Tawassul

Tawassul is an Arabic word originated from 'wasilat'. The wasilah is a means by which a person, goal or objective is approached, attained or achieved.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 months ago

Quranic verses are clear that the Prophet (SAWA) helps the believers and he is very sympathetic on them, and he is the source of blessings on the believers.

'The Infallible Imams are the real successors of the Prophet (SAWA) and did and still do the same to help the believers. They are in fact the keys to open the gates of mercy for the believers and we have many authentic narrations stating that.

'Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 7 months ago

Yes. It is permissible to seek help from the Prophet (SAWA) or his holy Progeny (AS) being the best servants of Allah whose prayers are accepted by Allah. We believe that nothing can happen with out the will of Allah, and His most humble servants can help us in seeking from Allah fulfilling our wishes. Quran tells us how Prophet Sulain did seek help from a pious servant of Allah to get the throne of Bilqees from Yemen to Palestine in a moment. Sura Naml, verse 40.

'Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 7 months ago

It is always good to say "Ya Ali Madad" but it does not replace our greeting which is mentioned in Quran and used by our Infallible Imams (As) and taught to us by Ahlul Bayt (AS) which is Salam or Salamun Alaykum. Sura 7, Verse 54 and Sura Younis, verse 10, and Sura Al-Agzab;44 and Sura Taseen;58.

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

Reciting the translation of the supplication is permissible. Reward depends on the state of our heart and the extend of sincerity and humbleness and reaction of the heart and mind with the supplication.

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

The Prophet and Ahlul Bayt (SAWA) taught us that every thing is in the hands of Allah (SWT) and no Prophet or Imam can help anyone without the permission of Allah. When we call upon Ahlul Bayt (AS), we believe fully that their high status with Allah, makes their Waseela for us very useful. We never claim that any prophet or Imam can help us away or independently from Allah (SWT). Calling upon Ahlul Bayt directly means that we seek their Waseela with Allah (SWT).

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

Pious servants of Allah are granted gifts from Allah including intercession for believers. These gifts from Allah (SWT) depends in the degree of that servant in front of Allah. We don't talk to the grave but to the pious servant of Allah who is granted an everlasting life as we read in Quran ( Don't think those who were killed in the way of Allah as dead, nay, there are alive but you do not feel)( Sura 3, verse 169).

'Every believer who dies with the love of Ahlul Bayt, die as a Shaheed. This is according to authentic Hadeeths in Shia and Sunni books including Tafseer of Zamajhshari and Tafseer Al-Fakhr Al-Raazi and many other Sunni books.

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

We believe that no one grants us our needs and protects us but Allah, The Glorious. When we ask the Prophet (SAWA) or Infallible Imams or Hazrat Abbas (AS), we do that based on our concrete faith that Allah only gives when He Wants to give us, and our request from them is to seek from Allah to grant us our needs. Their intersection for us helps us getting our needs. No Muslim believes that his needs can be gained away from Allah (SWT). Seeking help of intersection from the Prophet and the Infallible Imams and pious servants of Allah Is completely right and according to Quran despite the Wahabi propaganda because they do not understand real Tawheed.

'Wassalam.

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answer updated 1 year ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

Yes you are correct, all power originates from Allah swt and no human being or creature can do anything without the power that Allah swt has given them. 

About the imams (as), we say that they have a very high status with Allah swt; therefore if they make dua for someone, then there is more of a chance of our requests being accepted through them. 

For example we can commit sins which block our Duas from being accepted, where as the imams (as) are of a status we cannot comprehend, and their duas are always answered. Just like if one in this life knows someone who is known to be pious. Yes, they can ask Allah swt themselves and make dua, but another way to get to Allah is by asking other believers to make dua for them as the supplications of the very pious people are more powerful. No one but a Jahil would claim this to be shirk. 

This doesn’t negate the fact that a person should regularly and directly call on Allah swt especially through the Duas that the prophet and imams (as) taught us as they know how to best speak to Allah swt. Going through Ahlul Bayt (as) for one’s needs to be accepted is perfectly acceptable as long as one does so with the right aqeeda. One should know that rizq is only from Allah swt and the imams (as) do not give rizq but ask Allah swt for it. In this sense, they are the door of one’s needs.  

It is also attributed to Imam Sadiq (as) that he said the following about 40:60 of the Quran: 

1 heard Abu Abdullah (as) and he said: 

‘Allah' does not Leave us to ourselves and had He Left us to ourselves, we would be like the ordinary people, and we are those Allah Mighty and Majestic Said: "Supplicate to Me, I will Answer you. [40:60)

Source: Basair al-Darajat

So while the verse is general and encourages one to make dua to Allah swt, it shows here how it is applied in the specific sense of the imams (as) being those whose supplications are answered, and there is no contradiction between the both explanations of the verse. 

