Do we really need to call upon by saying Ya Gawth Al Adham madad? Scholars bashed these kind of people who believe we need intermediaries. Read the verse and its Tafseer below.
Allah says:
(2 : 186. When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me.
1. Al Qurtubi commented:
فمن شَرْط الداعي أن يكون عالماً بأن لا قادر على حاجته إلا الله.
The condition (so that Allah may listen to the invocation) of the supplicant is that he is aware that NO ONE is capable of fulfilling his need except Allah.
(Tafsir al Qurtubi 2 : 186)
Al Qurtubi wrote in great detail commenting on this verse which should be written with gold. He mentioned sayings of scholars and ahadith on what are the reasons, why our dua is not answered and what are the reasons, if we act upon them our dua will be answered. And not a single reason states that we don’t call upon auliyah, we don’t make them intermediary due to which our dua is not answered. And here they claim Allah has given super natural powers to gawth Al adham and he can go to the graves of his followers and save them from Angels, we should ask help from him anywhere so that he may help us.
2. at Tabari said:
” ومعنى متأولـي هذا التأويـل: وإذا سألك عبـادي عنـي أيّ ساعة يدعوننـي فإنـي منهم قريب فـي كل وقت أجيب دعوة الداع إذا دعان.
.'” And the meaning of this interpretation is: When My servants ask you about Me, at what time should they call upon Me? Indeed, I am near them at ALL times, and I answer the call of the supplicant WHENEVER he calls upon Me.
(Tafsir at Tabari under Al Baqarah 2:186).
And here they claim, when we have to go to the King, we have to use intermediary to reach him, hence as per them to reach Allah, we need to ask help of gawth.
3. Tafsir of al Razi
a) Allama Fakhr al-Din al Razi Rahimullah commented:
كأنه سبحانه وتعالى يقول عبدي أنت إنما تحتاج إلى الواسطة في غير وقت الدعاء أما في مقام الدعاء فلا واسطة بيني وبينك
“ It is as if Allah is saying, my slave you are in need of waasitah in other places than dua, but in dua there is NO WAASITAH BETWEEN ME AND YOU.
[Tafsir al Kabeer under 2:186]b) al Razi bashed sufis who think the grave dwellers are our intermediators.
He said:
أنهم وضعوا هذه الأصنام والأوثان على صور أنبيائهم وأكابرهم، وزعموا أنهم متى اشتغلوا بعبادة هذه التماثيل، فإن أولئك الأكابر تكون شفعاء لهم عند الله تعالى، ونظيره في هذا الزمان اشتغال كثير من الخلق بتعظيم قبور الأكابر، على اعتقاد أنهم إذا عظموا قبورهم فإنهم يكونون شفعاء لهم عند الله.
“They built these statues and idols upon the forms of their Prophets and leaders (Akabir), and they believed that when they would worship these idols, then these leaders (Akabir) would become intercessors for them in front of Allah. And what is similar to this in our times is the veneration (ta’zeem) of a lot of people among the creation of the graves of their leaders (Akabir), with the belief that if they venerate their graves, then they (leaders) will be intercessors for them in front of Allah.”
Tafsir al Kabeer 17/60
Here al Razi didn’t knew that these people call upon Gawth and say ya Gawth al Adham madad, if he would know this, he would be more furious. Because just venerating the graves was the reason of this bashing, what would he say if he knew they even call upon them and even claim Shaykh Abdul Qadir is the greatest of the helper.
c) He also mentioned relying on ghayrullah is useless:
والذي جربته من طول عمري أن الإنسان كلما عوَّلَ في أمر من الأمور على غير الله صار ذلك سبباً للبلاء والمحنة والشدة والرزية، وإذا عوَّلَ على الله ولم يرجع إلى أحد من الخلق حصل ذلك المطلوب على أحسن الوجوه، فهذه التجربة قد استمرت لي من أول عمري إلى هذا الوقت الذي بلغت فيه إلى السابع والخمسين، فعند هذا أسفر قلبي على أنه لا مصلحة للإنسان في التعويل على شيء سوى فضل الله وإحسانه انتهى.
What I have experienced from my long life is that whenever a person relies on a matter other than God (Ghayr Allah), that becomes a cause of affliction, distress and misfortune. And if he relies only on God leaving the creation, that required goal would be achieved in the best way. This experience happened to me from the beginning of my life until this time when I reached the 57 years of Age. This thing cleared my heart that there is no benefit for a person in relying on anything other than Fadal and Ihsan of Allah. (end quote)
[Tabqaat al Shafiya al Kubra 8/92, It is mentioned in footnotes regarding the original reference that it is mentioned in Tafseer al Razi 5/132]4. Even al Suyuti who himself was Sufi had to say, There Is no mediator between you and Allah.
Great Sufi Imam as-Suyuti commented:
حذفت للإشارة إلى أن العبد في حال الدعاء في أشرف المقامات لا واسطة بينه وبين مولاه .
It is indicative to the fact that as far as the supplication to Allah is concerned then you are closest to Allah and there is no mediator between you and your Mawla. [al Itteqaan 2/302]
5. When Sayyid al Alusi recited this verse against a quburi.
Sayyid al Alusi Kabeer said:
، وقد قلت يوما لرجل يستغيث في شدة ببعض الأموات وينادي يا فلان أغثني فقلت له : قل يا الله فقد قال سبحانه : وإذا سألك عبادي عني فإني قريب أجيب دعوة الداع إذا دعان [البقرة : 186] فغضب وبلغني أنه قال : فلان منكر على الأولياء
A person who was asking help from dead by saying: “O So and so help me” I said to him: Say “O Allah help” as Allah says in al Quran:
“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.”[2″186] He became angry and It has reached me that he says “so and so” is munkir of auliyah. [Ruh al Mani under surah az-Zumar verse 45]
I really hope these people may understand that there is NO reasons whatsoever to call upon Shaykh Abdul Qadir, even if it is proven that he had 1000s of super natural powers, He is in in the gardens of jannah in his grave inshaAllah let him enjoy, we will still call upon Allah only, the ever living.