Tawassul: Its Categories and Legal Rulings

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help and His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evils within ourselves and from the consequences of our misdeeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can mislead, and whomever He leaves to stray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.

“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should truly be feared, and do not die except as Muslims” (Q 3:102). “O mankind, fear your Lord who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the two of them spread many men and women. Fear Allah, in whose name you ask one another—and honor the wombs that bore you—for Allah is ever Watchful over you” (Q 4:1). “O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words that are straight; He will rectify your deeds and forgive you your sins, and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly achieved a great triumph” (Q 33:70–71).

To proceed: the best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst affairs are those newly introduced; every innovation is a bidʿah, every bidʿah is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.

People have fallen into great confusion regarding the matter of tawassul—its ruling in the religion—and they have differed over it immensely: some permit it, others forbid it; some are excessive, others overly lenient. For many centuries the majority of Muslims, when supplicating, have been accustomed to say, for example: “O Allah, by the right of Your Prophet—or by his status, or by the esteem he enjoys with You—grant me health and pardon me.” Or: “O Allah, I ask You by the sanctity of the Sacred House to forgive me.” Or: “O Allah, by the honor of the saints and the righteous—so-and-so and so-and-so.” Or: “O Allah, by the dignity of the men…"