Wasilah of the Prophet (s.a.w.) in the Caliphate of Sayyidina Abu ‘Amr ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan (r.a.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The swahabah took the wasilah of the Prophet (s.a.w.) even after his passing.  Imam Abu al-Qasim Sulayman ibn Ayyub ath-Thabarani (r.a.) narrated an incident where a person repeatedly visited Sayyidina Abu ‘Amr ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan (r.a.), when he was the caliph, concerning something he needed but Sayyidina ‘Utsman (r.a.), had paid no attention to him.  The man went to Sayyidina ‘Utsman ibn Hunayf (r.a.) and complained to him about the matter.  Sayyidina ‘Utsman ibn Hunayf (r.a.) said, “Go to the place of wudhu’, then come to the masjid.  Perform two raka’at and then say, ‘O Allah!  I ask you and turn to you through our prophet, Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy.  O Muhammad!  I turn through you to my Lord, that He Fullfill my need,’ and mention your need.  Then come so that I can go with you,” meaning bring him to see the caliph, Sayyidina ‘Utsman (r.a.). 

So, the man did as he had been told, and then went to the door of Sayyidina ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan (r.a.).  The doorman came, took him by the hand, and brought him to Sayyidina ‘Utsman (r.a.). and seated him next to him on a cushion.  Sayyidina ‘Utsman (r.a.) asked him, “What do you need?” and the man mentioned what he wanted, and ‘Utsman (r.a.) accomplished it for him. 

Imam Zaki ad-Din ‘Abd al-‘Aazhim ibn ‘Abd al-Qawi al-Mundziri (r.a.) said that Imam ath-Thabarani (r.a.), after narrating it, said, “This hadits is swahih.”  This is recorded in at-Targhib wa Tarhib.  Imam Shibab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hajr al-Haytsami (r.a.) also accepted the authentication of Imam ath-Thabarani (r.a.), in his Majma’ az-Zawa’id wa Manba’ al-Fawa’id.  Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah (r.a.) declared it swahih, in his Qa’idah al-Jalilah fi at-Tawaswswul wa al-Wasilah. 

Imam Muhammad ibn Yusuf asw-Swalihi (r.a.) wrote an entire chapter on this issue in Sabl al-Hadi.  Regarding tawaswswul through the Prophet (s.a.w.), after his passing, it is narrated by Imam ath-Thabarani (r.a.) and Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi (r.a.), with a continuous chain, and tsiqah narrators, the hadits of Sayyidina ‘Utsman ibn Hunayf (r.a.) that a man came to Sayyidina ‘Utsman ibn ‘Affan (r.a.) regarding his hajat, until the end of same hadits.