Quote:
Originally Posted by al-Izaaree  dear brother
asalamu alaikum.
You have to understand ONE THING in particular. That there were some from among this ummah who wished to implore the practices of jahiliyyah. Thus they used the quraan for their shubuhaat (satanic douubts). This setting gained much momentum under the guise of "the path to ihsaan and zuhd i.e. tassawuf.
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I think you are referring to the Aya :
يَ
ا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَابْتَغُواْ إِلَيهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ﴿5:35﴾
(5:35) Believers! Fear Allah and seek the means to come near to Him, *58 and strive hard in His way; *59 maybe you will attain true success
But before discussing to the exact meaning of "wasila" which is being used a tool for misguidance ,let me tell you that concept of "intermediary" was already prevailing when the Holy Quran was revealed.Even the Mushrikeen of Mekka used to worship idols of Pious people not thinking them as "Allah" rather they used to take them as "intermediary".This is apparent from this Aya
مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى
and justify their conduct, saying): "We worship them only that they may bring us closer to Allah.
The minds of people were in complete control of these "Religious Leader" and the Quran tells us in the way: اتَّخَذُواْ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ
9:31) They have made their scholars and monks as their Lords beside Allah,
And these leaders used to Cheat them of money : يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الأَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ
(9:34) O Believers, indeed most of the scholars and monks of the people of the Book devour the wealth of others by evil means, and debar them
[b]
But When Quran came one of its major tasks was that it released the people of these "Grips[/B]"
وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالأَغْلاَلَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ
and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them
(Note:Words are worth noting)
A REVOLUTIONARY PRINCIPLE WHICH DOES NOT EXEMPT EVEN PROPHETS: مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُواْ عِبَادًا لِّي مِن دُونِ اللّهِ وَلَـكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ
تُعَلِّمُ
ونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ﴿3:79﴾
(3:79) It does not befit a man that Allah should grant him His Book and sound judgement and prophet-hood, and thereafter he should say to men:
'Become servants to me apart from Allah.' He would rather say: 'Become dedicated men of Allah, *67 in accord with the dictates of the Book you have been teaching and studying.
This was in reality freedom of thought which established a DIrect Link between mankind and Allah Almighty;And Allah declared :
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ
(2:186) And if My servants ask you, O Prophet. concerning Me, tell them that I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant, when he calls to Me.
Not only this declaration rather Allah promises :
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
(40:60) Your *82 Lord says: "Call upon Me. I will answer your prayers
Note : No intemediary between mankind and His creator
When we recite Sura Fateha ,we declare two Links between us and Almighty Allah
;إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴿1:5﴾
(1:5) You alone do we worship *6, and You alone do we turn for help
No intermediary between our "ibaada " and Him and similarly no intermediary in "Istiaana" between us and HIm What is meant by WASEELA which we quoted in the first Aya:
Arabic Dictionary of Misbah Ul Munir :
(
و س ل ) : وَسَلْتُ إلَى اللَّهِ بِالْعَمَلِ أَسِلُ مِنْ بَابِ وَعَدَ رَغِبْتُ وَتَقَرَّبْتُ وَمِنْهُ اشْتِقَاقُ الْوَسِيلَةِ وَهِيَ مَا يُتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ إلَى الشَّيْءِ وَالْجَمْعُ الْوَسَائِلُ وَالْوَسِيلُ قِيلَ جَمْعُ وَسِيلَةٍ وَقِيلَ لُغَةٌ فِيهَا وَتَوَسَّلَ إلَى رَبِّهِ بِوَسِيلَةٍ تَقَرَّبَ إلَيْهِ بِعَمَلٍ.
In short according to it waseela is the means to get near to Allah and that is with GOOD DEEDS)
Even the different Tafasirs are giving the exactly the same meaning.No one has mentioned any "Righteous ,pious or prophet " as intermediary.According to them the mean of getting near to Allah is
- Good deeds
- Avoidance of Sins
تفسير الطبري - (ج 10 / ص 290)
"وابتغوا إليه الوسيلة"، يقول: واطلبوا القربة إليه بالعمل بما يرضيه. (2)
* * *
و"الوسيلة": هي"الفعيلة" من قول القائل:"توسلت إلى فلان بكذا"، بمعنى: تقرَّبت إليه،
تفسير الألوسي - (ج 4 / ص 470)
{ الوسيلة } هي فعيلة بمعنى ما يتوسل به ويتقرب إلى الله عز وجل من فعل الطاعات وترك المعاصي من وسل إلى كذا أي تقرب إليه بشيء
زاد المسير - (ج 2 / ص 206)
قوله تعالى : { وابتغوا إِليه الوسيلة } في «الوسيلة» قولان .
أحدهما : أنها القربة ، قاله ابن عباس ، وعطاء ، ومجاهد ، والفراء . وقال قتادة : تقربوا إِليه بما يرضيه . قال أبو عبيدة : يقال توسلت إِليه ، أي : تقرّبت إِليه . وأنشد :
إِذا غفل الواشُونَ عُدْنَا لِوَصِْلَنا ... وَعَاَد التَّصَافي بيننا وَالوَسَائلُ
والثاني : المحبة ، يقول : تحببوا إِلى الله ، هذا قول ابن زيد
تفسير الثعالبي - (ج 1 / ص 411)
{ الوسيلة } : القُرْبَةُ
تفسير الثعالبي - (ج 1 / ص 411)
وقد فسر النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الوسيلةَ التي كان يَرْجُوها من ربه ، « وأَنَّهَا دَرَجَةٌ فِي الجَنَّةِ لاَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تَكُونَ إلاَّ لِعَبْدٍ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ ، وَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا هُوَ
الكشاف - (ج 2 / ص 23)
لوسيلة : كل ما يتوسل به أي يتقرّب من قرابة أو صنيعة أو غير ذلك ، فاستعيرت لما يتوسل به إلى الله تعالى من فعل الطاعات وترك المعاصي
You may differ but it is what I understand.
Best of luck