Tawassul, Istighātha and Shafāʿa in Twelver Shīʿī Islam: A Qurʾānic, Ḥadīth and Historical Analysis of Their Compatibility with Tawḥīd

Abstract

This article investigates the theological validity of three devotional practices — tawassul, istighātha and shafāʿa — through which believers seek divine favour via intermediaries. Focusing on their role within Twelver Shīʿī Islam, it explores ongoing debates about their permissibility and compatibility with the doctrine of Islamic monotheism (tawḥīd). The study contextualises their evolution from pre-Islamic Arabia, where polytheistic intermediary practices were reoriented under Islam to affirm divine sovereignty, and traces their continuity through the early Islamic, post-Prophetic and contemporary periods. By examining key Qurʾānic verses and ḥadīth from both Shīʿī and Sunnī sources, the study establishes that intermediaries operate solely under God's permission, negating accusations of polytheism (shirk).