1/What is the purpose of creating mankind?
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All Praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of all that exists. And I invoke Allah to have His Salaah and Salaam upon our Prophet Muhammad, the believers from his family, and all of his companions. It proceeds then:
Before I answer this question, I would like to point to a general foundation regarding what Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, Creates and Legislates. This foundation is derived from His, the Blessed and Exalted, Saying:
And His Saying:
However, these qualities of wisdom, comprised in Allaah’s legislative and universal Decrees, may be known or unknown to us, and it may be known to some people but not to others, depending on the degree of knowledge and understanding which Allaah bestows upon them. Once this is decided, then we say that indeed Allaah has Created the Jinn and mankind for a great wisdom and a noble objective, and that is the worship of Him, the Most Blessed and Most High, as He (سبحانه وتعالى ) Said:
And He, the Most High, Said:
And many other Aayaat that point out that Allaah, the Exalted, has the most profound Wisdom in the Creation of the Jinn and mankind, and it is the worship of Him alone.
This is indeed the wisdom in the creation of the Jinn and mankind. Accordingly, whoever rebels against His Rabb and disdains to worship Him then, in fact, he is abandoning this Wisdom for which Allaah has Created the ‘Ibaad. His act testifies that Allaah (سبحانه وتعالى ), Created the creation aimlessly and without any purpose. Even though he may not declare this openly, nevertheless, this is necessitated by his rejection and rebellion against obeying his Rabb.
10/What is obligatory upon us towards each of the types alone?
It is obligatory upon us to believe in all that which is comprised in each type, and that we single out Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic, with all the meanings necessitated by each particular type.
36/Is there a connection between astrology and divination?
Yes there is. The relation between them is that all are founded upon delusion, lying, devouring the wealth of people in falsehood and bringing about worries, grief, and the like upon the people.
14/ However, what is the difference between the profession of the testimony of faith with the tongue and its profession with the heart? Is it obligatory to profess both?
The Answer: The difference between the profession with the tongue and that with the heart is obvious, because some people, like the hypocrites, profess the testimony with their tongues only. As for these hypocrites, Allaah Says concerning them:
Immediately following this, however, Allaah, The Most High, Says:
Those people professed with their tongues but not with their hearts. A person may profess with his heart but does not utter it. This kind of profession does not avail him in as much his profession is not outwardly manifested. As to what is between him and Allaah, then its knowledge is with Allaah, or the ruling on it is with Allaah. However, in as far as the ruling in this life, the profession with his heart alone, does not avail him. It cannot be ruled that he is a Muslim as long as he does not utter the testimony with his tongue, unless he is physically or legally incapable of doing so, then, in this case, he may be dealt with as necessitated by his condition. So, it is inevitable that the testimony be in the heart and on the tongue.
56/What is the correct and false Tawassul ?
