Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (1/247)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

The texts of the Quran and Sunnah consistently affirm that Allah has commanded us to invoke blessings and peace upon the Prophet wherever we may be. This is a matter on which Muslims agree. Likewise, in the authentic hadith, he encouraged and urged us to ask Allah to grant him al-wasīla and distinction, and to raise him to the praised station He has promised him. This al-wasīla, which we have been instructed to ask Allah Most High to grant him—just as we have been instructed to invoke blessings and peace upon him—is his right, just as invoking blessings and peace upon him is his right, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The means of nearness that Allah has commanded us to seek towards Him is drawing near to Allah through obedience to Him. This encompasses everything Allah and His Messenger have commanded us to do. We have no way of attaining this means of nearness except by following the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through faith in him and obedience to him. Seeking nearness through him in this sense is obligatory upon everyone.

As for seeking nearness through his supplication and intercession—as people will ask him on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for them, and as the Companions used to seek nearness through his intercession when seeking rain and on other occasions, such as the blind man’s seeking nearness through his supplication until Allah restored his sight through the Prophet’s supplication and intercession—this is a third type. It falls under Allah’s acceptance of his supplication and intercession because of the honour in which He holds him. Someone for whom the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, intercedes and supplicates is therefore unlike someone for whom he neither supplicates nor intercedes.

Some people, however, supposed that the Companions’ seeking nearness through him meant that they adjured Allah by him and asked Allah by him. They therefore supposed that this was prescribed without qualification for everyone, during his lifetime and after his death, and they supposed

وَنُصُوصُ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ مُتَظَاهِرَةٌ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَنَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَنُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ؛ فَهَذَا مِمَّا اتَّفَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَكَذَلِكَ رَغَّبَنَا وَحَضَّنَا فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ عَلَى أَنْ نَسْأَلَ اللَّهَ لَهُ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ وَأَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدَهُ. فَهَذِهِ الْوَسِيلَةُ الَّتِي شُرِعَ لَنَا أَنْ نَسْأَلَهَا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى - كَمَا شُرِعَ لَنَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ عَلَيْهِ وَنُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْهِ - هِيَ حَقٌّ لَهُ كَمَا أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَيْهِ وَالسَّلَامَ حَقٌّ لَهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. وَالْوَسِيلَةُ الَّتِي أَمَرَنَا اللَّهُ أَنْ نَبْتَغِيَهَا إلَيْهِ هِيَ التَّقَرُّبُ إلَى اللَّهِ بِطَاعَتِهِ وَهَذَا يَدْخُلُ فِيهِ كُلُّ مَا أَمَرَنَا اللَّهُ بِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ. وَهَذِهِ الْوَسِيلَةُ لَا طَرِيقَ لَنَا إلَيْهَا إلَّا بِاتِّبَاعِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالْإِيمَانِ بِهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ وَهَذَا التَّوَسُّلُ بِهِ فَرْضٌ عَلَى كُلِّ أَحَدٍ. وَأَمَّا التَّوَسُّلُ بِدُعَائِهِ وَشَفَاعَتِهِ - كَمَا يَسْأَلُهُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَنْ يَشْفَعَ لَهُمْ وَكَمَا كَانَ الصَّحَابَةُ يَتَوَسَّلُونَ بِشَفَاعَتِهِ فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ وَغَيْرِهِ مِثْلُ تَوَسُّلِ الْأَعْمَى بِدُعَائِهِ حَتَّى رَدَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بَصَرَهُ بِدُعَائِهِ وَشَفَاعَتِهِ - فَهَذَا نَوْعٌ ثَالِثٌ هُوَ وَمِنْ بَابِ قَبُولِ اللَّهِ دُعَاءَهُ وَشَفَاعَتَهُ لِكَرَامَتِهِ عَلَيْهِ فَمَنْ شَفَعَ لَهُ الرَّسُولُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَدَعَا لَهُ فَهُوَ بِخِلَافِ مَنْ لَمْ يَدْعُ لَهُ وَلَا يَشْفَعْ لَهُ. وَلَكِنَّ بَعْضَ النَّاسِ ظَنَّ أَنَّ تَوَسُّلَ الصَّحَابَةِ بِهِ كَانَ بِمَعْنَى أَنَّهُمْ يُقْسِمُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْأَلُونَ بِهِ فَظَنَّ هَذَا مَشْرُوعًا مُطْلَقًا لِكُلِّ أَحَدٍ فِي حَيَاتِهِ وَمَمَاتِهِ وَظَنُّوا