Details of Tawwasul Debate: COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE WITH CLEAR PROOFTEXTS TO THE ONE WHO DENIES TAWASSUL

COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE WITH CLEAR
PROOFTEXTS TO THE ONE WHO DENIES TAWASSUL

Ismail Dhul-Qarnayn

You asked: 

<< Thawassul: 1. We do accept that there istawassul as inicated by Prophet (s) in many places. These include: 
>By the Prophet during his lifetime and on the day of the akhira 
> By the parents for the children and by the children for the parents 
> By the children who die very young 
> by the martyrs 
> by the hafiz 
> by the pious people while they are living. These had been categorically stated in the Quran and the hadeeth. What is not indicated is that anyone should ask tawassul through the dead, and through the Prophet (s).>>

There`s a contradiction in this statement. First the writer says that they agree and accept intercession by the Prophet (saw), the Martyrs and the Children in the categories that they listed but then in the ending comment they say it "is not indicated that anyone should ask for Tawassul through the Prophet (saw)or the dead". This is "spitting in the wind". Which do they believe? 

Now the mistake in this thinking is to believe that if a duaa from a pious man is answered while he is alive then he cannot help you if he is dead. It is as if they consider the pious man or sheikh or the wali as the origin of the help. This is complely wrong aqida: IT IS ALWAYS ALLAH WHO IS THE SOURCE OF THE BARAKA AND NEVER A HUMAN BEING. So to think that Allah can only give when that saint is alive and when he is dead, Allah does not give anymore, is to say that the source *is* the person and not Allah in the first place! But in reality it is Allah who is giving help in both cases: life or death. 

So it is actually those who adhere to such beliefs who are on the verge of committing Shirk. Then there is the statement above that the Intercession of the Martyrs is accepted and his Du`a is still accepted because he is alive (in his grave). So we are supposing that the writer is referring to the ones killed in battle. For this is the Lesser Jihad. Yet the ones who defeat their Nafs in the Greater Jihad are Marytrs and even Higher than the ones killed in battle as the Prophet [saw] informed the Sahaabah. And we would like to bring to Light the proofs of these Martyrs of the Greater Jihad . 

"It is related from Malik al-Dar, `Umar's treasurer, that the people suffered a drought during the successorship of `Umar, whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Community, for verily they have but perished," after which the Prophet appeared to him in a dream and told him: "Go to `Umar and give him my greeting, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: You must be clever, you must be clever!" The man went and told `Umar. The latter said: "O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power!" 

1.al-Bayhaqi 2.Ibn Kathir cites it thus from Bayhaqi in al-Bidaya wa al-nihaya and says: isnaduhu sahih 3. Ibn Abi Shayba cites it in his Musannaf with a sound (sahih) chain as confirmed by Ibn Hajar who says: rawa Ibn Abi Shayba bi isnadin sahih and cites the hadith in Fath al-Bari. He identifies Malik al-Dar as `Umar's treasurer (khazin `umar) and says that the man who visited and saw the Prophet in his dream is identified as the Companion Bilal ibn al-Harith, and he counts this hadith among the reasons for Bukhari's naming of the chapter "The people's request to their leader for rain if they suffer drought." He also mentions it in al-Isaba, where he says that Ibn Abi Khaythama cited it. 

Imam Malik was asked the following question by the Caliph Abu Ja`far al- Mansur: "Shall I face the qibla with my back towards the grave of the Messenger of Allah when makind du`a (after salams)?" He replied: "How could you turn your face away from him when he is the means (wasila) of your and your father Adam's forgiveness to Allah on the Day of Resurrection? Nay, FACE HIM AND ASK FOR HIS INTERCESSION (ISTASHFI` BIHI) so that Allah will grant it to you as He said: "If they had only, when they were wronging themselves, come unto thee and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft- returning, Most Merciful (4:64)."" 

