Thread by @Honour_Muhammad

The Great Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal of the Hanbali madhhab made Tawassul through the Beloved Prophet ﷺ a part of every du`a according to the following
report:

Abu Bakr al-Marwazi narrated in his Mansak that Imam Ahmad preferred for one to make tawassul through the Prophet ﷺ in every supplication with the wording:

"O Allah! I am turning to you with
your Prophet, the Prophet of mercy. O Muhammad! I am turning with you to my Lord for the fulfillment of my need."

(Similar dua taught by the Prophet ﷺ in the hadith of the blind man)

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.")

References:

The report is mentioned in the books of the Hanbali madhhab to name afew:

►Ibn Muflih al-Maqdisi in his Kitab al-Furu (1:595=2:204)

►Imam al-Mardawi in his book Al-Insaaf (2:456)

►Mansur Ibn Yunis Ibn Idris al-Buhuti in his Kashshaf al-Qina (2:68)

►Ibn Aqil has also mentioned it in his Tadhkira Wadih fi usul al-fiqh

►Imam al-Hajjawi in Al-Iqna' li Talib al-Intifa' of Imam al-Hajjawi (1:208)

► Ibn Taymiyya cites it in his Qaida fil-Tawassul wal-Wasila (p. 98 and 155) where he attributes it to

"Imam Ahmad and a group of the
Salaf-e-Saliheen"

from Mansak al-Marwazi as his source – and in his Radd ala al-Akhna'i (p. 168) where he cites the text of the dua in full,

similar to the dua of the blind man in al-Tirmidhi and elsewhere and with the wording Ya Muhammad.

Imam `Ala' al-Din al-Mardawi al Hanbali 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 one's means a pious person, and it is said that it is desirable (mustahabb).

Even the Imam of the so called "Salafis" Shaykh Albani agrees about Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal when he says:

"Even though some of them have been allowed by some of the scholars, so [for instance] Imam
Ahmad allowed tawassul by means of the Messenger (alyhi salatu was salam )

alone, and others such as Imaam ash-Shawkaanee allowed tawassul by means of him and other Prophets and the Pious.
(Tawassul: Its types and Rulings. p.37)

Thus further proving the authentication that this act is from the great Imam Ahmad Ibn Hambal and the Salaf-e-Saliheen (Pious Predecessors)

Not only this but we can see the true beliefs of the great Imam Ahmad Ibn hambal as he even endorsed the act of seeking blessings from the relics of the beloved Prophet ﷺ.

Al-Dhahabi relates that Imam Ahmad used to seek blessings from the relics of the Prophet. Al-
Dhahabi then lambasts who ever would fault the practice of tabarruk or seeking blessings from
blessed objects:

'Abd Allah ibn Ahmad (the son of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal) said: "I saw my father take a hair that belonged to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم), put it on his mouth, and kiss it. I believe I saw him put it on his eyes. He also dipped it in water and drank the water to obtain

cure. I saw him take the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) bowl (qas'a), wash it in water, and drink from it. I saw him drink Zamzam water in order to seek cure with it, and he wiped his hands and face with it."

It is also authentically established that 'Abd Allah asked is father about those who touch the pommel of the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) pulpit and touch the wall of the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) room, and he said: "I do not see any harm in it."

(Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' (9:457). Chapter on Imam Ahmad, section entitled Min Adabih).

Another enlighting narration that shows us the true Aqidah of the great Imam:

Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Hanbal (rah) said that he heard his father (Imam Ahmed - Rahimuhullah) saying:

I performed Hajj 5 times, thrice on foot and twice on ride or he said thrice on ride and twice on foot, once when I was on foot I lost my way hence I started to exclaim this: O Allah’s servants show me the way (يا عباد الله دلوني على الطريق), I kept on repeating this until

I came back on track.

[Imam Baihaqi in Shu’ayb ul Iman, Volume 6, Page No 128, Hadith No. 7697]

There are also numerous other narrations available of great scholars mentioning similar narrations as this and acting upon it.

Some people might be astonished by reading about what Imam Malik has said or what Imam Ahmed
Ibn Hanbal has said but this is only because of the decline of the traditional knowledge of Ahle
Sunnah wal jamaat

that it is so as the people who know the madaahib and follow them know all this and this is almost common knowledge among them.

From this we can see how these Great Mujtahid's of Islam deemed the the act of Tawassul through the Beloved prophet ﷺ as a mustahabb act. This is a act that Ahlu's-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah have a Ijma (consensus) as being permissible.

Now a days people think they are more qualified and knowledgeable than a Mujtahid.

May Allah ﷻ Guide us all and protect us all from the deceive heresy of the Ghair Muqallideen and their Bid'at-e-Saiya & Bid'at-e-Dalala.