so broadly that his molars could be seen, and he said, “I bear witness that Allah has power over all things, and that I am Allah’s servant and Messenger.”
These reports and others like them—occurring in the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ and in the time of his noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)—demonstrate beyond any doubt or quibble that the tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a mediator) practiced by the righteous forebears consisted of the petitioner going to the person through whom he seeks tawassul, presenting his circumstance to him, and asking him to supplicate Allah, exalted be He, on his behalf. The intermediary would then pray, Allah would accept his prayer, and the petitioner’s request would be granted.
- This understanding of wasīlah is exactly what people recognize and use in their daily lives. If someone has a need with a manager, a director, or even an ordinary employee, he looks for someone who knows that official, goes to him, explains his need, and asks him to speak on his behalf; the intermediary conveys the request to the person in charge, who usually fulfills it. This is the form of tawassul familiar to the Arabs from ancient times and still today. When someone says, “I made tawassul through so-and-so,” he simply means that he went to a third party and spoke to him about his need so that the latter might present it to the first person and ask him to meet it. No one understands from the phrase that he went straight to the official and said, “For the sake of so-and-so, the intermediary, and his standing with you, fulfill my request.”
Likewise, seeking tawassul with Allah through a righteous man does not mean appealing to the man’s person, rank, or intrinsic right; rather it is seeking Allah’s favor through his supplication, his humble entreaty, and his earnest plea to the Almighty. This, then, is what ʿUmar (Allah be pleased with him) meant when he said, “O Allah, we used to seek tawassul with You through our Prophet, so You would send us rain,” that is, whenever