1.al-Qadi `Iyad in al-Shifa (2:92-93) 2.Subki in Shifa' al-siqam 3.Qastallani in al-Mawahib al-laduniyya 4.Ibn Jama`a inHidayat al-salik, 5.Haytami in al-Jawhar al-munazzam andTuhfat al-zuwwar and others This is IMAM MALIK. Was he not of the Salaf? Was he not one of the earliest great scholars of Islam? Do the Salafis now say they reject the opinion of Imam Malik in favor of their own opinion? Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami said in his book al-Khayrat al-hisan fi manaqib al- imam Abi Hanifa al-Na`man, chapter 35: "When Imam al-Shafi`i was in Baghdad, he would visit the grave of Imam Abu Hanifa, give him salam, AND THEN ASK ALLAH FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF HIS NEED THROUGH HIS MEANS (yatawassal ilallah ta`ala bihi fi qada' hajatihi)." Imam Kawthari mentioned in his Maqalat (p. 412) that the hafiz al-Khatib al- Baghdadi mentions Shafi`i'stawassul through Abu Hanifa in the beginning of his Tarikh Baghdad with a sound chain. 

Again, this is the third great Imam of Ahl as-Sunna wal-Jama`at asking intercession THROUGH the second great Imam of Ahl as-Sunna wal-Jama`at! Is there any more clear proof than this? If anyone does not want to follow them they are free, but we, as followers of those more knowledgable than ourselves, are obliged to take their opinion as more valuable than our own. And it is probable that you, as a Salafi, still consider the opinion of a scholar, for example Ibn Taymiyya, more valuable than your own. If that is the case, you take Ibn Taymiyya's divergent opinion: we will take the opinion of the majority of the Salaf and the Khalaf. 

Al-`Utbi, a Sahabi, (r) said: "As I was sitting by the grave of the Prophet, a Beduin Arab came and said: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah! I have heard Allah saying: "If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come unto thee and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful"(4:64), 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 dozed and saw the Prophet in my sleep. He said to me: "O `Utbi, run after the Beduin and give him glad tidings that Allah has forgiven him."" 

A report graded mashhur (established and well-known) and related by: 1.Nawawi Adhkar, al-Majmu` 8:217 and al-Idah fi manasik al-hajj, chapters on visiting the grave of the Prophet 2. Ibn Jama`a, Hidayat al-salik 3:1384 3. Ibn `Aqil, al-Tadhkira 4. Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni 5. al-Qurtubi, Tafsir of 4:64 in Ahkam al-Qur'an 5:265 6. Samhudi, Khulasat al-Wafa 7.Ibn Kathir,Tafsir 2:306 8.Taqi al-Din al-Subki 9. Ibn al-Jawzi, Muthir al-gharam al-sakin ila ashraf al-amakin p. 490; 10.Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, al-Jawhar al-munazzam [commentary on Nawawi'sIdah] and others. 

Al-`Utbi's account of the Arab's tawassul for forgiveness at the Prophet's grave is famous: It is found in many books on the subject of ziyara (visiting the Prophet's grave in Madina) ormanasik (rites of pilgrimage) by the many scholars of the Four Schools, none of whom have rejected it or declared it weak. See, for example, the translations of Ibn al-Jawzi, Nawawi, and Ibn Jama`a. Even Ibn Kathir, a student of Ibn Taymiyya accepted this narration and gave it in his explanation of the verse (4:64). 

Haytami also said in many places in his book al-Sawa`iq al-muhriqa li ahl al- dalal wa al-zandaqa: 

"Imam Shafi`i made tawassul through the Family of the Prophet [Ahl al-bayt] when he said: `Al al-nabi dhari`ati wa hum ilayhi wasilati arju bihim u`ta ghadan bi yadi al-yamini sahifati THE FAMILY OF THE PROPHET ARE MY MEANS AND MY INTERMEDIARY TO HIM. THROUGH THEM I HOPE TO BE GIVEN MY RECORD WITH THE RIGHT HAND TOMORROW.` al-Khatib relates that al-hafiz Abu Nu`aym said: considered it incumbent upon all Muslims to invoke Allah for Abu Hanifa in their prayer due to his preservation of the Prophet's Sunan and fiqh for them. This is explained by the fact that among Abu Hanifa's merits that are exclusive to him is his standing as the first in Islam to have compiled a book of fiqh. 

