-Jawāhir fi tafsīr-il-Qur’ān al-karīm, Dār-ul-
fikr, n.d.
Tirmidhī, M uhammad bin ‘Īsā (210-279/825-892)
185. al-Jāmi‘-us-sahīh, Beirut, Lebanon: Dār Ihyā’-it-
turāth-il-‘arabī, n.d.
st
186. ash-Shamā’il-ul-Muhammadiyyah, 1 ed. 1403/
1983.
‘Umar Radā Kahhālah
187. Mu‘jam-ul-mu’allifīn, Beirut, Lebanon: Dār Ihyā’-
it-turāth-il-‘arabī, n.d.
Wāqidī, M uhammad bin ‘Umar (130-207/747-823)
188. Kitāb-ul-maghāzī, Nashr Dānish Islamī, 1405 AH.
Wahbah Zuhaylī, Dr
189. at-Tafsīr-ul-munīr, Beirut, Lebanon: Dār-ul-fikr-il-
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Yūsuf M izzī, Ibn ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān (654-742/1256-1341)
190. Tuhfat-ul-ashrāf bi-ma‘rifat-il-atrāf, Beirut,
Lebanon: al-M aktab-ul-Islāmī, 2nd ed. 1403/1983.
Zamakhsharī, M ahmūd bin ‘Umar (467-538/1075-1144)
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Zayla‘ī, Abū Muhammad ‘Abdullāh bin Yūsuf Hanafī
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Indices
Index to Qur’ān 417
Index to Hadith and Athar 423
General Index 429
417 423


Index to Qur’ān
Index to Hadith and Athar

417
Index to Qur'an
123 (1:1-3) ý O àønû Ûô ×øÃF Öû] hùô …ø äô #×Öô ‚ö Ûûvø Öû]

123 (1:4) O àönûÃô jø ŠûÞø Õø ^m$āô æø ‚öfö Ãû Þø Õ
ø ^ m$āô
125 (1:5) OÜønû Ïô jøŠûÛöÖû] ½ø †F’ôù Ö] ^ Þø‚ô âû āô
66 køÛû Ãø Þû*] àømû„ô$Ö] ½ø†F‘ô

(1:6) X Üûãônû ×øÂø
172 (2:26) X]†÷ nû %ô Òø ä́ eô pû ‚ô`û mø æ$ ]†÷ nû %ôÒø ä́eô Ø% –ômö
310 (2:28) ý î÷]çøÚû ]* ÜûjößûÒö æø ô²êô áø æû †ö ËöÓû iø Ìønû Òø
83 õ Ëû $Þ àûÂø ‹
(2:48) ý ‹ º ËûÞø pûˆôrûiø Ÿ$ ^Ú÷ çû mø ]çû Ïöi$] æø
31 (2:61) ý Ýõ^ Ãø ›ø o×FÂø †ø fô’û $Þ àûÖø o‰F çûÛömF Üû jö×ûÎö ƒû āô æø
153 (2:89) ý Ñº‚ôù ’øÚö ² ô ] ‚ôßûÂô àû Úôù gºjFÒô Üûâö ðø «qø ^Û$ Öø æø
51 (2:89) X]æû †ö ËøÒø àø mû „ô$Ö] o ×øÂø áø çû vöjô Ëû jøŠûmø Øö fûÎø àûÚô ]çû Þö^Òø æø
153 (2:89) Oàø mû †ô Ëô ÓFÖû] o ×øÂøô ] èößøÃû ×øÊø

²
339 (2:125) Xo &×’øÚö Üønûaô ]†ø eû āô Ýô^ÏøÚ$ àû Úô ]æû „öíôi$ ] æø
304 (2:130) O àønû vô ×ô’# Ö] àøÛô Öø éô †ø ìôŸF û] oÊô äü $Þāô æø
311 (2:154) ý ² ô ] Øônû fô ‰ø oûÊô Øö jøÏû%m àû Ûø Öô ]çû Ööçû Ïö iø Ÿø æø

15 º mû †ôÎø oû Þôù¬ôÊø oûßôù Âø
(2:186) Xg pûô ^fø Âô Ôø Öø^*‰ø ]ƒø āô æø
418
82 (2:186) ý gmû †ô Îø oû Þôù¬ôÊø oûßôù Âø

pûô ^fø Âô Ô ø Öø^*‰ø ]ƒø āô æø
257, 341 (2:248) ý áû *] ä́ Óô×ûÚö èømø! á$ āô Üû`ö n% fôÞø Üû`ö Öø Ùø ^Îø æø
76 (2:286) X kûføŠøjøÒû] ^ Úø ^ãø nû×øÂø æø kûfø ŠøÒø ^Úø ^ãø Öø
52 (3:37) ý ^ãø nû×øÂø Øøìøø ^Ûø×$ Òö ½^m$ †ôÒø‡ø ^ãø ×øË$ Òø æø
30, 53 (3:38) ý hùô …ø Ùø^Îø täü $e…ø ^m$†ôÒø‡ø ^ Âøø Ô ø Öô^ßø âö

54 (3:39) ý oû×ôù ’øm% Üºñô«³þÎø çø âö æø èöÓøòô ×5 Ûø Öû] äö iûø ^ßøÊø
362 X éô †ø ìôŸF û] æø ^nø Þû‚% Ö] o Êô ^ã÷nû qô æø

(3:45)
49, 170 (3:101) ý Üû Óönû×øÂø o×Fjûiö ÜûjöÞû]* æø áø æû †öËö Óûiø Ìønû Òø æø
173 (3:101) ý oF Öāô pø‚ô aö ‚ûÏøÊø ² ô êô Üû’ôjøÃû $m àûÚø æø

67 (3:103) ý ÜûjößûÒö ƒû āô ÜûÓönû ×øÂø ²
ô ] èøÛøÃû Þô ]æû †ö Òöƒû ] æø
65 (3:135) ý ]çû Ûö×ø¾ø æû *] è÷øvôÊF ]çû ×öÃø Êø ]ƒø āô àømû„ô $Ö] æø
174 X ÜûãöÖø †û Ëô Çûjø ‰û] æø Üûãö ßûÂø Ìö Âû^Êø

