Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ash-Shawkani (r.a.) Refuted the Deniers of Tawaswswul

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ash-Shawkani (r.a.) commented extensively regarding those who forbid tawaswswul to Allah (s.w.t.) through the prophets and the saints, and cite, to support their position, the following verses: 

سُوۡرَةُ الزُّمَر

... مَا نَعۡبُدُهُمۡ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ زُلۡفَىٰٓ ... (٣) 

… “We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah …” (Surah az-Zumar:3) 

سُوۡرَةُ الشُّعَرَاء

فَلَا تَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُعَذَّبِينَ (٢١٣) 

So, call not on any other god with Allah, or you will be among those under the Penalty. (Surah ash-Shu’ara:213) 

سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء

قُلِ ٱدۡعُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمۡتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ فَلَا يَمۡلِكُونَ كَشۡفَ ٱلضُّرِّ عَنكُمۡ وَلَا تَحۡوِيلاً (٥٦) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّہُمۡ أَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَهُ ۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۥۤ‌ۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحۡذُورً۬ا (٥٧) 

Say: “Call on those ― besides Him ― whom you fancy: they have neither the power to remove your troubles from you nor to change them.”  Those whom they call upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord, - even those who are nearest: they hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of your Lord is something to take heed of. (Surah al-Isra’:56-57) 

He said these verses are irrelevant; they support exactly the reverse of what the objectors to tawaswswul claim, since the verses are related to another issue.  Surah az-Zumar:3 Explicitly States that they worship them for that purpose, whereas the one who makes tawaswswul through one of the pious, for example, never worships him, but knows that he has maziyyah, a privilege, before Allah (s.w.t.), for being a carrier of knowledge; and that is why he uses him as a means. 

Similarly, irrelevant to the issue is Surah ash-Shu’ara:213.  This verse Forbids calling upon another together with Allah (s.w.t.).  However, the one who makes tawaswswul through a saint, for example, never calls upon other than Allah (s.w.t.).  He only seeks a means to Him through the excellent works that one of His servants achieved, just as the three men in the cave, who were blocked by the rock, and used their good works as a means to have their petition Answered. 

Similarly, irrelevant to the issue is Surah al-Isra’:56-57, for it refers to people who call upon those who cannot fulfill their request, at the same time not calling upon Allah (s.w.t.) Who can; whereas one who makes tawaswswul through the pious, never calls upon other than Allah (s.w.t.). 

Objectors to tawaswswul are, in fact, bringing forth dala’il that are irrelevant to the issue at hand.  Even more irrelevant is their citing of the following verse: 

سُوۡرَةُ الانفِطار

يَوۡمَ لَا تَمۡلِكُ نَفۡسٌ۬ لِّنَفۡسٍ۬ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا‌ۖ وَٱلۡأَمۡرُ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ لِّلَّهِ (١٩) 

(It will be) the Day when no soul shall have power (to do) aught for another: for the Command, that Day, will be (wholly) with Allah. (Surah al-Infithar:19) 

This verse Says that Allah (s.w.t.) Alone Decides everything on the Day of Judgement, and that none other will have any say at that time.  However, the one who performs tawaswswul through one of the prophets, or one of the pious, never believes that the one through whom he makes tawaswswul is in partnership with Allah (s.w.t.) on the Day of Judgement.  As Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (r.a.) said, we do not confuse the means and the Giver. 

The deniers of tawaswswul also cite the following: 

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

لَيۡسَ لَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ شَىۡءٌ أَوۡ يَتُوبَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ أَوۡ يُعَذِّبَهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ ظَـٰلِمُونَ (١٢٨) 

Not for you, (but for Allah) is the decision: whether He turn in Mercy to them or Punish them; for they are indeed wrong-doers. (Surah Ali ‘Imran:128) 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴعرَاف

قُل لَّآ أَمۡلِكُ لِنَفۡسِى نَفۡعً۬ا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ‌ۚ وَلَوۡ كُنتُ أَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبَ لَٱسۡتَڪۡثَرۡتُ مِنَ ٱلۡخَيۡرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ‌ۚ إِنۡ أَنَا۟ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ۬ وَبَشِيرٌ۬ لِّقَوۡمٍ۬ يُؤۡمِنُونَ (١٨٨) 

Say: “I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah Wills.  If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me: I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith.” (Surah al-A’araf:188) 

These two verses State Explicitly that even the Prophet (s.a.w.) has no say in Allah’s (s.w.t.) Decision and that he has no power to benefit or harm himself in the least, let alone someone else; there is nothing in them that denies tawaswswul through the Prophet (s.a.w.) or of the pious.  Allah (s.w.t.) Bestowed upon His Prophet (s.a.w.) the maqam al-mahmud, Exalted Station, which is the station of Shafa’ah al-‘Uzhmah, the Great Intercession, and He has Commanded Creation to seek intercession through the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) maqam.