Therefore if one visits any of the shrines of the prophet or imams (as), they may ask them to make dua to Allah swt for them. This is not shirk as nawasib try to claim and they have no evidence to prove so.
 

For the sake of the argument let us say that we thought that the prophet and imams (as) could hear people at their shrines but in reality they couldn’t; would  someone who spoke or asked them for something have committed shirk? No not at all. In the the worst case a person who spoke or asked them something would of just done a pointless action and not shirk (if we assumed the prophet and imams couldn't hear). 

This isn’t case though as the prophet and imams (as) hear the words of the believers at their shrines and know about those who visit them. 

May Allah grant you success 

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Shafa'ah is (intercession) which means that we seek the intercession of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and his Holy Progeny Ahlul Bayt (AS) for our sins to be forgiven by Allah (SWT). The intercession is granted by Allah to those who are allowed to get it from those who are allowed to give it. No intercession but only after permission from Allah. (They will not intercede for anyone except for those whom Allah allows.(Sura 21, Verse 28). Intercession is a Quranic fact and a fact mentioned by the Prophet (SAWA) in many Hadeeths which were narrated by over forty Companions according to نظم المتناثر من الحديث المتواتر Nadhm Al-Mutanaathir Minal Hadeeth Al-Mutawaatir, page 235.

Tawassul is seeking from the best servants of Allah to help us by their Du'a to Allah in our favor. Allah (SWT) ordered us to seek Waseela to Him (O those who believe, be pious and seek the mean (Waseela) to be near to Him) Sura 5, verse 35.

Istighatha is seeking urgent help in distress. We seek urgent help when we are in distress from Allah and from His most humble servants whose Du'a is acceptable by Allah. Direct Istighatha from Allah's sincere servants is mentioned in Quran when a follower of Prophet Musa (Moses) soke urgent help from Musa when he was in danger from his enemy, and Musa immediately came to his rescue and killed his enemy. فاستغاثه الذي من شيعته على الذي من عدوّه فَوَكَزَهُ موسى فقَضى عليه.(Sura 28, Verse 15). 
We have the chance to seek urgent help in distress (Istighatha) from Imam Al-Mahdi (AS) who is our present Imam as that follower of Prophet Musa soke urgent help in distress from Prophet Musa (AS).

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

It is recommended to stand up when we mention Al-Qa'im (AS) as we have narrations that Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (AS) stood up when he mentioned Al-Qa'im. It is not obligatory but recommended.

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

The meanings of the Quranic verses can not be taken just from the superficial linguistic meanings. Allah (SWT) Has clearly mentioned in Quran that it is the responsibility of the Prophet (SAWA) to explain to the people the real meanings of Quran (Sura 16, Verse 44).

The meaning of Sura Al-Hamd verses which you quoted never suggest not to seek Waseela. Prophets were mentioned in Quran seeking help from people like Prophet Musa (AS) who asked people for food, and Prophet Sulaiman (AS) who asked people to help him in getting the throne of Bilqees.

We believe that no one can help with out the permission of Allah (SWT).

We do Tawassul because we are been ordered by Allah (SWT) to seek Waseela ( Sura 4, Verse 64.

Wassalam 

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Tawassul is a matter which has been misunderstood by many Muslims now a days under the Wahabi propaganda which wrongly claimed it as a type of worship to other than Allah. Wahabi sect claims following Tawheed but their books prove that they do not understand the real meaning of Tawheed in Quran and authentic Hadeeth. That is why they accuse other Muslims to be Mushrik just because they don't follow the Wahabi misunderstanding of Tawheed.

'Tawassul is seeking the help of the most humble servants of Allah to get our needs. We believe that they (The Prophet and Ahlul Bayt (AS) are Servants of Allah and only do what Allah wants. There is no question at all of Shirk because Shirk means to believe that there is a partner or helper etc to Allah. 
Addressing the Prophet is absolutely right as he himself taught Muslims to address him in Tawassul as it has been narrated in Sunni and Shia books in the famous Hadeeth of the blind حديث الأعمى which is narrated by Othman Ibn Hunaif that a blind person requested the Prophet to help him get back his eye sight. The Prophet told him to tolerate but he said : I can not tolerate. The Prophet advised him to perform Wudhu and pray two Rak'ats of Salah and say in the last Sajda: O Allah, I seek from You by Your Prophet, the Prophet of mercy. O Muhammad; I am seeking from Allah through you to grant me my need.

'The blind did what the Prophet taught him and got back his eye sight. The Hadeeth is narrated in al-Tareekh al-Kabeer by al-Bukhari, and Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah and Nasaa'ee and al-Bayhaqi and Abu Na'eem in Ma'rufat al- Sahabah, and al-Tabaraani and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and al-Soyooti and many other well known Sunni scholars.

'We can address the Prophet (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt (AS) directly knowing that they only do what Allah wants, as well as addressing Allah directly with the Waseela Bihaqqi of Ahlul Bayt (AS). Both are good.

'Wassalam.