Tawasul: Saying Ya Muhamamd Ya Ali Madad (Yet to be completed)

Preface:

This post is dedicated to my little sister who asked me about the concept of "Ya Ali Madad". She was actually pointing towards  "Tawasul".
Although I am not personally a religious scholar on any matter whatsoever but merely a humble student. I was quite motivated to write on it because this one issue is the most controversial and widely misunderstood. It can rightly be called the apple of discord among the major sects of Muslims. I collected my evidence from various web resource which basically stem from Quran.
All I tried my best to keep the level of accuracy and not to add my own views even. But still I would say that good comes from Allah and all that is bad come from my own flaws, mistakes and imperfections.

The Simple Answer:

A simple answer to the aforementioned proposition "Say Ya Ali Madas or not?" is given by Ayatollah Bashir Najfi Sb:
http://www.alnajafi.org/questions-and-answers/41-aqeedah/55-question-on-ya-ali-madad.html

Here are few of the link that I would recommend watching




A Detailed Response:


  وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّـهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّـهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٦٤﴾
"And We did not send any Noble Messenger except that he be obeyed by Allah’s command; and if they, when they have wronged their own souls, come humbly to you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) and seek forgiveness from Allah, and the Noble Messenger intercedes for them, they will certainly find Allah as the Most Acceptor Of Repentance, the Most Merciful." (Surah-e-Nisa Verse 64)

In general, we got to understand "Tawasul" or "Making a Wasila" or even "Intercession", in order to comprehend the concept of "Ya Ali (AS) Madad". Most of us confuse Intercession and Tawasul with "Shirk".

If  Shias (and some Sunni brothers as well), ask to seek help via , it is done with the understanding that the one, by no mean can help us unless Allah wishes to. So Tawassul is an approach of seeking help from from Allah which proven categorically from Qur'an and can be done is the following two ways:
  • Asking Allah without an intermediary 
  • And also asking Allah through an intermediary.
In one of the Sahahe Sita "Ibn Majah" transmitts it in its Sunan, book of Iqamat al-salat wa al-sunnat (establishing prayer and its sunnahs). The Hadith states:

"It was narrated from 'Uthman bin Hunaif that a blind man came to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said: "Pray to Allah to heal me." He said: "If you wish to store your reward for the Hereafter, that is better, or if you wish, I will supplicate for you." He said: "Supplicate." So he told him to perform ablution and do it well, to pray two Rak'ah, and to say this supplication: "Allahumma lnni as'aluka wa atawajjahu ilaika bimuhammadin nabiyyir-rahma. Ya Muhammadu inni qad tawajjahtu bika ila rabbi fi hajati hadhihi lituqda. Allahumma fashaffi’hu fiya (O Allah, I ask of You and I turn my face towards You by virtue of the intercession of Muhammad the Prophet of mercy. O Muhammad, I have turned to my Lord by virtue of your intercession concerning this need of mine so that it may be met. O Allah, accept his intercession concerning me)".

If one calls Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) or Imam Ali (AS) for help, he is, in fact, calling Allah for help through intermediary of the Prophet or the Imams, and he does that with the understanding that the Prophet or the Imams doe not have any independent power, but rather what they have (which many others lack) is that they have credibility and the esteem in front of Allah and that Allah does not put down their requests if they pray to Allah on my behalf. So everything seem to stem from Chapter Al-Maida verse 35:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُوا فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾
"O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seek means of nearness to Him and strive hard in His way that you may be successful."

Furthermore it is mentioned in Quran :
 إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّـهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ ﴿٥٥﴾ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّـهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ ﴿٥٦﴾
"Only Allah is your Vali and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow. (55) And whoever takes Allah and His apostle and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant". [5:55-56]

By the way here in "the one who pay the poor-rate" refers to Moula Ali (AS). Here the question arise that is Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) no longer my Vali because he is not alive in the material world? The answer is No! Imam Ali and all the martyrs are alive as Quran clearly testifies, though they are not on the earth. So please do not treat them as dead. Allah states in Quran:
وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ أَمْوَاتًا ۚبَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ ﴿١٦٩﴾
"Think not of those who are martyred in the way of Allah as dead.  Nay! They are living, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord." (Quran 3:169)

