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worshiped them.” 314 Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr (rahimahullah) said: “The
people who used to worship the Jinn continued to worship the
Jinn, and the Jinn were not pleased with their worship, since they
had accepted Islam. And they were the ones who sought a means
of nearness to their Lord…” 315
Allah says in the Qur’aan: “O you who believe! Do your duty to
Allah and fear Him. Seek the means of approach (al-Waseelah)
to Him, and strive hard in His Cause as much as you can. So
that you may be successful.” 316
Al-Hafidh Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah) reported Ibn Abbas
saying in his commentary of this verse: “The meaning of al-
Waseelah is to draw closer.” He also reports from Qatadah: “This
is that you draw near to Him by obedience to Him and through
actions that are pleasing to Him.” And Ibn Katheer (rahimahullah)
said: “And with regard to what those Imams (Ibn Abbas and
Qatadah) said there is no disagreement between the scholars of
Tafseer about it… al-Waseelah is that by means of which one
reaches that which he desires.” 317
These two verses and their authentic Tafseers (commentaries)
clearly explain that Waseelah consists of seeking nearness to Allah
by means of righteousness in order to get closer to Allah.
This refutes any other explanation of Waseelah like that of those
who consider Waseelah to mean directly supplicating to the dead
saints. It refutes the erroneous belief held by the Deobandis of
seeking ‘Tawassul’ through the status and honor of the Prophets
and saints.
This also refutes the incorrect Tafseer by the Deobandis that…
314 Saheeh al-Bukharee v.6, no.238 and Saheeh Muslim.
315 Fath al-Baree 10/12 and 13.
316 Soorah al-Maidah (5): 35.
317 Tafseer Ibn Katheer.
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