Narrated Anas:
Whenever drought threatened them, `Umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-Abbas bin `Abdul Muttalib
to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, "O Allah! We used to make Tawassul to our Prophet toward You for rain,
and You would bless us with rain, and now we make Tawassul to his uncle. O Allah ! Bless
us with rain."(1) And so it would rain.
| Reference | : Sahih al-Bukhari 1010 |
By paying close attention to this narration, we realize that this narration confirms the principle of Tawassul.
The mere fact that Umar agreed to do Tawassul to the uncle of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is a proof of the permission to Tawassul . Sayyid Ahmad ibn Sayyid Zini Dahlan says about this hadith:
«إنما استسقي عمر بالعباس ولم يستسق بالنبي ليبين للناس جواز الاستسقاء
بغير النبي و أن ذلک حرج فيه ، وأما لاستسقاء بالنبي فکان معلوما عندهم
فلربما أن بعض الناس يتوهم أنه لا يجوز الاستسقاء بغير النبي، فبين لهم عمر
باستسقائه بالعباس الجواز ولو استسقي بالنبي لربما يفهم منه بعض الناس أنه
لايجوز الاستسقاء بغيره.
[2]
If Umar did Tawassul to Abbas, it was to prove that doing Tawassul to someone other than the Messenger of God is also permissible, and making Tawassul to someone other than the Prophet is not a problem. Perhaps people thought that makin Tawassul to the Prophet (peace be upon him) was permissible. The second caliph informed the people that it was permissible to do Tawassul to other than him too. "If the second caliph had done Tawassul to the Prophet instead, the people might have been deluded and understood that only making Tawassul to the Prophet (peace be upon him) is permissible."
In the same book, Zeinabi Dahlan points to another point about the hadith of Tawassul Umar and says:
«قال بعض العارفین: وفی التوسل عمر بالعباس دون النبی نکتة اخری أیضا
زیادة علی ما تقدم وهی شفقة عمر علی الضعفاء المؤمنین، فإنه استسقی بالنبی
لربما استأخرت الاجابة، لان‌ها معلقة بإرادة الله تعالی ومشیئته فلو تأخرت
الاجابة، ربما تقع وسوسة واضطراب لمن کان ضعیف الایمان به سبب تأخر
الاجابة، به خلاف ما إذا کان التوسل به غیر النبی، فإنها لو تأخرت الاجابة
لاتحصل تلک الوسوسة ولاذلک الاضطراب.
[3]
Some mystics say: There is another point in Umar appealing to Abbas, and that is to prove Umar's mercy and compassion for the weaknesses of the believers. Because if he had begged the Prophet, it might have rained later; Because it is possible that God's wisdom is that man's prayer will not be answered. If it rained later, those who had just converted to Islam might have said that this prophet could do nothing, and their faith would have weakened, and they would have been tempted and anxious. "But in doing Tawassul to ekse than the Prophet (peace be upon him), if the the prayer is delayed to get fulfilled, it will not lead to the temptation and anxiety of the people."
The Wahhabis say, "Only Tawassul to the Dua of individuals is permissible, and Tawassul to the individuals themselves, is not permissible." But this narration is contrary to the Wahhabi belief because this narration says: ": «اللهم إنا کنّا نتوسل بنبینا»"
In this part, the word is "بنبینا (we do Tawassul to the Prophet)",
and not "بدعاء نبینا (we do Tawassul to the Dua of the prophet)"
and this means that doing Tawassul to the self of individuals is also permissible. When doingTawassul to the individuals is proven, it does not matter if he is alive or dead.
The important thing is that God hears our voice and we have brought a person as a mediator so that God will fulfill our need because of the position and reputation that that person has with him.
So it does not matter if the righteous intermediary is alive or dead, Because even if he is alive without God's permission, nothing will be done.
References
[1]. Bukhari, Al-Jame 'Al-Sahih Al-Mukhtasar, vol. 3, p. 1360. Dar Al-Nashr, Dar Ibn Kathir, Al-Imamah - Beirut - 1407 - 1987, Printing, third, research, d. Mustafa Deeb Al-Bagha
[2]. Zain delahan . Sayyid Ahmad, Al-Darr Al-Sunnah Fi Al-Rad Ali Al-Wahhabiya, printed by Al-Ahbab School, p. 34
[3]. The same
