Basic
conceptions of
intermediation (توسل)
The relevance and
wholesomeness of the concept
of intermediation is an
established fact. The negation
of this reality is in fact the
negation of the Qur’ānic
injunctions. This attitude is
simply inconceivable for any
Muslim, irrespective of his
group affiliation. Intermediation
is a twofold act: on the one
hand, it acknowledges the
humility and helplessness of the
creature who has a pressing
need to be fulfilled; on the
other hand, it asserts the
superiority of an act which has
been hallowed by divine
sanction, or of a personage
who enjoys divine approval
through a series of noble
deeds. The idea behind
intermediation is not to vitiate
or supplant divine authority
but to facilitate the
acceptance of human needs
through the act of prayer.
Thus the act of intermediation
involves a sliding-scale of
graded functions: at the
bottom is the humble creature
who hopes for a favourable
divine response; in the middle
is the sanctified act or the
personage who has developed
closer affiliation with God
through meditation, prayer and
human service and at the top
is God Himself Who Alone
possesses the power to grant
the prayer.
The concept does not imply
that the intermediary will
grant the prayer or that he
will pressurize God to grant
the prayer of an individual or
condone his sins. This is an
egregious misconception, which
haunts the minds of a number
of people. In fact, the prayee
believes that when he mediates
his prayer through divinely
blessed persons, after positing
his own helplessness and after
articulating the praise of God,
He will fulfil his need as a
token of courtesy to the
intermediary. He does not even
have the creeping notion that
the intermediary is a partner
in divinity. It is, therefore,
vitally significant to grasp the
reality of intermediation to
obviate any misunderstanding,
especially on the part of those
who are prone to interpreting
it in a characteristically un-
Islamic sense.
It should be understood at the
very outset that intermediation
is only a form of prayer to be
answered by God Alone. The
intermediary is only a medium
who serves as a means to
activate the process of its
fulfilment.
It should also be noted that
the choice of an intermediary
depends on two vital factors;
first he is loved by the prayee
and secondly he is also loved
by God. Therefore, to love
someone simply because he is
loved by God is in itself a
virtuous act, so his choice as
an intermediary becomes
indisputable. This is the factual
position and if someone harps
on another string, he is not
only mistaken but is also
committing an ignominious deed.
This contention is easily
endorsed by the logic of
commonsense. If the prayee
believes that the intermediary
can harm or benefit like God,
he is guilty of a heinous sin
and will be dismissed as a
believer on the basis of this
erroneous belief.
Besides, it is not necessary
that mediation alone should
serve as a guarantee for the
realization of prayer, because
Allah says:
"And (O beloved,) when My
servants ask you about Me,
(tell them,) “I am Near.” "[1]
[1]. Qur’ān (al-Baqarah) 2:186.
"(O beloved,) say, “Call upon
Allah or call upon ar-Rahmān
(the most Merciful), by
whichever name you call on
Him, His are the most beautiful
names.” " [2]
[2]. Qur’ān (al-Isrā’) 17:110.
The misunderstanding that
intermediation is a form of
coercion should end now as
the intermediary cannot force
God to grant a prayer against
His Own will. No one can dictate
to Him, we can only beseech
Him. It is only an expression of
His infinite mercy that he has
upscaled some of His creatures
on the grounds of their love
and obedience and turned
them into agents of
redemption for millions of
ordinary people who, without
their mediation, might have
drifted in sheer hopelessness
and frustration. This is an
indirect divine recognition of
their services that God puts a
positive spin on whatever is
associated with them. It is for
the same reason that sacred
places and objects are offered
as means. The purpose is to
boost human expectation for
the divine reprieve.
Source:
Islamic Concept of Intermediation - Tawassul > Reality of Intermediation
http://mrehan.wapath.com/AULIYA+ALLAH/ISLAMIC+CONCEPT+OF+INTERMEDIATIO/___/CHAPTER+1
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