SEEKING INTERCESSION THROUGH MUHAMMAD AND HIS FAMILY LEADS TO THE ANSWER OF PRAYERS.

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The one who supplicates seeks an answer from Allah, the Exalted, and the answer is often not granted because, in most cases, there are obstacles preventing the response. Among these obstacles are sins. However, invoking in the supplication by the right of Muhammad and his family, and requesting mercy and forgiveness from Allah, leads to the forgiveness of sins. As a result, the obstacles are removed, and the supplication is answered. This is stated in Al-Amali by Shaykh al-Saduq, p. 770, where it is mentioned:

حدثنا أبي (رضي الله عنه)، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أحمد بن يحيى بن عمران الاشعري، عن الحسن بن علي الكوفي، عن العباس بن عامر، عن أحمد بن رزق الغمشاني، عن يحيى بن أبي العلاء، عن جابر، عن أبي جعفر الباقر (عليه السلام)، قال: إن عبدا مكث في النار سبعين خريفا، والخريف سبعون سنة. قال: ثم إنه سأل الله عز وجل: بحق محمد وأهل بيته لما رحمتني. قال: فأوحى الله جل جلاله إلى جبرئيل: أن اهبط إلى عبدي فأخرجه. قال: يا رب، وكيف لي بالهبوط في النار؟ قال: إني قد أمرتها أن تكون عليك بردا وسلاما. قال: يا رب، فما علمي بموضعه؟ فقال عز وجل: إنه في جب من سجين. قال: فهبط في النار فوجده وهو معقول على وجهه فأخرجه، فقال عز وجل: يا عبدي، كم لبثت تناشدني في النار؟ قال: ما أحصيه يا رب. قال: أما وعزتي لولا ما سألتني به لاطلت هوانك في النار، ولكنه حتمت على نفسي أن لا يسألني عبد بحق محمد وأهل بيته إلا غفرت له ما كان بيني وبينه، وقد غفرت لك اليوم

My father, May Allah be pleased with him, narrated to us. He said: Muhamad b. Yahya al-`Attar narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. Ahmad b. Yahya b. `Imran al-Ash`ari narrated to us from al-Hasan b. `Ali al-Kufi from al-`Abbas b. `Amer from Ahmad b. Rizq al-Ghamshani from Yahya b. Abi'l `Ala’ from Jabir from Abi Ja`far , peace be upon him. He said: A worshiper will spend seventy autumns in the Fire, and each autumn will be equivalent to seventy years. He said: Then, he will ask Allah: “By the right of Muhammad and his Ahl al-Bayt, why did You not have mercy on me?” He said: So, Allah will reveal to Gabriel: “Descend to My worshiper and remove him.” He will say: “O Lord! How will I descend into the Fire?” He will say: “I have commanded it to be cool and peaceful for you.” He will say: “O Lord! I do not know where he is.” So, He will say: “He is in a pit in Sijjin.” He said: So, he will descend into the Fire, and find him chained up and upon his face. He will take him out. So, He will say: “O My servant! How long did you call for Me in the Fire?” He said: “I cannot count it, my Lord.” He will say: “By My glory! Had you not asked, I would have prolonged your torment in the Fire. However, I have written upon Myself that no worshiper shall ask Me by the right of Muhammad and his Ahl al-Bayt except that I will forgive him for what is between him and I. So, I have forgiven you today.” [1]

And Allah, Blessed and Exalted, responded to the prophets, peace be upon them, when they did Tawassul through Muhammad and his family. This is as mentioned in Al-Amali by Sheikh Al-Saduq, page 287:

حدثنا محمد بن علي ماجيلويه (رحمه الله)، قال حدثني عمي محمد ابن أبي القاسم، عن أحمد بن هلال، عن الفضل بن دكين، عن معمر بن راشد، قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله الصادق (عليه السلام): يقول: أتى يهودي النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله)، فقام بين يديه يحد النظر إليه، فقال: يا يهودي، ما حاجتك؟ قال: أنت أفضل أم موسى بن عمران النبي الذي كلمه الله، وأنزل عليه التوراة والعصا، وفلق له البحر، وأظله بالغمام؟ فقال له النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله): إنه يكره للعبد أن يزكي نفسه، ولكني أقول: إن آدم (عليه السلام) لما أصاب الخطيئة كانت توبته أن قال: اللهم إني أسألك بحق محمد وآل محمد، لما غفرت لي، فغفرها الله له، وإن نوحا (عليه السلام) لما ركب في السفينة وخاف الغرق، قال: اللهم إني أسألك بحق محمد وآل محمد، لما أنجيتني من الغرق. فنجاه الله منه، وإن إبراهيم (عليه السلام): لما ألقي في النار قال: اللهم إني أسألك بحق محمد وآل محمد، لما أنجيتني منها: فجعلها الله عليه بردا وسلاما، وإن موسى (عليه السلام) لما ألقى عصاه وأوجس في نفسه خيفة قال: اللهم إني أسألك بحق محمد وآل محمد، لما أمنتني منها. فقال الله جل جلاله: (لا تخف إنك أنت الاعلى) (2). يا يهودي: إن موسى لو أدركني ثم لم يؤمن بي وبنبوتي، ما نفعه إيمانه شيئا، ولا نفعته النبوة. يا يهودي، ومن ذريتي المهدي، إذا خرج نزل عيسى بن مريم لنصرته، فقدمه وصلى خلفه