(3:159)
311 (3:169) ý Øô nûfô‰ø oû Êô ]çû×öjôÎö àømû„ô$Ö] à$ føŠøvû iø Ÿø æø
132 (3:185) X lôçû ÛøÖû] èöÏøñô } ƒø ‹ õ ËûÞø Ø% Òö

62 (3:193) ý ^ßøiô^òønùô ‰ø ^ß$Âø †û Ëôù Òø æø
^ßøeø çû Þöƒö ^ßøÖø†û Ëô Æû^Êø ^ßøe$…ø
69, 245 (3:194) ý Ô ø ×ô ‰ö…ö o×FÂø ^ßøi$‚ûÂø æø ^Úø ^ßøiô ! æø ^ßøe$…ø
89 ø †ø û m% áû*] †öËô Çûmø Ÿø ²
(4:48) ý †ö Ëô Çû mø æø ä́ eô Õ ø ] á$ āô
36, 47, 153,
(4:64) ø æûðö «qø Üûãö ŠøËö Þû*] ]çû Ûö×ø¾$ ƒû āô Üûãö $Þ*] çû Öø æø
ýÕ
176, 208,
209, 358
209 (4:64) O ^Û÷nû uô …$ ê÷ ]ç$ iø ²
ø ] ]æ‚ö qøçø Öø
202 (4:65) ø çû ÛöÓôùvø mö oj#uø áøçûßöÚô ©û mö Ÿø Ô
ýÕ ø eùô …ø æø ¡øÊø
419
66 (4:69) ýÔ ø òô ³þÖ5 æ .^Êø Ùøçû ‰ö †$ Ö] æø ²

ø ] Äô _ô %m àûÚø æø
26, 42, 361 (5:35) ý ² ø ] ]çÏö $i] ]ç ßöÚø ! àø mû„ôÖ$] ^ãø m%*^³mþF
17 (5:54) Xäü Þøçû%fvô mö æø Üû ãö%fvômö
75 (6:164) Xp †Fìû ]. …ø ‡û æùô éº …ø ‡ô]æø …ö ˆô iø Ÿø æø
61 (7:23) ý ^ ßøÛûuø †û iø æø ^ßøÖø†û Ëô Çûiø ÜûÖ$ áûāô æø ^ßøŠøËöÞû]* «ßøÛû ×ø¾ø ^ßøe$ …ø
168 (8:32) ý Ð$ vøÖû] çøâö ]„øâF áø^Òø áûāô Ü$ ãö #×Ö] ]çÖö^Îø ƒû āô æø
50, 166 (8:33)ý ½Üû `ô nûÊô køÞû*] æø Üûãö eø„ùô Ãø nöÖô ²

ö ] áø^Òø ^Úø æø
305 ø ] ]çÏö $i] ]ç ßöÚø ! àø mû„ôÖ$] ^`ø m%ªø mF
(9:119) ý ]çû ÞöçûÒö æø ²
103 (10:62)ý Üûâö Ÿø æø Üûãô nû×øÂø Íº çûìø Ÿø ² ô ] ðø «nøÖôæû *] á$ āô Ÿ? ø*]

55 (12:93) ý oû eô*] äô qû æø o ×FÂø åö çû Ïö Öû*^Êø ]„ø âF oû ’ônû ÛôÏø eô ]çûfö âø ƒûāô
258 (12:93-6) ý oF×Âø åö çû ÏöÖû*^Êø ]„øaF oû’ô nûÛôÏø eô ]çû fö aø ƒûāô

55 (12:96) ý o×FÂø äö ÏF Öû*] †önû ôfø Öû] ðø «qø áû]* «Û$ ×øÊø
305 (12:101) O àønû vô ×ô’# Ö^ eô oûßô Ïû vôÖû*] æ$ ^Û÷×ô ŠûÚö oû ßô$Êçø iø

68 (14:7) X ÜûÓö$Þ‚ømû ‡ôŸ* ø Üûiö†û Óø ø àûòô Öø
68 (16:18) ý ½ ^âø çû’ö vûiö Ÿø ² ô ] èøÛøÃû Þô ]æû ‚% Ãö iø áûāô æø

81 (16:43) O áøçû Ûö×øÃû iø Ÿø ÜûjößûÒö áû āô †ô Òû„ùô Ö] Øø âû ]* ]çû ×öòø ŠûÊø
197 (17:20) ý ðô «_ø Âø àûÚô ðô Ÿ? ø©ö âF æø ðô Ÿ? ø©ö â5 ‚% Ûô%Þ ¡& Òö

204 (17:20) O ]…÷ çû ¿ö vûÚø Ô ø eùô …ø ðö «_ø Âø áø^Òø ^Úø
44, 92 (17:57) ý Üöãôeùô …ø o FÖāô áøçû Çöjøfû mø áøçû Âö ‚ûmø àømû„ô$Ö] Ô ø òô³þÖ5 æ.]
78 (17:79) O]÷ çûÛövû Ú$ ^ Ú÷ ^Ïø Úø Ô ø e%…ø Ô ø %øÃø fû m$ áû ]* o Š5 Âø
317 (17:85) ý |ö æû †% Ö] ØôÎö ½ |ô æû †% Ö] àôÂø Ô ø Þøçû ×öòø Šûmø æø
420
15 (17:110) ý ½àøÛFuû †$ Ö] ]ç Âö û] æô ]* ² ø ] ]ç Âö û] ØôÎö

350 (18:18) X‚ô nû‘ôçø Öûêô äô nû Âø]…ø ƒô ¼
º ‰ôêø Üûãöfö×ûÒø æø
347 ý á$ „ø íô$jßøÖø Üûâô †û Úô ]* o×5 Âø ]çû fö ×øÆø àø mû „ô$Ö] Ùø^Îø
(18:21)
351 (18:22) ý áø çû Ööçû Ïömø æø Üûãö fö ×ûÒø Üûãö Ãö eô]…$ èº%ø×F$ø áøçû ÖöçûÏö nø‰ø
323 X ^÷vÖô^‘ø ^Ûø âöçû eö]* áø^Òø æø

(18:82)
59 (19:19) ý gøâø Ÿô* Ôô eùô …ø Ùöçû ‰ö…ø ^Þø*] ^Ûø $Þāô

340 (20:95) O p% †ô Úô
^ ŠømF Ô ø fö_û ìø ^ÛøÊø
341 (20:96) ý kö–ûfø Ïø Êø ä́eô ]æû †ö ’ö fûmø ÜûÖø^Ûøeô lö †û ’öeø
138 (21:87) ý oÞôù āô Ô ø ßøvFfû ‰ö køÞû*] Ÿ$āô äø ÖFāô Ÿø