Al-Hafiz Abu `Ali al-Ghassani relates in Ibn al-Subki's Tabaqat al-Shafi`iyya 2:234: 

Abu al-Fath Nasr ibn al-Hasan al-Sakani al-Samarqandi came to us in 464 and said: "We had a drought in Samarqand some years ago. The people made the istisqa' prayer but they did not get rain. A saintly man named al-Salah came to the judge and said to him: "I have an opinion I would like to show you. My opinion is that you come out followed by the people and that you all go to the grave of Imam Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Bukhari and make istisqa' (prayer for rain) there. Perhaps Allah will give us rain." The judge said: "What a good opinion you have." He came out and the people followed him, and he prayed for rain in front of them at the grave while people wept and SOUGHT THE INTERCESSION OF THE ONE THAT WAS IN IT. Allah sent such heavy rain that those who were in Khartenk (where this took place, 3 miles away from Samarqand) could not reach Samarqand for seven days because of the rain's abundance." 

You continue: 

<<If is allowed to ask intercession through him or as some claim, that not asking intercession through is a sign of arrogance, WHY DIDN'T HE TEACH US A SINGLE DUA WHICH INCLUDES ONE VERSE ASKING INTERCESSION THROUGH HIM? If it is essential or even permitted, wouldn't he have taught us in every single dua to include his name?>> 

Let us begin to note that to not mention his name in ones Du`as in the beginning or at the end of it is not Honoring His [saw] status and position that Allah [swt] gave Him[saw]. For every Jumu`ah begins with Praising Allah and honoring the Prophet (saw) and it ends with it also. 

As narrated by Imaam Tirmidhi, which is mentioned by Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya in his Za`d Al-Ma`ad [1-258]:

"Whenever one of you has prayed, then he should begin involking Allah by Thanking Him and Praising Him and THEN HE SHOULD MAKE PRAISE ON THE PROPHET [SAW] and then invoke Allah as he wishes. and it is also stated by `Umar [ra], "The invocation are imprisoned between the sky and the earth UNTIL THE SALAWAT IS SAID ON THE PROPHET [SAW]. Ibn Rawayha. 

Imam al-Kawthari says about this hadith in his Maqalat (p. 410):

"It provides textual evidence whereby there is no difference between the living and the dead in the context of tawassul, and THIS IS EXPLICIT TAWASSUL THROUGH THE PROPHETS, while the hadith of Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, "O Allah, I ask You by the right of those who ask You" constitutes tawassulthrough the generality of Muslims, both the living and the dead." The Prophet used to say after the two rak`at of the Dawn prayer: "O Allah, Lord of Jibril, of Israfil, of Mika'il, and Lord of Muhammad the Prophet: I seek refuge in You from the Fire..." Nawawi mentions in the Adhkar that it was narrated by Ibn al-Sani, and Ibn Hajar graded it hasan or fair as mentioned by Ibn `Allab in his Commentary on theAdhkar (Vol. 2 p. 139). Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Alawi al-Maliki said: "The specific mention of the above in his du`a is understood as tawassul, as if he were saying: "O ALLAH, I ASK YOU AND I SEEK AS MEANS TO YOU JIBRIL, ISRAFIL, MIKA'IL, AND MUHAMMAD THE PROPHET. Ibn `Allan referred to this in his commentary." 

IMAM AHMAD MADE TAWASSUL THROUGH THE PROPHET A PART OF EVERY DU`A according to the following report: `Ala' al-Din al-Mardawi said in his book al-Insaf fi ma`rifat al-rajih min al-khilaf `ala madhhab al-Imam al-mubajjal Ahmad ibn Hanbal (3:456): The correct position of the [Hanbali] madhhab is that it is permissible in one's supplication (du`a) to use as means a pious person, and it is said that IT IS DESIRABLE (MUSTAHABB). 

Imam Ahmad said to Abu Bakr al-Marwazi: yatawassalu bi al-nabi fi du`a'ih -- "LET HIM USE THE PROPHET AS A MEANS IN HIS SUPPLICATION TO ALLAH." 