Muhammad b. `Ali Majiluwayh (may Allah have mercy upon him) narrated to us. He said: My uncle Muhammad b. Abi’l Qasim narrated to me from Ahmad b. Hilal from al-Fadl b. Dakin from Mu`ammar b. Rashid. He said: I heard Aba `Abdillah al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: A Jew came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and stood in front of him, staring at him. So, he said: “O Jew! What do you need?” He said: “Are you more virtuous or Musa the son of Imran, the prophet whom Allah spoke to, who was given the Torah and the staff, for whom the sea was split, and who was shaded by the cloud?” So, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said to him: “It is disliked for a servant to praise himself, but I will say:

When Adam (peace be upon him) made the [illustrative] sin, he repented by saying: ‘O Allah! I ask You by the right of Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad to forgive me.’ So, Allah pardoned it for him.

When Nuh (peace be upon him) boarded the Ark and feared drowning, he said: ‘O Allah! I ask You by the right of Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad to save me from drowning.’ So, Allah saved him from that.

When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was thrown into the fire, he said: ‘O Allah! I ask You by the right of Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad to deliver me from this.’ So, Allah made it cool and peaceful.

When Musa (peace be upon him) cast his staff and felt fear in himself, he said: ‘O Allah! I ask You by the right of Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad to keep me safe from this.’ So, Allah said: ‘Fear not. Surely, it is you who is superior.’ (20:68) O Jew! [Even] if Moses were to meet me and disbelieve in me and my prophethood, his faith would not avail him at all, nor would his prophethood avail him.

O Jew! From my progeny is the Mahdi. When he appears, Jesus the son of Mary will descend to support him, and he will pray behind him.” [2]

The supplications that have been transmitted from the Infallibles (peace be upon them) are filled with Tawassul [a means that can be used to gain nearness to God], and we must emulate them and learn from them the proper way to make supplications. The supplications narrated from them are replete with Tawassul [a means that can be used to gain nearness to God], so there is no doubt that supplication with Tawassul [a means that can be used to gain nearness to God] is superior, as the keys to the response [of Allah the Almighty] lie in such supplications. [3]

May you remain under the care of Allah

References

[1] Al-Amali, Shaykh As-Saduq, Book 1, Chapter 96, Hadith 4

[2] Al-Amali, Shaykh As-Saduq, Book 1, Chapter 39, Hadith 4

[3] Regarding At-Tawwasul in the Sunni Hadith literature, the following has been transmitted in Sunan Ibn Majah: 

عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ حُنَيْفٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، ضَرِيرَ الْبَصَرِ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ ادْعُ اللَّهَ لِي أَنْ يُعَافِيَنِي ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَخَّرْتُ لَكَ وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ دَعَوْتُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ادْعُهْ ‏.‏ فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَتَوَضَّأَ فَيُحْسِنَ وُضُوءَهُ وَيُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَيَدْعُوَ بِهَذَا الدُّعَاءِ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ وَأَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْكَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّ الرَّحْمَةِ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنِّي قَدْ تَوَجَّهْتُ بِكَ إِلَى رَبِّي فِي حَاجَتِي هَذِهِ لِتُقْضَى اللَّهُمَّ فَشَفِّعْهُ فِيَّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

"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, and to pray two Rak’ah, and to say this supplication:

“Allahumma inni as’aluka wa atawajjahu ilaika bimuhammadin nabiyyir-rahmah. 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 your Prophet, the Prophet of mercy. O Muhammad, I have turned to my Lord by you concerning this need of mine so that it may be met. O Allah, accept his intercession concerning me)."

The Sunni Scholar Shu'ayb Al-Arna'ut has said the following regarding the chain:

إسناده صحيح.

"Its chain is authentic [Sahih]."

[Sunan Ibn Majah, Ibn Majah, Annotator: Shu'ayb Al-Arna'ut, Volume 2, Page 395]

The original text in Arabic can be found here

﷽

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Answer

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Allah, the Almighty, says:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِى وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

"And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be rightly guided." (Al-Baqarah: 186)

We ask you to clarify the difference between supplicating to Allah with Istigatha [and Tawassul] or without it, and which is better with evidence.

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