المعنى الاصطلاحي

Any means that is used to reach a specific objective.

الشرح المختصر

"Waseelah" (seeking means) is the path that leads to Allah. In fact, no path leads to Allah except the path which He loves and is pleased with; namely, doing acts that draw one close to Allah, such as acts of obedience and acts of worship consisting of words and actions in which the condition of sincerity to Allah and that of compliance with the guidance of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, are fulfilled. "Tawassul" is to seek closeness to Allah and supplicate Him by virtue of such acts of obedience and righteous deeds. Tawassul falls under two categories: 1- Sharia-approved Tawassul: this refers to every form of Tawassul that is proven to be permissible by virtue of a text from the Qur’an or the Sunnah. These include making Tawassul by Allah, the Exalted, whether by His Essence, His beautiful Names, sublime Attributes, or Actions. Tawassul by one's good deeds, or by the supplication of a righteous living person in hope that Allah would respond to his supplications are also among the permissible forms of Tawassul. Forbidden Tawassul: this is the one that lacks evidence to support its permissibility, or there is evidence, yet it is not authentic, or contradicted by other authentic pieces of evidence. It takes many forms, some of which are more serious than the others. Examples: 1- Making Tawassul to Allah by the supplication of dead or absent people, seeking relief from them, asking them to fulfill their needs, alleviate their distress, and so on. This form constitutes major Shirk that takes the person out of the fold of Islam. 2- Making Tawassul to Allah by offering acts of worship at graveyards and shrines, supplicating Allah there, building over them, and fixing lamps and curtains and the like there. This constitutes minor Shirk that diminishes the perfection of Tawheed. Thus, it is considered as a means leading to major Shirk. 3- Making Tawassul to Allah by the status of prophets and righteous people and their high position in the Sight of Allah Almighty. This form is forbidden, rather, it is a religious innovation, given the fact that it is not ordained or allowed by Allah Almighty.

التعريف اللغوي المختصر

"Waseelah": a means used for reaching something. It is derived from the word "tawassul", which means to seek. Other meanings: a cause, a path leading to something, a degree, and a rank.

التعريف

What is the means to achieve what is desired, but it is not particularly desired.