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Sulaiman(A sunni brother): Let us resume our discussion about the Holy Ahle Bayt (a.s.). You Shias exceed all limits while expressing your love for them. So much so, that it seems you equate them to Allah.
Ja’far(A shia brother): How’s that? Can you give an example?
Sulaiman: You Shias seek the fulfillment of your dua (invocations) through the channel of Ahle Bayt (a.s.). You pray to them (tawassul).
Ja’far: Tawassul is not prohibited and neither is it an innovation (bidat). It is valid according the verses of the Holy Quran:
"O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seek means of nearness (waseela) to Him and strive hard in His way that you may be successful."
(Surah Maidah 5:35)
In another ayat we have:
"And We did not send any apostle but that he should be obeyed by Allah’s permission; and had they, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Apostle had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful."
(Surah Nisa 4:64)
Ahmed Ibne Hanbal, Tirmidhi and Ibne Majah and others have reported from Usman bin Hunaif:
"A blind man came to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and said, ‘Do ask Allah to grant me fitness and cure.’ The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) told him,
‘If you wish so I will pray for you and if you wish so, be patient and this is better for you.’
He replied, ‘Do pray.’
The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) ordered him to perform wuzu with utmost care and pray two rakat (units) of prayers and then to invocate as follows:
‘O Allah! I ask you, for the sake of Your Prophet (s.a.w.s), who is the prophet of mercy I focus my attention upon You so that my need gets fulfilled. O Allah! Make him my intercessor.’
(Sunan Ibne Majah Vol. I, Pg. 441)
Sulaiman: Perhaps it was during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.). But can we say that tawassul is valid even after the demise of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)?
Ja’far: Once we have accepted the validity of Tawassul, what difference does it make whether the Prophet (s.a.w.s) is alive or not? Of course, the companions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) continued to seek his tawassul even after he had passed away from among them. Tradition scholars have recorded that during the reign of Uthman bin Affan a man came to Usman bin Hunaif and complained to him that the caliph did not pay heed to him and fulfill his need.
Ibne Hunaif by referring to the words of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) ordered him to perform wuzu, offer two rakat prayers and then say:
"O Allah I ask you, for the sake of and through our Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) who is the Prophet of Mercy, I divert my attention to you. O Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) I contact and attend to Allah through your medium, so that my need is fulfilled."
(Al Mojamul Kabeer Vol. 9)
The man returned and his need was fulfilled.
More than this, it is accepted by all Muslims that tawassul of our Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was valid much before he took birth in this world. Hazrat Adam (a.s.) is reported to have seen the following inscription on one of the pillars of the High Heaven:
"There is no god except Allah and Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) is the Messenger of Allah."
This has been mentioned in Mustadrak of Hakim and Tibarani has also recorded it.
Sulaiman: Good! But you people go beyond the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and seek tawassul of the Imams of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.)?
Ja’far: Certainly, as I said, Imamat is the continuation of Prophethood. Even though the Imams (a.s.) are not Prophets, they are the successors of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.). They have a high status near the Almighty. Why do you find this surprising? It is a fact that companions (of the Prophet) have sought the tawassul of people who were not even from the Ahle Bayt (a.s.)! It is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari that:
Umar Ibne Khattab used to pray to Allah resorting to and through Abbas Ibne Abdul Muttalib, during draught to get rainfall. And used to say: "O Allah we always did beseech you by resorting to your Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and you used to irrigate us and send rain. Now we beseech you by resorting to the Uncle of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.). So let the rain fall and irrigate us. He says: "The (people) got rains."
(Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 2, Pg. 75)
It was due to the tawassul of Abbas who, apart from being the Uncle of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) did not command any other merit.
We can also quote other examples whereby the Imams of other sects have resorted to tawassul from their counterparts. For example, the book Al Khairaaat ul Hasaan fi Manaqibe Abi Hanifa al-noman that Imam Shafaei (r.a.) visited (the grave) of Abu Hanifa and sought his intercession for the fulfillment of his dua. Similarly, Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal prayed through the channel of Imam Shafaei.
In Sawaequl Muriqa the following couplets of Imam Shafaei are recorded in praise of the Holy Ahle Bayt (a.s.)
"The family of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) are my medium towards contacting Allah. I do expect that tomorrow on the doomsday I will get my Namaae Amaal (record of deeds) in my right hand through their intercession and mediation."
