What is Tawassul?
Tawassul (تَوَسُّل — from wasila, meaning means or intermediary) is the practice of seeking nearness to Allah through the intercession of those who are beloved to Him. The Quran explicitly commands this:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ “O believers, fear Allah and seek the means (wasila) of nearness to Him.” (Quran 5:35)
The greatest wasila in Ismaili Tayyibi theology is the chain of the Ma’sumeen — those whom Allah purified and made infallible (ma’sum, plural ma’sumeen), and through whose intercession the believer approaches the Divine Presence.
The 14 Ma’sumeen
The fourteen infallible ones (المَعصُومُونَ الأَرْبَعَةَ عَشَر) are:
- The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) — Seal of the Prophets, the Natiq of the sixth cycle
- Sayyida Fatima al-Zahra (AS) — daughter of the Prophet (SAW), mother of the Imams, the Fatir (the one who separates truth from falsehood)
- Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) — the Asas, Commander of the Faithful, 1st Imam
- Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS) — 2nd Imam
- Imam Husain ibn Ali (AS) — Master of Martyrs, 3rd Imam
- Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin (AS) — 4th Imam
- Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS) — 5th Imam
- Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) — 6th Imam
- Imam Ismail ibn Jafar (AS) — 7th Imam (the designated heir of the 6th Imam in Ismaili succession)
- Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail (AS) — 8th Imam
- Imam Ahmad al-Wafi (AS) — 9th Imam
- Imam Husain al-Taqi (AS) — 10th Imam
- Imam Ali al-Radi (AS) — 11th Imam
- Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi bi-Allah (AS) — 12th Imam, 1st Fatimid Caliph
(The count of 14 in Tayyibi Ismaili reckoning differs from the Twelver Imami count — the Ismaili chain proceeds through Imam Ismail rather than through Imam Musa al-Kadhim.)
The Structure of Du’a al-Tawassul
Du’a al-Tawassul addresses each of the 14 Ma’sumeen in turn, acknowledging their station and beseeching their intercession. The structure follows a pattern:
Opening: Praising Allah and establishing the theological basis for tawassul.
For each Ma’sum:
- Salutations (salam) upon them
- Acknowledgment of their specific station and virtue
- The request: “be my intercessor (shafi’) before Allah”
Closing: The petition for specific needs, in confidence that the Ma’sumeen’s intercession reaches Allah.
The Opening — the Theological Foundation
Du’a al-Tawassul opens by establishing the legitimacy of tawassul through the names of those whom Allah Himself honored:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسأَلُكَ وَأَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيكَ بِنَبِيِّكَ نَبِيِّ الرَّحمَة مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَآلِهِ “O Allah, I ask You and I turn toward You through Your Prophet, the Prophet of mercy, Muhammad — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family.”
The phrase “atawajjahu ilayka” (I turn toward You) makes clear that the direction of the dua is to Allah — the Ma’sumeen are the means through which the turning happens, not the destination themselves.
Salutations for the Prophet (SAW)
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنِّي أَتَوَسَّلُ بِكَ إِلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكَ لِيَغفِرَ لِي ذُنُوبِي “O Messenger of Allah, I seek nearness through you to Allah — my Lord and your Lord — that He may forgive my sins.”
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، كُن شَفِيعِي عِندَ اللَّهِ “O Messenger of Allah, be my intercessor before Allah.”
Salutations for Sayyida Fatima (AS)
يَا فَاطِمَةَ الزَّهرَاء يَا بِنتَ مُحَمَّدٍ المُصطَفَى، كُونِي شَفِيعَتِي عِندَ اللَّهِ “O Fatima al-Zahra, O daughter of Muhammad the Chosen, be my intercessress before Allah.”
Sayyida Fatima (AS) holds a unique station in Du’a al-Tawassul — she is the link between the prophetic line (as the daughter of the Prophet SAW) and the Imamate (as the mother of Imams Hasan and Husain AS). Her intercession is particularly sought for matters of forgiveness, family, and the purification of the soul.
When to Recite Du’a al-Tawassul
Du’a al-Tawassul is traditionally recited:
- On Tuesdays: The day is particularly associated with tawassul in the Shi’a and Ismaili devotional calendar
- After Fajr prayer: As part of the post-namaz routine of dua
- On the occasions of the miqaat: Particularly on days connected to the Ma’sumeen — their milad (birth) and shahadat (martyrdom)
- In times of difficulty or urgent need: When the mumin seeks specific guidance or relief
- At the mazaraat: When visiting the shrines of the Ma’sumeen, Du’a al-Tawassul deepens the connection of the physical visit with the spiritual request
Tawassul and Bohra Theology
In Ismaili Tayyibi theology, tawassul is not a concession or an optional embellishment — it reflects a foundational principle: guidance comes through intermediaries.
Allah does not communicate with the soul in an unmediated way. The divine guidance descends through the chain:
- Allah → Jibril (AS) → the Prophet (SAW) → the Imam → the Dai → the mumin
Tawassul acknowledges this chain. The mumin who seeks tawassul through the Ma’sumeen is recognizing the divinely established structure of how guidance and barakah (blessing) flow in creation. It is an act of theological clarity as much as devotional need.
The Understanding Walayah|walayah (love and loyalty) that the mumin holds for the Ma’sumeen is expressed in Du’a al-Tawassul — love made concrete through supplication.
Related Dua: Du’a Ahad
A related practice is Du’a Ahad — recited after Fajr each morning — which renews the believer’s covenant with the Imam of the Age:
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النُّورِ العَظِيم وَرَبَّ الكُرسِيِّ الرَّفِيع وَرَبَّ البَحرِ المَسجُور “O Allah, Lord of the great light, Lord of the exalted throne, Lord of the surging sea…”
Du’a Ahad and Du’a al-Tawassul together form a daily devotional framework: the Ahad renews the covenant with the living Imam; the Tawassul invokes the entire chain of the Ma’sumeen as intercessors.
See also: Understanding Walayah, The Fourteen Masumeen, Dai Al Mutlaq Institution, Post Namaz Routine, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Imam Husain Master Of Martyrs, Sayyida Fatima Al Zahra