Islam's Reformers .pdf

own good deeds, it is certain that the prayers sent throughthose who have performed the best deeds will be accepted.’Umar ibn al-Khattâb (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) prayed for rain byputting Hadrat ’Abbâs (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) as an intermediary.None of us, Sahâbat al-kirâm objected to it. The reason why hedid not pray through Rasûlullah (’alaihi ’s-salâm) or through hisblessed grave but through Hadrat ’Abbâs was because hedeemed himself very low and considered Rasûlullah’s (’alaihi ’ssalâm)relatives higher than himself. His praying through Hadrat’Abbâs, in actual fact, meant praying through Rasûlullah (’alaihi’s-salâm). The words ‘tawassul’, ‘tawajjuh’ or ‘istighâtha’ do notshow that the one through whom you pray is higher than theone to whom you pray, because the one with a high status ismade an intermediary while asking from the one with a higherstatus. ‘Istighâtha’ means ‘asking for help from somebody byputting someone else as an intermediary’. The former is higherthan the intermediary. Muslims, when praying throughRasûlullah (’alaihi ’s-salâm) or Awliyâ’, do not think otherwise.Nothing else comes to their hearts when saying these words.Allâhu ta’âlâ alone is the One who is prayed to and is askedfrom; the Prophet is an intermediary, a mediator between. OnlyAllâhu ta’âlâ helps by creating or making; the Prophet is thecause, the intermediary of the help. Allâhu ta’âlâ is the RealHelper, and Rasûlullah (’alaihi ’s-salâm) is the symbolic helper.A hadîth reported by al-Bukhârî declares, ‘On the Rising Day,they will pray first through Âdam, then through Mûsâ andthen through Muhammad (’alaihimu ’s-salâm).’ ‘Prayingthrough Rasûlullah’ means ‘asking him to pray’. He is alive inhis grave and perceives the demand of the person who asksfrom him. According to an authentic narration, there was dearthin the time of Amîr al-Mu’minîn ’Umar (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) and aSahâbî visited Rasûlullah’s (’alaihi ’s-salâm) grave and said, ‘ORasûl-Allâh! Pray for your umma so that it shall rain! Yourumma are about to perish.’ Rasûlullah (’alaihi ’s-salâm) showedhimself to him in his dream and said that it would rain. And it didrain. He also said in the dream, ‘Go to ’Umar! Tell him mysalâm! Give him the good news that it will rain. Tell him toact mildly.’ ’Umar (radiy-Allâhu ’anh) was severe and strict incarrying out the commands of the religion. The Sahâbî told theCaliph about his dream. The Caliph listened and wept.According to some reports, this Sahâbî was Bilâl ibn Hârith al-- 143 -