Reference: http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=121686
The first doubt is regarding the Hadeeth of Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) using Al-Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) as intercession to seek rain.
Umar (radhi Allaahu anhu) said,
O Allaah, we used to seek intercession to You through Your Prophet and You used to send rain upon us. [Now] we seek intercession to You through the uncle of our Prophet, so send rain upon us.
He said:
So rain was sent upon us. [1]
The saying of the Umar: “We used to seek intercession to You through Your Prophet” i.e. we used to request from the Prophet to supplicate to You for rain, and so rain would descend upon us.
This was in the lifetime of the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam). It is similar to the Hadeeth of Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him), that a man came to the Messenger of Allaah whilst he was delivering a sermon and asked him to supplicate for rain for the people. So he raised his hands and supplicated to his Lord; Allaah then sent down rain.
However when the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) passed away, the companions used to ask his uncle al-Abbaas to supplicate [to Allaah]. This was due to his righteousness and his place with the Messenger for Allaah (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam).
If Tawassul (Intercession) is sought through a Dhaat (personality), a Haqq (right) or a Jaah (status) with Allaah then there would have been no point in abandoning supplicating to the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) and asking al-Abbaas instead. This is because the status of the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) does not cease with his death. There is also no comparison between the status of the al-Abbaas and the status of the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam).
If it was permitted to supplicate to the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) after his death then the companions would have never stopped supplicating to him and instead ask al-Abbaas (radhi Allaahu anhu).
Footnotes
[1] Narrated by al-Bukhaaree
كشف 13 شبهة في التوسل
المرجع: http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=121686
1- حديث استسقاء عمر بالعباس : حيث قال عمر (اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبينا فتسقينا وإنا نتوسل إليك بعم نبينا فاسقنا قال فيسقون) رواه البخاري .
فقوله (كنا نتوسل إليك بنبينا) أي كنا نسأله أن يستسقي لنا فيدعو فتنزل علينا الغيث هذا كان في حياته صلى الله عليه وسلم
ومن أمثلته حديث أنس رضي الله عنه حين سأل رجل رسول الله وهو يخطب الجمعة أن يستسقي للناس فرفع الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم يديه ودعا ربه فأغاث الله عباده
فلما مات صلى الله عليه وسلم طلبوا الدعاء من عمه العباس لصلاحه ولمكانه من رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم
ولو كان التوسل بالذات أو بالحق أو بالجاه لما كان لتركهم له معنى لأن جاه النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم لا يزول بالموت ولأنه لا نسبة بين جاه العباس رضي الله عنه عند الله مع جاه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم. فلو كان طلب الدعاء من النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بعد موته سائغاً لما عدلوا عنه أبداً.
