Why ask dead people if we can ask Allah?

Answer :In His Name the Most High, All praise is due to Allah, may peace be upon Muhammed and his pure progeny and may the curse of Allah be upon their enemies.   The Office Answer: Assalamu Alaikum, According to the point made in the question, then one should not really seek doctors and medical professionals for treatment of his illnesses since Allah the Most Exalted is the one who cures illnesses and restores people to full health! “And when I am sick, then He restores me to health” (Quran 26:80). Respectively, if one is drowning in water, he should not call out for help since seeking aid from and calling upon other than Allah is Shirk! If you, arguably, say that Allah the Most Exalted is the actual healer; He is the one who cures all illnesses and ailments but doctors and medical professionals are no more than intermediaries for cures. Additionally, calling out for help is no more than a means of rescue. Otherwise, the one drowning in water will be only rescued with the will of Allah and no one else. Then, we say that the same is the case for the pure household of the Prophet (peace be upon them). We also say that we turn towards the pure household (peace be upon them) because they are the means through which our Duas can be answered. Otherwise, Allah the Most Exalted is the one who answers prayers and fulfils all needs. In fact we are ordered by Allah the Most Exalted to seek the pure household (peace be upon them) as means of approach and ask them to intercede with Allah on our behalf, for Allah the Most Exalted has said: “O ye who believe, be careful of (your duty to) Allah and reach unto Him for a means and strive in His path that ye might thrive” (Quran 05:35). The Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) also said: “We are the means to Allah” (al-Bihar, vol. 25, p. 23). Additionally, in the Quran we find: “And We sent no Messenger save that he be obeyed by Allah’s permission, And if when they wronged themselves they had come to thee and sought Allah’s forgiveness and the Messenger had sought Allah’s forgiveness for them they would have found Allah relenting, merciful” (Quran 04:64). On the other hand, there are even proofs found in the Bakri books that support the permissibility of Tawassul. One of which is what Ibn Kathir – who is one of the Bakri scholars - narrates regarding the above verse (Quran 04:64): “Sheikh Abu Mansour al-Sabbagh reported in his book (al-Shamil) the well-known story of Al-`Utbi who said: ‘as I was sitting by the grave of the Prophet, a Bedouin Arab came and said: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah! I have heard Allah saying: And if when they wronged themselves they had come to thee and sought Allah’s forgiveness and the Messenger had sought Allah’s forgiveness for them they would have found Allah relenting, merciful" (Quran 04:64). “So I have come to you asking forgiveness for my sin, seeking your intercession with my Lord." Then he began to recite poetry: O best of those, whose bones are buried in the deep earth, And from whose fragrance the depth, And the height have become sweet, May I be the ransom for a grave which thou inhabit, And in which are found purity bounty and munificence, “Then he left, and I slept and saw the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) in my sleep. He said to me: “O `Utbi, run after the Bedouin and give him glad tidings that Allah has forgiven him.” (Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, vol.1, p.532). Notice here that although the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) was apparently dead, he did intercede on behalf of the Bedouin and asked Allah the Most Exalted to forgive all of his sins. Moreover, Ibn Hanbal – who is the Imam of the Hanbali sect – narrates: “a blind person came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) and said: 'Pray to Allah that He bestows me with sight'. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) replied: ‘If you desire, I’ll not pray, as being blind may be better for your afterlife, or I’ll pray’ “The man then chose to be relieved of blindness and the Messenger told him: 'Perform ablution (i.e. Wudu), pray two rak'at and then supplicate to Allah in this way:  'O God! Surely my appeal is to You and I turn towards You through the Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy: O Muhammad, surely I turn towards God through you, that He uncover my sight. O God, make him my intercessor.’ The man did what the Messenger told him and his sight was restored” (Musnad Ahmed, vol. 4, p. 138). Notice here that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) ordered the blind man to turn towards Allah the Most Exalted through him, for he ordered him to say: “O Muhammad”. Additionally, although the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) was not with him at the time he recited the Dua, Allah the Most Exalted did cure him and restored his eyesight. Furthermore, there is no difference in asking the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) to intercede on our behalf during his lifetime or after his martyrdom, for he is alive and is provided sustenance. “And reckon not those who are killed in Allah's way as dead; nay, they are alive (and) are provided sustenance from their Lord” (Quran 03:169), as proved in the Al-`Utbi’s narration. Needless to say, making Tawassul through the pure household (peace be upon them) is also permissible, for Imam Ali (peace be upon him) is nothing but an extension of the Prophet personality as stated in the holy Quran: “So whoever disputes thee about him after the knowledge that has come to you say Come, we shall call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our selves and your selves thereupon we shall supplicate and place the curse of Allah upon the liars” (Quran 03:61). The same is the case for Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), as the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) said: “Hussain from me and I am from Hussein” There are in fact numerous narrations that state the same about each and every member of the pure household (peace be upon them).

Tags: islamic talks