One of the recent doubts which has been implanted
among the Shias is with regards to seeking of needs from the Holy Prophet
(sawa) asnd his Holy Progeny – the Guided Imams (as).
There is a view which is been promoted which
equates seeking of needs from Aimmah (as) or seeking through their wasila from
Allah, the Almighty as Shirk. It would not have been surprising if such
doubts where created by the Mukalefeen but it is rather appalling to see
that these doubts are been nurtured by those who to one’s amazement fancy
themselves as the followers of Ahle Bait (as).
Here we will try to refute the two doubts in the
light of Holy Quran and the traditions of Ahlul Bait (as).
First Objection: Seeking from Allah, the Almighty
through the Wasila of Holy Prophet (sawa) or his Purified Progeny (as) is Shirk
Reply
As for seeking from Allah through the wasila Holy
Prophet (sawa) and the Aimmah (as), the Holy Quran says in this regards,
وَابْتَغُواْإِلَيهِالْوَسِيلَةَ
In the light of above verse of the Holy Quran
seeking from Allah, the Almighty through a wasila is liked and
recommended by the Holy Quran. And there is no scope for any doubt or scepticism
in this regard.
In Tafseer e Qummi is it is narrated from Hazrat
Imam Baqir (as),
و قوله:وَ ابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ فقال تقربواإليه
بالإمام
“And for His saying, and seek means of nearness
to Him, he (as) said: gain proximity to him through the Imam”[2]
In the light of the same verse it is narrated from
AmeerulMomineen Ali Ibn AbiTalib (as) that he said: “I am the Wasila”[3]
In the light of the verse of the Holy
Quran presented above it is clear that seeking from Allah, the Almighty through
a wasila is recommended by the Holy Quran itself and it is evident from
the traditions mentioned above that Holy Prophet (sawa) and the Holy Imams (as)
are the best wasilato invoke and seek from Allah.
Also, if seeking from Allah through the wasila of Ahle Bait (as)
is Shirk, then it is strange to see that Allah Himself ordered His Prophet to
commit this sin!
It is narrated in Behar ul Anwar, that Allah, the Almighty said to
Hazrat Adam (as):
هَؤُلَاءِ خِيَارُ خَلِيقَتِي وَ كِرَامُ بَرِيَّتِي بِهِمْ آخُذُ وَ بِهِمْ
أُعْطِي وَ بِهِمْ أُعَاقِبُ وَ بِهِمْ أُثِيبُ فَتَوَّسَلْ إِلَيَّ بِهِم
After introducing the Holy Prophet (sawa), Janabe Zahra
(sa), Imam Ali (as), Imam Hasan (as) and Imam Husain (as) to Hazrat Adam (as),
Allah says “These are the best of my creations…. and you seek nearness (wasila)
to Me through them”[4]
From the above narration it is again clear that seeking nearness to
Allah through the means of wasila of Ahle Bait (as) is not Shirk but
rather it is recommended and liked by Allah. Not only did Allah, the Almighty,
order Hazrat Adam (as) to seek wasilaof Ahle Bait (as) but He forgave
Hazrat Adam (as) as well when he invoked Allah through the wasilaof Ahle
Bait (as).
Further, if
we look at Duas and Ziyaraats which have been narrated with regards to Ahle
Bait (as) it further proves that Ahle Bait (as) are the wasila and means
to invoke Allah and that they are the channel between Allah and His creations.
We cite here
few examples:
1. In Dua e Alqamah, which as per the instructions of
Imam Baqir (as), should be recited after Ziyarat Ashura, we read thus,
فاني بهم أتوجه
اليك في مقامي هذا، وبهم أتوسل، وبهم أستشفع اليك،وبحقهم أسألك واقسم وأعزم عليك
“for I turn my face towards You in their names at this
very situation of mine, I make them my means (wasila) to You, and I seek
their intercession near You, and I beseech You in their names…”
2. In the Ziyarat of Imam Hasan Askari (as), we read,
واتوسلالیکمیارببامامنا
“and we seek nearness to You, my Lord, through our Imams
(as)”
3. And in the Ziyarat of Hazrat Imam e Zaman (atfs) we
read thus,
فانی اتوسل بک و
بآبائک الطاهرینالیاللهتعالی
“then surely I seek nearness through you
and your pure ancestors to Allah, the High”
These
are just a few examples and if we refer to the books of Duas such as Mafatihul
Jinaan, we will find that it is replete with such statements.