169 (21:107) Oàønû Ûô Öø^Ãø ×ûÖôù è÷Ûø uû …øŸ$āô Ô ø ßF×û‰ø…û œø «Úø æø
302 # Öêô oû ßôÏûvô Öûœø æ$ ^÷Û Óûuö oû Öô gûâø hùô …ø
(26:83) Oàø nû vô×ô ’
84 (26:100-1) O Üõnû Ûô uø Ðõ mû ‚ô‘ø Ÿø æø O àønû Ãô Ëô F àû Úô ^ßøÖø ^ÛøÊø
62 (27:19) ýÕ ø jô Ûø uû †ø eô oûßô ×ûìôû *] æø

ø ô^fø Âô oû Êô Ô
305 (31:15) Xo$ Öøāô hø^Þø*] àû Úø Øønû fô ‰ø Äû fôi$ ] æø
132 (33:56) Xoùô fô$ßÖ] o×øÂø áøçû×%’ømö äü jøÓøòô ×5 Úø æø ²

ø ] á$ āô
362 (33:69) O ^ã÷nû qôæø ô²] ‚ø ßûÂô áø^Òø æø
131 (35:10) ý Øö ÛøÃø Öû] æø gönùô _$ Ö] Üö×ô Óø Öû] ‚ö Ãø ’û mø äô nû Öøāô

26 (38:82) Oànû Ãô Ûøqû*] Üû ãöß$ møçôÆûŸ. ø Ô ø iô $̂ Ãô fôÊø Ùø^Îø
87 ô ] oÖøāô «Þøçûeö †ùô Ïønö Öô Ÿ$āô Üûâö ‚öfö Ãû Þø ^Úø
(39:3) X oËF Öû‡ö ²
129 (53:9) O oÞFû *] æû*] àônû ‰ø çûÎø hø ^Îø áø^ÓøÊø
75 (53:39) O o ÃF‰ø ^ Úø Ÿ$āô àôŠFÞû¬ô×ûÖô ‹ønû Öø

421
132 (55:26-7) ý äö qûæø oÏF fûmø æ$ Oáõ^Êø ^ãø nû ×øÂø àû Úø Ø% Òö

172 ô ] lô ^mø ! ÜûÓönû ×øÂø ]çû×öjûm$ Ÿçû÷ ‰ö…ø
(65:11) X ²
250 (66:8) ý]çû ßöÚø ! àø mû„ô$Ö] æø o$ fôß$Ö] ö²] pˆôíûmö Ÿø Ýøçû mø

63 (89:27-30) ý oûÃô qô…û ] O èö$ßòôÛø_û ÛöÖû] ‹ ö Ëû ß$Ö] ^ãøjöm$*^³þm5
423
Index to Hadith and Athar

291 ý Œ^ßÖ] ØÎ œ á ā (è Ú^nÏÖ] Ýç m Ô ßne æ oßne è m! ý
241 ý Ü $ ànjÃÒ… Ø‘ Ü$ ª•çjÊ é ª–nÛÖ] kñā ý
179 ý VØÎö Ü$ (ànj ÃÒ… Ø‘ Ü$ (ª•çj Ê é^–n ÛÖ] kñā
229 ý ÜÓÞœ å†fìœ æ (Ý¡ŠÖ] äñ†ÎªÊ †ÛÂ kñā ý
335 ý (¡q… áçÃ e…œ Üâ æ Ý^ Öê áçÞç Óm Ù]‚e¢]
138 ý áøæ †’ø ßûiö æ áøçÎ‡ø †iö ^ÛÞā ÜÓÞ¬Ê ÌønÃ –Ö] o Þôç Çeœ
264 ý (å‚ m oÊ á^Ò æ Ñ…æ àÚ ^÷Û i^ì ] ²] Ùç‰ … „íiā
326 XÜÓe ÙˆÞ ^ ÛnÊ Ø q æ ˆÂ ²] o Öā è×n ‰æ åæ„ íiā ý
273 ý V] Ù^ÏÊ (è v×› êœ å^_ ÂªÊ (äÏ ×vÊ X Ð ×uā ý
378 ý o Þç ßÊ ^Ê æ ‚ÃÖ] Üj ËÊ^‘ ]ƒ¬Ê (oÞç ×Û u^Ê kÚ ^ Þœ ]ƒā
337 ý ^fÂ ^ m V^ßn ×Ê (é¡Ê š…ªe ÜÒ‚ uœ èe] kj ×Ë Þ] ]ƒā
282 ý äñç•æ oF ×Â áç ×jj Ïm ]æ ^Ò ª•ç i ]ƒā ý
127 ý ]ç×%‘ø Ü$ (Ùöç Ïmø ^ Ú Ø %Ú ]ç Öç ÏÊ áø ƒ© ÛÖ] ÜjÃ Ûô‰ø ]ƒā
78 ý Vèõ $¡$ àÚ Ÿā ä ×Û Â äßÂ Äø _øÏø Þ] áö^ŠÞ¦] lø ^Ú ]ƒā
118 ý Ýç m ØÒ ä ßÚ ØöŠôjøÇm ÜÒ‚u œ h^fe ]†ãÞ áœ ç Ö Üjmœ…œ
151 X oÖ l†ËøÆø Ÿ$ā ‚õ ÛvÚ Ðôve Ô
ø Ööª‰œ
424
270 ý XØ `ŠÖ (^ß Ï‰]ý