Now that we have examined some of the evidences, let us turn to the very firm ones. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala says in the Holy Quran: "O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you."[4:59] and "O ye who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak)." [8:20] 

And He says "whoever obeyed the Messenger in fact obeyed Allah". [4:80] and He swt says, "Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much." [33: 21] 

So we see here that obeying the Messenger is of paramount importance in Islam. Those who disobey or who reject what the Messenger brought, though they call themselves Muslims, are still far from the Islam that is expected of the true believers. Thus we find the verse, "Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful" [3:31] 

Now we find today people who consider their opinion higher than that of the Messenger of Allah (s). They claim to be the best most pious and prestigious believers. Yet, when a direct order is found in Quran or a clear Sunna is established in front of their eyes, you will see them turning away claiming that they are better than those who follow it. "Say: 'What! Will ye instruct Allah about your religion? But Allah knows all that is in the heavens and on earth: He has full knowledge of all things.'" [49:16] and: "They say, 'We believe in Allah and in the messenger, and we obey': but even after that, some of them turn away:they are not (really) Believers." [24:47] 

Tawassul is the most obvious example of this. Tawassul is clearly spelled out in the Quran and the way to practice it is spelled out in clear hadith--yet the "Salafis" refuse to follow the Messenger (s) in this and they turn away with claims of observing greater purity. 

Allah suhanahu wa ta`la said, "O ye who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him, and strive with might and main in his cause: that ye may prosper." [5:35] This is the clear nass (text) expressing that believers must find a means of approach to Allah. And who is better to teach us the way to find the means of approach than the Prophet (s)?! How is it that you say "WHY DIDN'T HE TEACH US A SINGLE DUA WHICH INCLUDES ONE VERSE ASKING INTERCESSION THROUGH HIM?" 

Can it be that you are unaware of the Sunna in this regard??? Not one Sunna but so many. For starters, let us give the clear text of the hadith of ziyara: 

From Ibn `Umar: "Whoever visits my grave, my intercession will be guaranteed for him." 

al-Daraqutni, al-Dulabi, al-Bayhaqi, Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-`Uqayli, Ibn `Adi, Tabarani, and Ibn Khuzayma in his Sahih. 

This hadith, though not a command, is very close, in explaining the great benefit that befits the believer who has the sincere intention to visit the Prophet (s) in his grave. Then let us see another hadith along the same lines: 

"Whoever repeats after the words of the mu'adhdhin, my intercession will be guaranteed for him." [Sahih Muslim]

Again, though not a command, the action of repeating the words of the mu'adhdhin is recommended so highly that the person will be guaranteed Paradise by virtue of doing it. Who then will not strive to perform this simple act??? 

Now let us get to a hadith, whose essence is tawassul and whose means is the Prophet (s) himself. Even Ibn Taymiyya, the founder of the "Salafiyya", did not deny this hadith: 

A blind man came to the Prophet and said: "Invoke Allah for me that he help me." He replied: "If you wish I will delay this, and it would be better for you, and if you wish I will invoke Allah the Exalted (for you)." He said: "Then invoke him." The Prophet said to him:idhhab fa tawadda', wa salli rak`atayn thumma qul -- "Go and make an ablution, pray two rak`at, then say: "O Allah, I am asking you (as'aluka) and turning to you (atawajjahu ilayka) with your Prophet Muhammad (bi nabiyyika Muhammad), the Prophet of mercy; O Muhammad (ya Muhammad), I am turning with you to my Lord regarding my present need / I am asking my Lord with your intercession concerning the return of my sight (inni atawajjahu bika ila rabbi fi hajati hadhih -- another version has: inni astashfi`u bika `ala rabbi fi raddi basari) so that He will fulfill my need; O Allah, allow him to intercede (with you) for me (allahumma shaffi`hu fiyya)." 

[It is related by Ahmad (4:138 #17246-17247), Tirmidhi (hasan sahih gharib -- Da`awat Ch. 119), Ibn Majah (Book of Iqamat al-salat wa al-sunnat, Ch. on Salat al-hajat #1385), Nasa'i (`Amal al-yawm wa al-laylat p. 417-418 #658-660), al-Hakim (1:313, 1:526), Tabarani in al-Kabir, and rigorously authenticated as sound (sahih) by nearly fifteen hadith masters including Ibn Hajar, Dhahabi, Shawkani, and Ibn Taymiyya.] 

