How to make Dua: Tip #6

Tawassul through Good Deeds Expand
Mentioning ones good deeds in front of Allah in order to gain favour from Him is another permissible way of performing tawassul.
Tawassul can also be made through mentioning one’s good deeds. So, once can say: “O Allah! Because of my love for Your religion, and love for You and Your Prophet, forgive me!” Or, “O Allah! Because of the charity that I gave to so-and-so, out of pleasing You, then grant me my dua”.

The Qur’an is full of this type of tawassul, in one verse it is mentioned: “Those that say: ‘O Allah! We have believed, so forgive us our sins, and save us from the Fire of Hell!’” [The Qur’an: Surah al-Imran 3:16]

This principle is confirmed in the famous Hadith of the people of the cave: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar narrated: “I heard Allah’s Messenger say: “Three men from among those who were before you, set out together until they reached a cave at night and they entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said (to each other): ‘Nothing can save us from this rock but to invoke Allah by mentionning the righteous deeds that we have done (for Allah’s sake only).” So, one of them said: ‘O Allah! I had old parents (whom I used to provide with milk) and I never provided my family (wife, children, etc.) with milk before them. One day, by chance I was delayed, and I arrived late (at night) after they had slept. I milked the sheep for them and then took the milk to them, but I found them sleeping. I did not like to offer my family the milk before them, so I waited for them and the bowl of milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting for them to get up until dawn. Then they got up and drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, I invoke You to relieve us from our critical situation that has been caused by this rock.’ So, the rock moved a little, but they could not get out. The Prophet (SAWS) added: “The second man said: ‘O Allah! I had a cousin who was the dearest of all people to me and I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her, but she refused. Later she came across hard times during a year of famine and she came to me, and I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on the condition that she would not resist my desires, and she agreed. When I was about to fulfill my desires, she said: “It is illegal for you to violate my chastity except through legitimate marriage.” So, I realized it was a sin to have sexual intercourse with her and left her, though she was the dearest of all people to me. I also left the gold I had given her. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, please relieve us from the present calamity.’ So, the rock moved a little more, but still they could not get out from the cave. The Prophet (SAWS) added: “Then the third man said: ‘O Allah! I employed few laborers and I paid them all of them their wages, with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and I gained much profit from this. (Then after some time) he came and said to me: “O Allah’s servant! Pay me my wages.” I said to him: “All the camels, cows, sheep, and slaves that you see here, are yours.” He said: “O Allah’s slave! Don’t mock me.” I said: “I am not mocking you.” So, he took the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If I did that for Your sake only, please relieve us from the present suffering.’ So, the rock moved completely and they walked out.

[Bukhari 3/260, Muslim #6607]