270 ?änÊ ] ofßÖ] h † |‚Î o Ê Ôn Ï‰œ Ÿœ
187 ý X^ß%Æœ =Üã×Ö] (^ß%Æœ =Üã×Ö] (^ß%Æœ =Üã×Ö] ý
325 ý ^Þā æ (^ßn ÏŠjÊ (^ßnfße Ôn Öā Ø ‰ç jÞ ^ßÒ ^Þā =Üã×Ö]
126 X²] kÞœ ÔÞª e ÔÖª‰ œ oÞā !Üã×Ö]
146 ø ‚fÂ ‚õ ÛvÚ åô ^r e ÔÖöª‰ œ oÞā !Üã×Ö]
ýÕ
136 ø n ×Â àø n ×ñ^ŠÖ] Ðôve Ô
ý (Ô ø Öª‰œ o Þù ā !Üã×Ö] ý
19 ý ] ‚õ Û$ vøÛö eô Ôø nû Öøāô äö q$ çøiø*] æø ( ÔøÖö^* ‰û]* oÞôù āô ! Ü$ ãö ×# Ö]ø
178, 179 ý ]‚õ Û$ vø Ûö eô Ôø nûÖøāô äö q$ çø iø]* æø Ôø Öö^*‰ *] o Þôù āô =Ü$ ãö ×# Ö ] ý
240 ý ^ßønùô fôßøeô Ô ø nû Öøāô äö q$ çøiø*] æø (Ô ø Öö^*‰û *] oÞôù āô !Ü$ ãö×#Ö]ø
126 ø _ô í‰ àÚ Õø ^•†ôe ƒöç Âœ oÞā !Üã×Ö]
ý (Ô
186 ý X ^ßn×Â Ÿ æ ^ßn Öø]ç u =Üã×Ö] ý
188 ý Ý^Ò¤] o ×Â =Üã×Ö] (^ßn×Â Ÿ æ ^ßn Ö]ç u =Üã×Ö] ý
65 ' æ Ø nÊ]†‰ā æ Øn ñ^ÓnÚ æ Øm†fq h … (Üã×Ö]
346 X èÎ^ß Ö] ^â †i kÞ^Ò oj Ö] †òf Ö] àÚ ]çÏ jŠm áœ Üa †Ú œ ý
96 ý g% uô .] oÞāô VÙ^Ï Ê Øm†fq ^Â (]‚÷f Â g$ u œ ]ƒ ā ²] áā
313 ý (ðô «nøfôÞûŸ]ûø ø ^ Šøqûœø Øø Òöªûiø áûœø šô…û ªÖû] o×øÂø Ýø†$ uø ²
ø ] á$ āô
122 ý (^ e÷]„ Â š…¢] Ø âªe Üâ¢ oÞā VÙ çÏ m äÞ^vf‰ ²] áā
332 ý (‹mæ œ äÖ Ù^Ï mö (àÛnÖ] àÚ ÜÓni ^m ÷¡q… áā '
297 Xä n×q… æ (]of ßÖ] ‚ m ç×fÎ ç `nÖ] àÚ ^Úç Î áœ
336 ý Œ^ßÖ] ÅˆËi (Œ^ ßÖ] sñ]ç vÖ Ü`Ï ×ì ^Ï×ì ² áā
425
33 ý áç fjÓm è¿Ëv Ö] pç ‰ š…¢ ] oÊ èÓñ¡Ú ² áā

288 ý ^Ûj Þœ ¡ fÎ^Ê (pF † fÖ] ù … ‚Î ]„â áā ý
194 X køß Šuœ ‚ ÏÊ (àŠu œ †º Â^ àÓm áā
32 ý X‚ m‡ æ †Ú ^Â àe] ^Þœ (çÃ Ö] ‚nÖç Ö] àe ] ^Þœ
295 X ànÛ×ŠÛÖ] èòø Êô ^Þœ ý
112 ý àønÛ ×ŠÛÖ]æôœ àø n ßÚ© ÛÖ] o×Â ²] Ùôç ‰†e àönÃ jŠÞ ^Þā
114 ô ^â çÛjö ×Ûô Âø Ÿ÷^ÛÂœ ]æ†¿ö Þ].
ý ^ã e ²] ]çÂ^Êø (è÷vÖô ^‘ ²
215 ý oÖā ]÷ç Ò ä ßÚ ]ç ×Ãq^Ê ] ofßÖ] †fÎ ]æ †¿Þ] ý
138 ý æ Üûã iôçÂ‚e ^ãËô nÃ– e èøÚ ¢] å„â ²
ö ] †ö ’ößûmø ^Û Þā
292 ý l ^ÛÊ (]² ] Ùç‰†Ö èn’ Â å‚ßÂ kÞ^Ò ä Þœ
266 X]o fßÖ] ¡ÃÞ ^ Û`Þœ ý
224 X äe Õ†Ö] Ÿā å†ËÆ¢ oÞā ý
283 ý (^ßÛö nûÏô ‰ø oËø mö (^ß– Ãe èÏ m†e (^ß •ô…œ èöe†iö (²] Ü Šeô
262 X] ²] Ùç‰ … oÊ Ä •çÚ èøÒ†e o Çj fi ý
314 ý l‚ Ûu †nì àÚ kmœ… ^Û Ê (ÜÓ Ö^ ÛÂœ où ×Â š†Ãi
286 ô ] ‚øfÂZ å^Û‰ æ X†ÛjÖ] …ô^’ Þ¢ ] g% uö ý
XX ²
163 X t†u Ÿ æ Ønñ]†‰ ā oße àÂ ]ç $‚( uø
190 X^ß n×Â Ÿ æ ^ßnÖ]çu ý
214 ý o i^Êæ æ (ÜÓÖ ' ‚v i æ áç $ö‚ôviö (Ü ÓÖ†n ì oi ^nu
387 XÜãÞç ×m àm„ Ö] Ü$ (Üã Þç ×m àm„ Ö] Ü$ (o Þ†Î Œ^ßÖ] †nì
138 ý Vlôç vÖ] àô_e o Ê ç â æ ^Â ƒûā áôçß Ö] pƒô éö çÂ
426
293 ý àÚ ]o fßÖ] ‚ôÃø ÏûÚø o×Â å‚ø m ^Ã•]æ †ÛÂ àe] oñ…ö
272 X än Ê köe† æ | ‚ÏÖ] kömœ… ý
278 ý o ×Ã Ö (] ofß Ö] ^ã ŠfÖ àn u ^ã jÒ†e l çq … ý
246 ý (ÄË i ÄË ] æ (¼Ã i Ø‰ ý
261 ý ±fu^‘ ÄÚ àÊ œ áœ ^ ã×‰ ý
292 ý l^Ú æ (^`Ã _Ï Ê ä jfÒ…ö o Ê è×øÒô¢] äi„ ìªÊ ý
27 9 Xä ’øn ÛÎ äŠfø Öœ æ (ä Ïm… àÚ än Ê &ø Ë ßÊ (äq†ìªÊ ý
280 ý (äÏm … àÚ än× Â & ËÞ æ ( änjfÒ…ö o ×Â Ä •æ æ (t †ìªÊý
287 ý å†Ã ø æ äÎ†ø Âø àÚ lû „ìœ ] ±fßÖ] Ý^Þ ]ƒ¬Ê ý
312 ý ^Ú$ Üû%i‚ûqø æø Øûãø Êø (^Ï&uø ^ßø%e…ø ^ Þø‚ø Âø æø ^Úø ^Þø‚ûqø æø ‚û Îø ^$Þ¬ôÊø
34 ý Ü$ (o‰ç Ûe Ü$ (Ý «e ]ç$^Çj ‰] ÔÖ„F Ò Üâ ^ ßnfÊ ý
290 ý ÜŠÏ Ê (å ^_ÂªÊ (äeç $ oÊ ä ‰œ… ]²] Ùç‰… Ð×v Ê
295 ý ‹ÛÇ nÊ (é…^f Ö] é ]‚ ÇÖ] oÊ ] å¨^ q ^Ûe †Ê ý
271 ý ^ ßn×‘ æ ^ßa çqæ æ ^ß‰¨ … o ×Â ^ßff ‘ æ ^ße†Ê ý
263 X ^Þ‚ ßÂ ç ãÊ èe†Ï Ö] Ü Ê ^ã ßÂ ²] o•…Ün ×‰ Ýœ kÃ_ÏÊ ý
285 ý ]²] Ùô ç‰… Ðöm… äÊøçq Øì ® Ùø æœ á^ÓÊ ý
334 ý x jËn Ê X ÜÃÞ V Ù^Ïn Ê [] ofßÖ] gv‘ àÚ Ü ÓnÊ ý
265 X]of ßÖ] | æ… ÅˆôÞö ]„â o Ê
101 ý àøne(^v jøÛö×Ö oj fvÚ kûføqæø Vo ÖF^Ã i æ Õ…^fi ²] Ùø ^Î
326 ý (ÔnfÞ àÚ o Þ^ ÓÛÖ ÔnÖā oe Ýç ÏÖ] ä qçi ‚Î ý
296 ý æ äm‚ne ^Þ„ìªÊ X]²] Ù ç‰… Õ]ƒ VØn ÏÊ (^ßÚ‚ Î
427
275 ý ^` nÖā &Ãe ® æ œ ànÂ áø^ŠÞ¦] h ^‘œ ]ƒā á^Ò ý