You continue:

<<On the other hand no one disputes the fact that Allah indeed answers the duas which we ask Him directly. Why not ask Him directly? Allah says in the Quran [quotes here 39:44]... Yousuf Ali comments: n 4310 ...Let alone worshiop, men should not rely on any power to person other than Allah to help them or intercede for them... But even prophets or saints or heroes have no power to intercede except as Allah wills and permits see also n: 4311.>> 

You have made claims that are easily refuted. A general verse may be clarified by more specific ones or by hadith. In this case it is so clear from Quran and Sunna that taking the Prophet (s) and the awliya as a means by which du`a are answered IS FROM THE SUNNA and from the way of the Salaf, our Pious Predecessors. Whoever denies denies the sun in the sky. To proceed:

The writer ask `why` and we say because it is a recommendation from Allah and it is good adab. See 3:159: 

"Pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs." - 4:64: " 

"And if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come unto thee and asked forgiveness of Allah, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah forgiving, merciful." - 4:106-107: 

"And ask forgiveness of Allah (for others). Allah is ever forgiving, merciful. And plead not on behalf of those who deceive themselves." - 9:80, 84: 

"Ask forgiveness for them (the hypocrites) or ask not forgiveness for them; though thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times Allah will not forgive them... And never pray for one of them who dieth, nor stand by his grave." 

and these are along with about seven (7) other verses that we notice from the Quran. 

During battle of Uhud some companions left the strategic positions previously fixed for them by Holy Prophet (SAW) without his (SAW) permission. After the enemy was defeated and turned back, like other companions, they also engaged in collecting spoils. The enemies while retreating when they saw empty strategic points they turned and fought back and caused heavy losses to the Muslim army. Later on Allah decided to forgive them, He says: "O' Prophet (SAW) pardon them and ask forgiveness for them..." AL-IMRAN 159. 

"And when there came to them a Book from Allah verifying that which they have, and aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve, but when there came to them (Prophet) that which they did not recognize, they disbelieved in him; so Allah's curse is on the unbelievers."AL-BAQARA 89. 

Ibn Katheer reported that before the birth of Holy Prophet (SAW) the Jews of al-Ghatafan tribe who were believers at that time used to pray for victory over non-believers by means of Holy Prophet (SAW), therefore making wasila of Prophet (SAW) and other friends of Allah after their physical lives for Acceptance of prayer or right wish to be fulfilled is permitted. 

And Allah`s [swt] saying: "On the day of Judgement you (SAW) will be appointed the status of MAHMUD". BANI ISRAEL 79. 

About this Ibn Taymiyyah says, 

"The Prophet [saw] is the intercessor for all creation and the Owner of the Maqaam Al-Mahmud, that was the aspiration those who came before and those who came after and He is the Greatest or Intercessors and the Highest in Glory and Superiority in Allah`s [swt] Presence" Al-Qaida p.4. 

We will not go here into the detailed discussion of the corollary topic of tabarruk, which is so explicitly detailed in Quran and the Sunna that no "Salafi" can deny it. This includes:

healing by means of the relics of the Prophet (s) and taking blessings from the relics of the Prophet (s). Whoever denies these, in fact deny a part of Islam. The complete refutation by Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani can be found on the ASFA homepage athttp://sunnah.org/ibadaat/tawassul_3.htm#Tabarruk bi al-athar.

You state: 

<<Therefore we have not been given the knowledge of which wali's intercession will be accepted. We have not even been given the knowledge whether a person is a wali or not. This is not to dispute the fact that walis exist but what any "pious" person's true intention was known only to Allah as shown by the following hadeeth Ref. Hadeeth Qudsi no. 6 Allah knows best; He knows that what we try to do is to avoid doing something that is not backed by the authentic hathees (though there may be benefit in it according to some ulemas) for it does not reduce the amals in anyway to avoid them. We do not want to be like the ones Prophet (s) spoke about, those who would come on the day of the akhira thinking they have a lot of amals but would find all of them rejected. If anyone wants to seek intercession thorough anyone they think fit, let them do so. As much as they do not want us not to prevent anyone doing so, we also do not want anyone forcing us to do what we do not believe in.>> 

You have your beliefs, according to your understanding of Quran and Sunna, and we have ours. Ours is supported by clear texts.

The belief in the Prophet's intercession and that of other than he is obligatory in Islam. It is stated clearly in the `Aqida tahawiyya of Imam al- Tahawi, in Ghazali's al-Iqtisad and the chapter on `aqida in his Ihya', in the works of al-Ash`ari, and even in the `Aqida wasitiyya of Ibn Taymiyya. These intercessors are a mercy from Allah and it is an obligation and an order for mankind to seek out Allah's mercy. 

