Tawassul: Shirk or a Means of Drawing Near to God?
«Tawassul is not associating partners with God; it is a means of connecting with Him. Throughout the visible and unseen realms, all help comes from God alone, and tawassul takes place through the channels by which He turns His attention to us. Seeking help through physical and spiritual means in worship is not shirk.»
Is tawassul a form of shirk? If God is present, why should we seek a means of approach to Him?
**Answer:**
Throughout all of God’s sanctuary, domain, and realms—seen and unseen—only divine aid is at work, whether directly or through means. Medicine, for instance, is a means through which He brings about healing. Every act of seeking healing or intercession, when undertaken in the spirit of pure monotheism, is simply an approach through His presence and the channels through which He turns His attention toward us. At His will, we connect with Him through these channels, though approaching Him directly is not forbidden.
Relying on our physical and spiritual faculties as means in worship and servitude is not shirk. Rather, it brings our capacities together in the unified practice of worship.