264 ý o •†Û ×Ö ^ ã×ŠÇ Þ àvßÊ (^ãŠf×m ] ofßÖ] á^Ò ý
274 ý ^n Þ‚Ö] àÚ ±ù Öā guœ ä ßÚ é†Ã p‚ßÂ áç Ói á¢ý
252 ý à ÓÖ æ ä×âœ änÖæ ]ƒā à m‚Ö] o×Â ]çÓfi Ÿ ý
308 ý (é…ç’ ßÚ ÐvÖ] o×Â oj Úœ àÚ èËñ^› Ù]î Ÿ ý
294 ý X]²] Ùôç ‰… éö ^m‡ oßö Î…ô^Ë iö Ÿ
306 Xàø n vÖ^’Ö] Ùôª‰ ^Ê (‚$ eö Ÿ ÷¡ ñ^‰ køßÒ áā æ (Ÿ
193 ý àÚ (å^ ßnÂ l †Ï Ö ]†•û á^Ò ç Ö (gÖ^› o eœ …ù ²
276 ý àÚ äjû ßøÛ$ –øi ^ÛÖ Ø e (éçŠößû×øÏøÖ] gfŠe ^ã×ûÃÊœ ÜÖý
147 ýÔ ø Öª‰œ !h… ^m VÙ^Î (èøòø n _íÖ] Ý! Íø †øjøÎ] ^ÛÖ
273 ý „ø ìœ àÚ Ùø æœ ”èv×› çeœ á^Ò (ä‰œ… Ð×u ^ ÛÖ ý
296 ý Øöfôù Ïø ßöÊø (^ß×ô u ]æ … àÚ …ö ^fj Þ ^ß×Ã rÊ èßm‚ÛÖ] ^ßÚ ‚ôÎø ^ÛÖ
333 ý †ËÇ jŠm áœ kÃ _j‰ ] á¬Ê X å†e¢ ²] o ×Â ÜŠÎœ çÖ
105 ý o Ê ‚º u]æ (Øù q æ ˆÂ ²] oÊ ^$e^v i àôm‚øfÂ á$ œ çÖ
223 X^ `ßÂ Ü`j Öª‰ Ÿā èm! á! †Ï Ö] àÚ ‹ nÖ ý
224 X ^`ßÂ äj Öª ‰ ‚Î æ Ÿā èm! á! †ÏÖ] oÊ ^Ú ý
80 ý (^â †qœ ä×Ê (è÷ßŠu è÷ß$‰ö Ý¡‰¢] o Ê à$ ‰ àÚ
44 ý å „âF h$ … (Ü ã×Ö] Vð]‚ß(Ö] Äö ÛŠûmø ànu Ù ^Î àÚ ý
121 ý (àãnÖā àøŠuªÊ (^ò÷ n lô^ ßfÖ] å „â àÚ ± ×m àÚ ý
98 ý Xkøfû fø uû ]* àÚ Ä Ú køÞû]* æ g$ uø*] àÚ Ä Ú ðö †ÛÖ] ý
275 ý kv i ^`Ã –Ê (]²] Ùç ‰… †Ã àÚ é †Ã å„ a
428
338 XÜÓ ñ^Ë Ã– e Ÿā áçÎ…î æ áæ †’ ßi Ø â