Imam Ghazali said in the section on doctrine of his Ihya': "It is obligatory to believe in the intercession of first the prophets, then religious scholars, then martyrs, then other believers, the intercession of each one commensurate with his rank and position with Allah Most High." 

The Mufti of Mecca at the time of the spread of the Wahhabi heresy, al-Sayyid Ahmad Ibn Zayni Dahlan (d. 1304) said inKhulasat al-kalam: 

Tawassul (using means), tashaffu` (using intercession), and istighatha (asking help) all have the same meaning, and the only meaning they have in the hearts of the believers is that of tabarruk (using blessings) with the mention of Allah's beloved ones, since it is established that He grants His mercy to all His servants for the sake of His beloved ones, and this is the case whether they are alive or dead, because in either case the actual effecting agent and true executor is Allah Himself, and these beloved ones are only ordinary causes for His mercy. Like any other secondary causes, they have no effective power of influence in themselves. 

The late mufti of Lebanon al-Shahid al-Shaykh Hasan Khalid said in his fatwa on tawassul on September 16, 1980 (Reprinted in the Waqf Ikhlas offset reprint of Sayyid Ahmad ibn Zayni Dahlan's book Fitnat al-wahhabiyya 1992): 

"Tawassul was declared permissible in our own time by the Mufti of the world, our Shaykh the savant Abu al-Yusr `Abidin. We went with him to Nawa, a place in Hawran wherein is buried the Shaykh Muhyiddin al-Nawawi. When we arrived at his grave, our Shaykh Abu al-Yusr ordered us to ask Allah the Exalted for our need in front of him and said to us: 

"The du`a (invocation) at his grave is answered." 

Ibn al-Jawzi in his biographies of the awliya entitled Sifat al-safwa lists many of those at whose graves tabarruk (seeking blessing) and tawassul is recommended. Among them: Abu Ayyub al-Ansari: 

"al-Waqidi said: It has reached us that the Eastern Romans visit his grave and seek rain through his intercession when they suffer from droughts." 1:243. 

Mujahid said: "People would uncover the space above his grave and it would rain." 

Ma`ruf al-Karkhi (d. 200H): "His grave can be seen in Baghdad, and one seeks blessings with it. Al-hafiz Ibrahim al-Harbi (d. 285H) -- Imam Ahmad's companion -- used to say: "Ma`ruf's grave is proven medicine."" 2:214 Ibn al- Jawzi adds: "We ourselves go to Ibrahim al-Harbi's grave and seek blessings with it." 2:410 

Al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi also relates Ibrahim al-Harbi's saying about Ma`ruf al- Karkhi: "Ma`ruf's grave is proven medicine." Siyar a`lam al-nubala' 9:343. 

Abu al-Hasan al-Daraqutni said: "We used to seek blessings from Abu al-Fath al-Qawasi's grave." 2:471.

Abu al-Qasim al-Wa`iz: "His grave can be seen in Ahmad ibn Hanbal's cemetary and it is sought for blessings." [Notice on `Abd al-Samad ibn `Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq] 2:482. 

And there are countless others. Thus you see my dear sister, you have been fooled and duped by the "Salafis", whose stance is in direct opposition to the Quran and Sunna in this important ingredient of Islam at-tawassul. If they are wrong on this and account believers of shirk because of their keeping to the Sunna, what then to think of their opinion in other lesser matters such as the importance of following madhdhahib, the need to follow scholars, the importance of tazkiyyat an-nafs, known as the Science of Tasawwuf in Islam, the permissibility of visiting graves, the importance of ziyara to the Prophet (s) and many other issues? There is no doubt that they are wrong on these issues, which again are as clear as the sun in the sky. You only need to do the appropriate research and investigation to find the truth. Do not be afraid to do this, scared by the intimidatory tactics of the "Salafis"! Seek out the truth and you will find it. Cover it up and your life will continue in darkness, veiled from the blessings derived by means of the Prophet (s) and the awliya. May Allah grant you success.

Peace and Blessings on the Prophet and His Family and His Companions.

http://www.sunnah.org/events/srilanka/tawassul__details.htm