Thus,
it is absolutely clear and there is no iota of doubt whatsoever that seeking
from Allah through the wasilais definitely not Shirk. But rather, it is
the recommended in Holy Quran and traditions that we should make them our wasilain
front of Allah for all our needs.
We conclude the reply to this objection
with the below tradition from Imam Baqir (as):
عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ ع قَالَ:
مَنْدَعَااللَّهَبِنَا أَفْلَحَ وَ مَنْ دَعَاهُ بِغَيْرِنَا هَلَكَ وَ اسْتَهْلَك
Hazrat Imam Baqir (as) says, “one who
invokes Allah through us is successful and one who invokes Him through other
than us is destroyed and he has sought destruction.
Second Objection: Seeking directly from Holy Prophet
(sawa) and Imams (as) is Shirk
The premise of the above doubt is that seeking needs from
anybody other than Allah, the Almighty is tantamount to Shirk. Therefore
seeking needs directly from Ahle Bait (as) is Shirk and not allowed.
Reply:
If we say that seeking needs from anybody other than
Allah is Shirk than we will have to believe that (God forbid) Hazrat
Sulaiman (as), the Prophet of Allah who is mentioned thirty-five times in the
Holy Quran was a Mushrik.
Hazrat Sulaiman (as) desired that the throne of Bilqis be
brought to him and the dialogue of Hazrat Sulaiman (as) with his ministers is
narrated thus in the Holy Quran.
قَالَيَاأَيُّهَاالمَلَأُأَيُّكُمْيَأْتِينِيبِعَرْشِهَاقَبْلَأَنيَأْتُونِيمُسْلِمِينَ
“He
(Sulaiman) (as) said, O Chiefs!Which of you can bring to me her throne before
they come to me in submission”[5]
If asking a
need from other than Allah is indeed Shirk than by that logic
Hazrat Sulaiman (as) has done Shirk by asking his need from his chiefs
and ministers. He should have rather directly asked his need from Allah and
asked Him to bring her throne to him. Therefore, the logic – asking anybody
other than Allah is Shirk is absurd and in no way does it tantamount to Shirk
or Kufr and is against the Holy Quran.
On the
contrary if we read about Hazrat Sulaiman (as), after describing the bounties,
power and excellence of Hazrat Sulaiman (as), Allah says in Surah Saad, verse 39:
هَذَاعَطَاؤُنَافَامْنُنْأَوْأَمْسِكْبِغَيْرِحِسَابٍ
In the light
of above verse, it is evident that Allah, the Almighty gave complete freedom
and choice to Hazrat Sulaiman (as) to either give from what he had or withhold
from giving anything to anybody who asked from him. In other words, if any
needy person came to Hazrat Sulaiman (as) and asked for a need, he had complete
authority to fulfil the need of the needy person and give the needy
person what he desired from the bounties which Allah, the Almighty bestowed
upon him.
Now, it is
our belief that Holy Prophet (sawa) and the twelve Guided Imams are superior to
Hazrat Sulaiman (as) and the bounties, power and excellence which Allah has
conferred upon Ahle Bait (as) is much more than what he conferred on Hazrat
Sulaiman (as). If HazratSulaiman (as) had the authority to fulfil needs of the
needy then how can Ahle Bait (as) not have the authority to do this.
Ahle Bait
(as) are Hujjatullah, Khalifatullah, Ameenullah for His creations and
they are the best, most knowing, most honoured, most virtuous, most powerful
from among his creations. Allah has made them the masters of this world and the
Hereafter. Allah has given them authority and power over everything in this
world and Hereafter. Allah has subdued everything in this world to them.[7]It is the Ahle Bait (as) about whom
Allah, the Almighty says, had it not been for them, I would have not created
the world or creations! [8]
Therefore, since
Allah has given complete authority to Ahle Bait (as) to give to whom so ever
they wish, Ahle Bait (as) are قاضی الحاجات
and seeking needs from them is not Shirk. [9]
[1]
Surah Maidah – 5:35
[2]Tafseer
e Qummi, Vol. 1, Pg. 168
[3]Tafseer
e Burhaan, Vol. 2, pg 292
[4]
Behar ulAnwaar, Vol 26, pg 328
[5]
Surah Naml:27:38
[6]
Surah Saad:38:39
[7]وَذَلَّكُلُّشَيْءٍلَكُمْ – and everything submits itself in front of you
– Ziyarat e JamehKabeera
[9]
The article is summarized from the discussion on this topic in the book Isbatul
Wilayah. Brothers who are interested to read more arguments can refer to
the last part of this book.
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