103 ý Ýõû…œ †ö nÆ o×Â (²] |ô æ †e ]çeù ^v i Ýº çÎ Üâ ý
184, 185, 193 ý äô ãôqç e Ýö^ÛÇ Ö] oÏøŠjøŠûmö ˜ö n eœ æ
273 ý é †Ã ÄÏ i áœ áæ‚m†m ^ÛÊ (äe^ v‘œ äe Í^›œ æ ý
312 ý ^ÛÖ Ä Û‰ªe ÜjÞœ ^Ú =å‚ ne D]E ‚Ûv Ú ‹ ËÞ p„Ö]æ
110 ý (°‚Ãe ]ç Òö†ô iö áûœ ÜÓn×Â Íö ^ìœ ^Ú ²] æ ý
374 ý ^÷Ûjj ÓÚö Ø nû ×íÖ] …^Þ l$ û …ø æø
134 ø nfÞ Ðve ^ã×øìø‚ûÚö ^ãn ×Â Äû‰( æø ý
ý ð^nfÞ¢] æ Ô
348 X ^ãnÖā ]ç×’i Ÿ æ …ç fÏÖ] o×Â ]çŠ×ri Ÿ æ
192 ý ^Þ…]†Ê Ôn Öā Ÿā ^ßÖ ‹n Ö æ
120 ý (äf$uô œ oju ØôÊ]çßÖê ±$ Öā hö †Ï jm °‚fÂ Ù ]ˆm ^Ú æ
288 ý [àn Ãß’ i p„Ö] ]„â ^Ú =Ü n×‰ Ýœ ^m ý
294 Xåö ‡ô æ ä–ôÎ] (Ù¡e ^m
281 ý än Ê ä ßËÒœ Ô’n ÛÎ oß_Âœ =²] Ùç‰ … ^m ý
209 X äÖ †ËÆ ‚ Î ²] áœ å†fÊ (o e]†Â¢] ÐvÖ] =of jÂ ^m ý
General Index
‘Abbās, 20, 135, 324, ‘Abdullāh bin Ubayy,
325, 326, 327, 331, 374 280, 281
‘Abbās bin ‘Abd-ul- ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar, 34,
M uttalib, 325 113, 185, 264, 266, 280,
‘Abd-ul-Ghanī M aqdisī 325, 336, 346
Hambalī, 381 ‘Abdullāh bin Zubayr,
‘Abdullāh, 35, 233, 260, 285
263, 386 ‘Abd-ul-M ājid
‘Abdullāh bin ‘Abbās, 33 Daryābādī, 344
‘Abdullāh bin ‘Alī bin ‘Abd-ul-M ālik, 243, 244
M adīnī, 222 ‘Abd-ul-Qādir Jīlānī, 68
‘Abdullāh bin Anīs, 290, ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān, 233
291, 292 ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān Jāmī,
‘Abdullāh bin Dīnār, 185 364
‘Abdullāh bin Hārith, 281 ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān bin Abū
‘Abdullāh bin M as‘ūd, ‘Amrah, 262
214, 267, 337 ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān bin
‘Abdullāh bin Zayd bin Aslam, 148
M uhammad bin Siddīq Abū Bakr as-Siddīq, 16,
al-Ghumārī, 220 60, 135, 232, 233, 263,
‘Abdullāh bin M uslim bin 265, 384
Qutaybah, 161 Abū ‘Abdullāh Qurayshī,
‘Abdullāh bin Sa‘d bin 366
Sufyān, 281 Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī,
135, 252, 320, 378
429
Abū Bakr Ahmad bin Abū Sa‘īd Khudrī, 136,

M uhammad, 267 138, 334
Abū Bakr bin Ishāq, 271 Abū Sālih Dhakawān,
Abū Bakr M uhammad 236, 237
bin Husayn, 151 Abū Sālih Dhakawān
Abū Burdah, 270 Sammān, 231, 232,
Abū ad-Dardā’, 138 Abū Sa‘ūd ‘Amādī, 162
Abū al-Fadl al-M ībadī, Abū Talhah, 273, 286
161 Abū Tālib, 183, 184, 193,
Abū Hanīfah, 369, 379, 194
380 Abū ‘Ubaydah, 233
Abū Hāzim, 270 Adam (D), 21, 35, 61,
Abū Hurayrah, 78, 96, 145, 146, 148, 149, 150,
105, 118, 119, 265 152, 165, 359, 364, 381
Abū Ja‘far Dārimī, 220 Ahmad as-Sāwī al-
Abū al-Jawzā’, 223 M ālikī, 150
Abū al-Jawzā’ Aws bin Ahmad bin Hambal, 20,
‘Abdullāh, 215 25, 111, 180, 218, 221
Abū al-Layth Ahmad bin Zaynī Dahlān,
Samarqandī, 150 375
Abū M ansūr Sabbāgh, Ahmad Radā Khān, 269
210 ‘Ā’ishah, 121, 215, 224,
Abū M uhammad al- 225, 226, 227, 228, 261,
M akkī 150 262, 265, 283
Abū M ūsā, 288, 289 Ājurrī, 151, 162
Abū an-Nu‘mān, 216, Albānī, 231, 234
217, 218, 219 ‘Alī, 16, 60, 145, 277
Abū al-Qāsim Qushayrī, ‘Alī bin Abū Tālib, 134
382 ‘Alī bin M ūsā, 379
Abū Sādiq, 212 Allah, many times
Abū Sa‘īd Ghifārī, 235 nearness to, 25
General Index 431
non-Allah, 90 Bilāl, 289, 294

proximity to, 25 Bukhārī, 20, 24, 25, 29,
A‘mash, 230, 231 35, 180, 218, 219, 220,
‘Amr bin M ālik, 221 223, 253, 266, 296
‘Amr bin M ālik Rāsibī, Bulqīnī, 148
223 Burhān-ud-Dīn Halabī,
‘Amr bin Shu‘ayb, 111 217
‘Āmir, 32 Būsīrī, 137
Anas, 20, 266, 272, 273, Christians, 167, 171
274, 286, 287, 288 Companion (s), many
Anas bin M ālik, 98, 100, times
134, 186, 292, 295 Compassionate, 36,
Asad, 161 Cyprus, 377
Ashraf ‘Alī Thānwī, 150, Day of Judgement, 24,
269, 345, 346, 373, 375 34, 35, 48, 67, 69, 84, 98,
Asmā’ bint Abū Bakr, 99, 100, 103, 104, 105,
264, 285 123, 127, 128, 143, 167,
‘Awn, 233 168, 203, 204, 214, 244,
Aws bin ‘Abdullāh, 216 245, 247, 250, 254, 255,
Aws, 157 291, 309, 310, 311, 316
Badr, 312 358
Baghawī, 20, 25, 161 Day of Resurrection, 105,
Banī Hāshim, 183 250
Banī Israel, 163, 343, Dhahabī, 20, 152, 179,
344, 345 180, 216, 217, 218, 219,
Banū Nadīr, 157, 160 231
Banū Qurayzah, 157, 160 Dhun-Nūn, 139
Baydāwī, 161 Dūrī, 220
Bayhaqī, 20, 25, 145, Dimyātī, 137
151, 180, 211, 360 dīn, 21,
du‘ā’, 25,
Egypt, 258, 367 Ibn Hajar ‘Asqalānī, 20,

