Tawaswswul through the Absent

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The Hanafi scholar, Imam Muhammad al-Hamid (r.a.) said, in Rudud ‘ala al-Bathil wa Rasa’il ash-Shaykh Muhammad al-Hamid, “As for calling upon the righteous,” referring to when they are physically absent, as in the words, “O Muhammad,” in the above hadits, “tawaswswul to Allah Most High through them is permissible, the supplication being to Allah Most Glorious, and there is much evidence for its permissibility. 

Those who call on them intending tawaswswul cannot be blamed.  As for someone who believes that those called upon can cause effects, benefit, or harm, which they create or cause to exist as Allah Does, such a person is an idolater who has left Islam - Allah be our refuge!  This then, and a certain person has written an article that tawaswswul to Allah Most High through the righteous is unlawful, while the overwhelming majority of scholars hold it is permissible, and the evidence the writer uses to corroborate his viewpoint is devoid of anything that demonstrates what he is trying to prove.  In declaring tawaswswul permissible, we are not hovering on brink of shirk or coming anywhere near it, for the conviction that Allah Most High Alone has Influence over anything, outwardly or inwardly, is a conviction that flows through us like our very lifeblood.  If tawaswswul was shirk, or if there were any suspicion of idolatry in it, the Prophet (s.a.w.) would not have taught it to the blind man when the latter asked him to supplicate Allah (s.w.t.) for him, though in fact he did teach him to make tawaswswul to Allah (s.w.t.) through him.  And the notion that tawaswswul is permissible only during the lifetime of the person through whom it is done but not after his death is unsupported by any viable foundation from Sacred Law.”

Add caption