At-Tawassul is the infinitive of Tawassala, Yatawassal–meaning to take a means that will make the person reach his intended goal. So, its original meaning is: Seeking to attain the intended objective. And it is divided into two types: Correct: And this is the Tawassul through the correct means leading to the intended goal. Incorrect: And this is the Tawassul by a way that does not lead to the intended objective. With regard to the first type, and which is the Tawassul by the means that lead to the intended objective, then it is of several types, including:
1-Tawassul (seeking a means of nearness to Allaah) by means of His Attributes, regardless whether it is done in the general or specific sense. An example on the general way is the statements mentioned in the hadeeth reported by ‘Abdullaah bin Mas’oud () concerning the invocation said to relief from distress and grief: “O Allaah! I am Your slave, son of Your male slave and female slave. My forelock is in Your Hand. Your judgment concerning me is continuously executed. Your Decree over me is Just. I ask You by every Name which is Yours, with which You Named Yourself, Taught to anyone from Your Creation, or sent down in Your Book, or which You kept to Your Self in the Knowledge of the Hidden with You, that You make the Qur’aan the nurturer (the life of) of my heart, the light of my chest, the removal of my sadness and of my anxiety.” 77
This case is a Tawassul by means of Allaah’s Names in the general sense, as in his () saying: “I ask You by every Name which is Yours, with which You Named Yourself.” With regard to the specific aspect, then it is to make Tawassul by means of one particular Name for a specific request befitting this Name, like what was reported in the hadeeth of Abu Bakr () when he asked the Prophet () to inform him of a supplication that he may use in his prayer. So the Prophet () said:
“Say: O Allaah, I have done great injustice to myself, and none can forgive sin except You, so forgive me a forgiveness from You, and be merciful to me, as You are The Most Forgiving, The Most Merciful 78
So he sought Forgiveness and Mercy and made Tawasssul to Allaah, The Most High, by means of two of His Names befitting what is being requested. So he said: “You are The Most-Forgiving, The Most-Merciful.” This type of Tawassul falls under the Saying of The Most High:
Supplication here comprises two types: Supplication when a request is made (du’aaul mas’alah), and invocation through worship (du’aaul ‘Ibaadah). With regards to the Tawassul to Allaah by means of His Attributes, then it is like the Tawssul by means of His Names in the sense that it could be general and specific. As to the general way, then it is like your saying: “O Allaah, I ask you by Your Beautiful Names and Most Supreme Attributes,” then you mention your request. And with respect to the specific way, then it is to perform Tawassul to Allaah, The Most High, by means of a particular Attribute that is specifically related to a particular request, like that which was mentioned in the hadeeth:
“O Allaah by Your Knowledge of the Hidden and Unseen, and Your Power over the Creation, grant me life for as long as You Know that life is good for me, and grant me death when death is good for me.” 79
Here Tawassul to Allaah, The Most High, is by means of the Attributes of ‘Ilm (Knowledge), and Qudrah (Power): “By Your Knowledge of the Hidden and Unseen, and Your Power over the Creation.” …This comprises the one type of Tawassul.
The Second Type: A person seeks means of Nearness to Allaah by means of His believe in Him and in His Messenger. So, he says:
“O Allaah I have believed in You and in Your Messenger, so forgive me, or grant me success and rectitude.” Or that he says: “O Allaah by my faith in You and in Your Messenger I ask you such and such.” And from this is the Saying of Allaah:
So they sought nearness to Allaah by their Eemaan in Him that He Forgive them their sins, expiate from them their evil deeds, and make them die along with the Abraar.
The Third Type is to make Tawassul to Allaah by means of righteous deeds. And from this is the story of the three people who entered into a cave to sleep in it. They were trapped in the cave when a boulder [rolled down from the mountain] and blocked the entrance of the cave and they could not remove it away. So each one of them sought a means of nearness (Tawassul) to Allaah by means of a righteous deed that he had done. So the first one of them used his kindness to his parents as Tawassul, and the second used as Tawassul his perfect abstention from fornicating [with his uncle’s daughter]. As to the third one, he used as Tawassul his preserving the right of his employee. Each one of them said: “O Allaah if I did that seeking Your Face, then release us from our situation.” So the rock moved. This is Tawassul to Allaah () by means of a righteous deed.
The Fourth Type is to use as Tawassul the conditions of a person, meaning that the supplicant seeks a means of nearness to Allaah by mentioning his circumstances and his state of need. And From this is the saying of Moosaa ():
In doing so, he is using Tawassul to Allaah by mentioning his condition, asking Allaah to bestow whatever good on him. A related case is in the saying of Zakhariyyaah ():
So these are some of the types of Tawassul, and all of them are allowed since they are good means to use as Tawassul to attain what is being intended.
77 Reported by Ahmad (1/391) and the wording is his, and al-Haakim (1/509) and others and its isnaad is saheeh as in as-Saheehah (no.199).
78 Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. See Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, vol.8, no.338.
79 Reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. See Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, vol.7, no.575.