Eve, 149, 150 25, 137, 212, 218, 219,
Fajr prayer, 65 220, 221, 222, 225, 232,
Fakhānī, 268 238, 274, 284, 328, 364
Fātimah bint Asad, 277 Ibn Hajar Haythamī, 20,
Fātimah bint Asad bin 148, 366, 367
Hāshim, 134, 135 Ibn Hibbān, 20, 218, 236
Fazārah, 195 Ibn Jarīr Tabarī, 161
Friday Sermon, 186 Ibn Juzayy, 162
Granter of repentance, 36, Ibn M adīnī, 221
Ghatafān, 156, 161 Ibn M a‘īn, 220, 221
God, many times Ibn M anzūr, 23, 24
Hajjāj bin Hassān, 271 Ibn-ul-M undhir, 145, 146
al-Halabī, 151 Ibn-ul-Qaysarānī, 226
Hammād bin Zayd, 219 Ibn-ul-Qayyim, 320, 321
Hārūn (D), 257, 258 Ibn Qudāmah, 211
Hawāzin, 111 Ibn-us-Salāh, 221
Hell, 121, 137 Ibn Sīrīn, 273, 274
Hereafter, many times Ibn-us-Sunnī, 20, 180
highest station, 25, Ibn Taymiyyah, 151, 152,
Husayn bin ‘Abd-ur- 223, 227, 230, 242, 244,
Rahmān, 261 361
Ibn ‘Abbās (‘Abdullāh), Ibn ‘Umar, 184, 185
155, 157, 224 Ibrāhīm (D), 302, 303,
Ibn ‘Ābidīn Shāmī, 368 339, 374
Ibn Abū ad-Dunyā, 243 Ibrāhīm bin Ishāq, 381
Ibn Abū Hātim Rāzī, 218, Ibrāhīm bin Sālih, 321
231, 379 Ibrāhīm bin ‘Umar
Ibn Abū Khaythamah, Biqā‘ī, 162
233 intercession, many times
Ibn-ul-Firāsī, 306 intermediary, many times
General Index 433
intermediation, many Khaybar, 156

times Khāzin, 161
twofold act, 13 Khazraj, 157
‘Irāqī, 218 Kinānah, 194
‘Īsā (D), 44, 45, 57, 59, Kufa, 332
92, 362 Laylā, 268
Ismā‘īl Dihlawī, Shah, 43 Layth, 35,
Ismā‘īl Qādī, 234 Lord, many times
Islam, many times M ahallī, Jalāl-ud-Dīn,
Ismā‘īl (D), 159
Isma‘īl Dihlawī, Shāh, 27 M ahmūd Ālūsī, 157, 370
Ismā‘īl Haqqī, 162 M ahmūd Sa‘īd M amdūh,
Isrāfīl, 65 376
Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh, 25, M akkah, 16, 184, 282,
279, 293 283, 285, 327
Ja‘far bin Sulaymān, 224 M ālik, 358
Jews, 51, 154, 156, 158, M alik ad-Dar, 227, 229,
160, 161, 164, 167, 171 232, 234, 235, 236, 237
Jibrīl (D), 59, 65, 96, 97 M ālik bin ‘Iyād, 233
jihad, many times manna and quail, 31
jinn, 44, 45, 92 M ansūr bin Yūnus
Ji‘rānah, 289 Buhūtī,
Juhaynah, 161 maqām Mahmud, 48
Ka‘bah, 340 M arwān, 253
Kahf, 347 M aryam, 30, 52, 53, 54,
Kan‘ān, 258 59
kawthar, 110 M awlānā Rūm, 43
Khadir, 323 means, many times
Khālid bin Sufyān, 291 means of seeking
Khālid bin Walīd, 32, 276 Allah’s help, 33
Khatīb Shurbīnī, 162 mediation, many times
of the shirt, 31, M uhammad Khatīb

M edina, 20, 161, 187, Tabrīzī, 25,
190, 191, 215, 216, 227, M uhammad Rashīd Radā,
286, 289, 295, 297, 327 162
M erciful, 36, M uhammad Zāhid
messenger (s), many Kawtharī, 20, 373, 381
times M uhammad Zakariyyā
M essemger (A), many Kandhalwī, 269
times M ujaddid Alf Thānī, 382
M īkā’īl, 65 M ujāhid bin Jubayr, 161
M orocco, 220 M ullā ‘Alī Qārī, 151, 367
M u‘ādh bin Jabal, 101 M undhirī, 20, 180
M uhammad (A), many M ūsā (D), 31, 32, 35,
times 254, 257, 258, 323, 344,
yā Muhammadāh, 32, 345, 389
M uhammad bin M ūsā Kāzim, 380
‘Abdullāh bin Zayd, 290 M us‘ab bin Sa‘d, 338
M uhammad bin ‘Abd-ur- M usaylimah, the Lair, 32,
Rahmān Hasanī Husaynī, M uslim (s), many times
162 M uslim community, 52
M uhammad bin ‘Alawī mutawassal bihī, 21
al-M ālikī, 16, 18, 151, mutawwassal ilayh, 22
152, 213, 218, 226, 376 mutawassil, 21
M uhammad bin al-Fadl Na‘īm-ud-Dīn
Sadūsī, 216 M urādābādī, 342
M uhammad bin Yūsuf Nasā’ī, 25, 180, 218, 219
Abū Hayyān Andalusī, Nasafī, 161
161 nawāfil, 119
M uhammad Hishām Nawawī, 20, 213, 360
Kabbānī, 376 Nūh (D), 374
General Index 435
Nūr-ud-Dīn Qārī, 367 Sālim, 185

