Kitāb al-Tawḥīd - Salih Al-Fawzan - (95)

And tawassul is of two categories:

The first category is the lawful tawassul, which itself has several forms:

1 – Seeking nearness to Allah by means of His names and attributes, as He, Exalted is He, commands: “To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His names—they will be recompensed for what they used to do” (7:180).

2 – Seeking nearness to Allah through one’s own faith and righteous deeds—that is, through the belief and good works the supplicant has actually performed. Regarding the believers, Allah says: “Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, saying, ‘Believe in your Lord,’ so we believed. Our Lord, forgive us our sins, wipe away our misdeeds, and cause us to die in the company of the righteous” (3:193). Likewise is the well-known account of the three men upon whom a boulder sealed the mouth of a cave, preventing them from leaving. They sought Allah’s aid by means of their righteous deeds, and Allah relieved them (1), so they came out walking.

(1) This is the substance of the hadith, and it is unanimously authenticated in both canonical collections.

والتوسل قسمان: القسم الأول: توسل مشروع وهو أنواع: ١ - النوع الأول: التوسل إلى الله تعالى بأسمائه وصفاته، كما أمر تعالى بذلك في قوله: ﴿وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [الأعراف: ١٨٠] ٢ - النوع الثاني: التوسل إلى الله تعالى بالإيمان والأعمال الصالحة: التي قام بها المتوسل، كما قال تعالى عن أهل الإيمان: ﴿رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلْإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ﴾ [آل عمران: ١٩٣] وكما في حديث الثلاثة الذين انطبقت عليهم الصخرة فسدت عليهم باب الغار، فلم يستطيعوا الخروج، فتوسلوا إلى الله بصالح أعمالهم، ففرج الله عنهم (١) فخرجوا يمشون.

(١) هذا مضمون الحديث وهو متفق عليه.