Abd al-Aziz bin Abd Allah al-Juhani
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Abd al-Aziz bin Abd Allah al-Juhani is an Islamic scholar and academic who served on the faculty of the Teachers College in Riyadh, known for his research on Islamic creed, notably his treatise al-Tawassul al-Mashru wal-Mamnu (Lawful and Prohibited Means of Supplication) .
Academic Career and Creedal Discourse
Al-Juhani taught as a faculty member at the Teachers College in Riyadh, focusing on theological issues related to Islamic monotheism and supplication . In his scholarly research, he addressed the subject of tawassul (seeking a means of approach to God), emphasizing that human actions are only accepted by God when performed with sincere devotion to Him and in conformity with the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . He argued that innovative or prohibited forms of supplication undermine conformity to the prophetic tradition and can serve as a conduit leading toward associationism (shirk) .
Study on Tawassul
In his treatise al-Tawassul al-Mashru wal-Mamnu, al-Juhani established the linguistic and legal definitions of tawassul and wasilah . Linguistically, he defined tawassul as drawing near to a desired goal and wasilah as the means through which one draws near . Legally, he defined tawassul as seeking closeness to God through what He has legislated in the Quran or through His Messenger ﷺ, delineating that lawful means are those aligned with the Quran and authentic Sunnah, whereas prohibited means are those that contradict either source .
He classified lawful supplication into four distinct categories:
- Supplication through God's divine names and attributes .
- Supplication through righteous deeds performed by the believer .
- Asking a living righteous person to supplicate God on one's behalf .
- Supplication by invoking one's state of need and helplessness before God .
Conversely, al-Juhani detailed prohibited tawassul, dividing it into practices explicitly declared invalid by textual evidence and those shown to be invalid through general legal principles . Under the latter, he included supplicating God through the physical essence (dhat) of a created being, supplicating through the rank (jah) or perceived right (haqq) of a created being, turning to the deceased to request their supplication, and swearing by a prophet or righteous figure when asking God for one's needs . His work systematically reviewed and refuted counterarguments drawn from scriptural interpretations, historical reports from the Companions and Successors, and rational deductions .
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List of Works
al-Tawassul al-Mashru wal-Mamnu (Lawful and Prohibited Means of Supplication) is a treatise on Islamic creed examining the theological definitions, categories, and legal rulings surrounding tawassul (seeking a means of approach to God). It clarifies the distinction between lawful and unlawful practices, addressing misunderstandings to demonstrate which forms of supplication conform to the Sunnah and which constitute prohibited innovations.