Ibn Kathir on Tawassul

Tafsir-ul-Qur’an al-Azim

Ibn Kathir

 

 

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إلاَّ لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللَّهَ تَوَّاباً رَّحِيماً

Translation: We sent not an apostle, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the will of Allah. If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come unto thee and asked Allah’sforgiveness,and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful.(4:64)

What is a Madhab? Why is it necessary to follow one?

© Nuh Ha Mim Keller, 1995

“The slogans we hear today about ‘following the Qur’an and sunna instead of following the madhhabs’ are wide of the mark…In reality it is a great leap backward, a call to abandon centuries of detailed, case-by-case Islamic scholarship in finding and spelling out the commands of the Qur’an and sunna,” argues Nuh Ha Mim Keller.

Who are the Ash’aris? (from the book “Ahlus Sunnah Al-Asha’ira translated by Hatim Damra)

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim,

The following are passages from the book “Ahlus Sunnah Al-Asha’ira” translated by the faqiru ila Allah (swt)..

Who are the Ash’aris?

 

The term “Ash’ari” is used to refer to those who follow the way of Imam Abul Hasan Al-Ash’ari in their beliefs; not a blind following but rather being guided to it. The role of Imam Abul Hasan (raa) was similar to one who raised high a banner which guided people to the way of the Salaf. Being attributed to the way of Imam Ash’ari is exactly the same as being attributed to Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’i or Imam Malik (raa) in jurisprudence; as they differed in their methods of deriving rulings but agreed on the sources needed to do so. The same applies to Imam Ash’ari in regards to matters of creed; for he derived from the Quran and Prophetic Sunnah, following those who proceeded him of the Salaf. The reason that people are attributed to him even though he followed a path which was already existant, is that he enlightened this path and spread it amongst the Ummah at a time when the people of innovation insisted on suppressing it.