It is narrated from Anas bin Malik that he heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) say:
Jibraeel informed me that: “When Almighty Allah created Adam and blew
the soul into him, He commanded me to bring an apple from Paradise and drop
its extract into his throat. So I squeezed its juice into his mouth. And Almighty
Allah created you, O Muhammad, from the first drop; Abu Bakr from the second;
Umar from the third drop; Uthman from the fourth drop; Ali from the fifth drop.”
Then Adam asked: “Who are these whom You have exalted?”
Allah, the Mighty and the High replied: “These are five persons from your
progeny,” and He said: “These are most honorable in My view from all My
creatures.”
When Adam disobeyed his Lord, he said: “O Lord, by the sanctity of these
five shapes You have exalted, accept my repentance,” and Almighty Allah
accepted his repentance.
Allamah Amini says: How great is the distance between one, who is the
mediation of Adam – the first prophet – for ordinary persons besides mediation
with the most superior of prophets and chief of successors, peace be on them and
their progeny, regards it valid, and between one, who does not regard the
mediation of everyone and for everyone as lawful, and he has not accepted any
value and nobility in seeking mediation of Adam by Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).
Firstly, he thinks that this report is authentic in spite of the fact that Suyuti has regarded it as false and fabricated; and as mentioned in Kashful Khifa, Ibne
Hajar quoted this statement of Suyuti and liked it. Though in Sawaiq, he has
included it among the merits. It is mentioned in Kashful Khifa1 that Ibne Hajar
Haithami, quoting from Suyuti, said:
“This report is fake and fabricated.”
The text of the tradition is the clearest proof of its falsity; only exaggeration
in excellence has given the impetus for presenting the report in exegesis of the
verse:
فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ كَلِمَةٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ
“Then Adam received (some) words from his Lord, so He turned to him mercifully.”2
Ibne Najjar has narrated that Ibne Abbas inquired from Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.a.) regarding words which Adam inquired from Almighty Allah and Allah
[through their auspiciousness] accepted his repentance.
He replied: “He asked Almighty Allah to accept his repentance by the right
of Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain. So Almighty Allah accepted his
repentance.”3
As for this man [who regards mediation lawful] it is narrated through correct
chains of narrators that: Umar – one of the imaginary shapes – in seeking rain,
prayed through the mediation of Abbas, uncle of Prophet.4
Then why in the tradition of ‘shapes’ which is false, – this man has regarded
them equal the Prophet and chief of successors, may God bless them and their
progeny? How they are regarded to be most exalted of creatures in view of Allah
while there are among creatures, prophets Ulul Azm prophets, successors, angels
and proximate ones?
Why this man did not adjure God through his right? If he was more honored
near Allah than Abbas, Adam, and his progeny, why he sought the mediation of
Abbas? Or that only Abbas was excepted and he is more respected than Umar?
How the persons mentioned in the tradition – other than Muhammad and Ali
– are most respected in view of Almighty Allah whereas we said that among
creatures, there are prophets, successors and angels? And how Adam, the father
of humanity, who is a prophet and an infallible can be compared with someone
like Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, whose character is before you?
As for the second [who does not regard seeking mediation lawful] and
extremism has swallowed him in dust and is dragged into valley of ignorance and
unawareness; a person like Qaseemi, who following Ibne Taymiyyah, has rejected this authentic report of the Prophet, he writes in Saraa:
Supplicating Almighty Allah by the right of Prophet or by the right of other
prophets and righteous persons has no religious value that this seeking of
mediation is not a righteous act, what to say that it would cause complete divine
forgiveness. And this statement: O God, I request you by the right of so and so,
what good act is that its sayer should be forgiven? Almighty Allah forgives those,
who seek divine forgiveness, but these words have no value with Allah and He
does not pay attention to them, what to say that they should be regarded as acts,
which wash off greater sins…
We, only say ‘Peace’ in reply to this foolish man, who has followed the
personal desires and not paid attention to what he has done; and he talks
nonsense.5
He has followed his teacher, Ibne Taymiyyah in this nonsense and some
senior scholars of traditions have refuted him through appropriate replies from
whom we would only quote the statement of Subki. He has written in Shifaus
Siqam:6
Ibne Taymiyyah has said: What is mentioned in the story of Adam that he
sought mediation, has no authority, and no one has narrated it from the Prophet
through reliable chains of narrators or through proper reasoning.
Then Ibne Taymiyyah claimed that this traditional report is false and there
are many useless statements regarding that which are written with vested interest
and if he knew that Hakim has regarded this tradition as authentic, he would not
have issued this statement… and how is it allowed for a Muslim to deny this
tradition and this great matter, which neither intellect nor religious law refutes?
As for the traditional reports regarding seeking mediation of Nuh and
Ibrahim and other prophets, which are mentioned in detail, when we have not
mentioned them and for the fact that these traditions are good and we have only
been content with quoting the statement of Hakim regarding them as authentic.
And regarding this there is no difference that what terms we employ, whether we
call it seeking of mediation (Tawassul) or seeking help (Istianat) or making
someone as intercessor (Tashaffo) or seeking mediation through rank and
position (Tajawwo).
And someone has sought the mediation of Prophet through a supplication he
remembers or it’s like, because he deems His Eminence to be one, whose
supplications are accepted or he seeks refuge through His Eminence; that is asks
Almighty Allah to help him through the mediation of His Eminence.
We have discussed this subject previously.7