Ottoman Turks, 228 Sāmirī, 340, 341
Paradise, 24, 25, 35, 49, Satan, 26, 149
101, 251 Sayf bin ‘Umar Tamīmī,
prophet (s), many times 230
Prophet (A), many seeking aid, 35,
times Shāfi‘ī, 227, 379, 381
Qatādah, 157 Shāh ‘Abd-ul-‘Azīz
Qadī ‘Iyād, 150, 292, M uhaddith Dihlawī, 385
293, 360 Shāh ‘Abd-ul-Haqq
Qādī Thanā’ullāh Pānī M uhaddith Dihlawī, 373,
Patī, 159, 303, 348 380
Qastallānī, 20, 21, 149, Shāh Walī Allah
180, 230, 365 M uhaddith Dihlawī, 43,
Qubā, 285 342, 383
Qur’ān, 15, 16, 26, 30, Shariah, many times
31, 36, Shams Tabrīzī, 43
Qur’ānic, 27, 36, Sharf-ud-Dīn Būsīrī, 346
Qurtubī, 156, 212, 359 Sharīk, 189
Rabb, 62 Shihāb-ud-Dīn Ahmad
Rāghib Asfahānī, 23 M uqrī, 269
ar-Rahmān, 15 Shurayh bin ‘Ubayd, 335
Rāzī, 158, 303 Subkī, 20, 21, 180, 327,
Safwān bin ‘Assāl, 297 363
Sahl bin Sa‘d, 270, 271, Successors, many times
278, 279 Sulaymān, 344
Sa‘īd bin Zayd Abū Sulaymān bin ‘Umar, 162
Hasan Basrī, 219, 220, Sunnah, many times
221 Suyūtī, Jalāl-ud-Dīn, 20,
Sa‘īd bin Zayd, 216 145, 151, 160, 180, 320,
Sālih bin Khawwāt, 236 364
Syria, 336 Usāmah bin Zayd, 135

Tabūk, 195, 281 Usayr bin Jābir, 332
Tantāwī Jawharī, 162 ‘Utbī, 211, 212
tawassul, many times ‘Uthmān, 16, 234, 265,
kinds of, 27 292
Thābit al-Bunānī, 266, Uthmān bin ‘Abdullāh
274 bin M awhab, 275
Thamāmah, 287 ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf, 19,
Thamūd, 346 177, 180, 240, 241, 242
Torah, 159 Uways Qaranī, 331, 333,
‘Udhrah, 161 334
Uhud, 110, 173 ‘Uzayr (D), 44, 45, 92
‘Umar, 20, 229, 233, 260, Wahbah Zuhaylī, Dr, 162
261, 262, 265, 325, 329, Walīd, 32,
330, 332 Wāqidī,
‘Umar bin Hamzah, 185 wasīlah, many times
‘Umar bin al-Khattāb, 16, Yahyā (D), 30
103, 135, 145, 232, 240, Yamāmah, battle of, 32,
312, 325, 327, 360 Ya‘qūb (D), 31, 56, 57,
‘Umar Fārūq, 384 258, 259
Umm Abān bint Wāzi‘, Yūsuf (D), 31, 55, 56,
296 57, 258, 305, 305
Umm Harām bint M ilhān, Yūsuf M izzī, 20
377 Zakariyyā ,30, 52, 53, 54
Umm Kalthūm, 277 zakat, 16, 101
Umm Salamah, 275, 276, Zamakhsharī, 24
289 Zayd, 32
Umm Sulaym, 263, 287 Zayn-ul-‘Ābidīn, 60, 357,
Ummah , 51, 166, 248, 358
249, 252, 314 Zaynab, 277
‘Uqbah bin ‘Āmir, 110

Islamic Concept of Intermediation - Tawassul (English)

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Islamic

Prof Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

Copyright © 2001 by M inhaj-ul-Qur’an M ovement,

è Entire income of Prof Dr M uhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri’s

Composed by: Abdul Khaliq Baltistani

Under the aegis of:

Printed by M inhaj-ul-Qur’an Printing Press, Pakistan.

The virtuous act of the second man—Self purity 116

Qur’ānic reply 170

6. Fulfilment of needs through the Prophet’s 240

15. Blessing through the Holy Prophet’s staff 290

8. Subsistence through the blessing of the weak and 338

7. Imam Nawawī 360

9. Shāh Walī Allah M uhaddith Dihlawī 383

comprehensively to the undeniable reality of human

Belief in divine unity gives human life a sense of

knows that man is genetically weak; his willpower and

favourite. And since His most favourite and beloved friend

Allah. Thus they conclude that since no one except Allah

immediately and it is quite possible that he will get the

religion of Islam, as this is the only book of its kind

Prof Iftikhar A. Sheikh

About the Book

And (O beloved,) when My servants ask

(O beloved,) say, “Call upon Allah or

1. Qur’ān (al-Baqarah) 2:186.

(Allah) loves them and they love Him. 1

1. Qur’ān (al-Mā’idah) 5:54.

True sense of the concept of

1. Muhammad bin ‘Alawī al-Mālikī, Mafāhīm yajib an tusahhah,

O Allah, I appeal to You, and submit to

1. Ibn Mājah transmitted it in his Sunan, b. of iqāmat-us-salāt was-

Important te rminology about tawassul

1. Dārimī narrat ed it in ch.15 of the muqaddimah (introduction) to his

Literal and technical

1. Imam Rāghib Asfahānī comments:

Wasīlah means to seek willingly access

1. Rāghib Asfah ānī, Mufradāt alfāz al-Qur’ān (p.871).

In fact, wasīlah is a means of approach

Everything that helps in seeking means

Technical meaning of tawassul

1. Ibn Manzūr, Lisān-ul-Arab (11:725).

Allah’s Messenger (A) said as

1. Bukhārī, as-Sahīh, b. of adhān (the call to prayer) ch.8

(Satan) said, “I swear by Your honour

O believers! Fear Allah and seek means

1. Qur’ān (Sād) 38:82.

People who are in search of the true

1. Ismā‘īl Dihlawī, Sirāt mustaqīm (p.58).

This (kind of intermediation) seeks

When a need or worry is submitted to

Difference between the two

Kinds of tawassul fid-du‘ā’

In this form of intermediation, the name

At this place (Maryam’s place of

1. Qur’ān (Āl-i-‘Imrān ) 3:38.

And remember when you said, “O Mūsā,

1. Qur’ān (al-Baqarah) 2:61.

“I am the son of Walīd. I am the son of

1. Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (5:30).