In fact all of our Imams except Imam Mahdi were martyred either by sword or by poison. Moreover, there are quite strong proofs (from Sahih Hadees) in both Shia and Sunni that the Prophet himself was also poisoned by a Jew in the battle of Khybar, and the poison slowly worked on his body till it finally killed him. 
So they should not be called dead since they are alive according to Quran. Thus we can make Tawassul to them the same way that the Shia of Moses made Tawassul to Moses:

وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَىٰ حِينِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيهَا رَجُلَيْنِ يَقْتَتِلَانِ هَـٰذَا مِن شِيعَتِهِ وَهَـٰذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ ۖ فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِي مِن شِيعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوسَىٰ فَقَضَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ۖقَالَ هَـٰذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۖ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٥﴾

"And he went into the city at a time of unvigilance on the part of its people, so he found therein two men fighting, one being of his party and the other of his foes, and he who was of his party cried out to him for help against him who was of his enemies, so Musa struck him with his fist and killed him. He said: This is on account of the Shaitan's doing; surely he is an enemy, openly leading astray."
(Quran 28:15)

The crux of the matter is that firstly, we do not believe that the Prophet and Imams have any independent power from Allah. Second, Allah is the one who assigned the intermediate. 
In case of the idol worshipers, they use a wrong intermediate, and that was another reason why it was condemned. Moreover, the idol worshipers believed that the idols can cause harm or render a benefit. Muslims are monotheists and they know that only Allah can cause harm or render a benefit. But calling the Prophet and Imams with the understanding that they could only be an intermediary to Allah, is not polytheism. ALL Muslims agreed on this point from the time of the Prophet (SAWW) up to the present day, except Wahhabis. They contradict all Muslims with their new creed and accused Muslims of blasphemy.

وَلَا يَمْلِكُ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّا مَن شَهِدَ بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٨٦﴾
"And those whom they call upon besides Him have no authority for intercession, but he who bears witness of the truth and they know (him)."
Quran [43:86]

Is there anyone more truthful and knowledgeable than Muhammad ibn Abdullah? And after him, does anyone match in knowledge with gateway of knowledge, Ali Ibn Abu Talib (A.S)? Refer to Tafsir Ibne Kathir, Tafsir of Surah 43, Verse 86

"(And those whom they invoke instead of Him have no power) means, the idols and false gods. (of intercession) means, they are not able to intercede for them. (except for those who bear witness to the truth knowingly, and they know.) This means, but the one who bears witness to the truth has knowledge and insight, so his intercession with Allah will avail, by His leave."


لَّا يَمْلِكُونَ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّا مَنِ اتَّخَذَ عِندَ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ عَهْدًا ﴿٨٧﴾
"None shall have the power of intercession, but such a one as has received permission (or promise) from (Allah) Most Gracious"
Quran [19:87]

Who can intercede if Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali did not have the power to intercede?
But verses pertaining to tawasal don't end here. In Chapter Nisa verse 64 of Quran:

 وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّـهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّـهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٦٤﴾ 
"And We did not send any apostle but that he should be obeyed by Allah's permission; and had they, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Apostle had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful." (64)
Then in Chapter Munafiqun verse number 5 of Quran
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا يَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّـهِ لَوَّوْا رُءُوسَهُمْ وَرَأَيْتَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ  ﴿٥﴾
"And when it is said to them: Come, the Apostle of Allah will ask forgiveness for you, they turn back their heads and you may see them turning away while they are big with pride."
Then in chapter Yosuf, verse number 97, 98
قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا اسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ ﴿٩٧﴾
"They said: O our father! ask forgiveness of our faults for us, surely we were sinners. "
قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّي ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٩٨﴾
He said: I will ask for you forgiveness from my Lord; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
In Chapter 2 Verse 255,  

اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚلَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ ﴿٢٥٥﴾
"God: There is no god but He, the living, eternal, self-subsisting, ever sustaining. Neither does somnolence affect Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth: and who can intercede with Him except by His leave? Known to Him is all that is present before men and what is hidden (in time past and time future), and not even a little of His knowledge can they grasp except what He will. His seat extends over heavens and the earth, and He tires not protecting them: He alone is all high and supreme." (255)

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