بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Wasilah and Tawassul is a concept that is well understood, accepted and practiced by the Muslims from time immemorial. Some 20 years ago when we were acquiring our basic religious training in Hussayni Madrasah, such topics were never discussed whether in the Madrasah or amongst the youth circles.

With the current wave of Wahabi thoughts garbed in a monotheistic cloak on one hand and the advent of electronic media, internet technology and globalization on the other, the youth are now exposed to varying ideologies which, many a times, is in conflict with the one he has grown up with.

His faith is scrutinized under the microscope of “friendly curiosity” with dark question marks whose magnitude leaves him baffled. In many instances they have no answer when asked to explain why they are doing what they do.

The youth is now faced with challenges never met before and the elders have to stand up in defense. The situation is further compounded with the limited resources available in terms of literary references in the commonly used language of today’s youth.

Hand in hand with this, the community elders and scholars, especially in the developing countries, have had more important issues to deal with than concentrate on issues that seemed to be part and parcel of the community identity.

This identity is now being threatened and it is a matter of urgency if not emergency that more qualified personnel address such issues from the pulpit and madaris. Any further laxity now will cost us dearly and what will be left of our rich legacy for the future generation is not something one wants to live to see.

This short discussion is a humble attempt at trying to explain the concept of wasilah and tawassul and proving to the youth its validity using the Qur’an, Prophetic traditions and logic. The reader is humbly requested to study the issue with an open and objective mind and remove any preconceived ideas and bias. The reader may not agree with everything that is written, or none for that matter, but that is the beginning of a healthy discussion and scholarly pursuit in search for the truth.

I sincerely ask the Almighty Allah (SWT) with the wasilah of the Holy Prophet (S) and his Ahlul Bayt (‘a) to accept this little effort and empower us all with Divine Knowledge, wisdom and the will to behave in a manner that attains His satisfaction.

Kazim A. H. Dhalla