A Living Quran Exploration

Tawassul has been practiced widely by Muslim societies. However, in the Muslim community, tawassul has been controversial among those who practice it and those who reject to do so. Previous studies mainly discussed the tawassul controversy from scholars' perspectives, while studies on the controversy of tawassul from a Muslim society's perspective are scarce. This study, therefore, discusses the practice of tawassul in Palu City, Central Sulawesi, from the Muslim community's perspective of who practices tawassul and who rejects it. The aim of this study is to provide insight for academia and practitioners regarding the differences and reasons underlying the controversy of tawassul among Muslim communities. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach, and the data was gathered through direct observation and in-depth interviews with key Muslim figures who accept and reject tawassul. Five informants practiced tawassul were recruited, and five informants who did not practice tawassul. The data was presented in a matrix table based on the main themes found, and then the data was reduced to meet the discussion of the study. The results show that Muslim communities who accept and reject tawassul have similar arguments taken from Al-Quran and had, but they have a different interpretation of the sources. The other perception of tawassul does not cause conflict among Muslim societies in Palu. However, we also found that most of Muslim communities who reject tawassul come from academia who rely on rationality in interpreting the legality source of tawassul. Meanwhile, Muslim communities who practice tawassul come from ulama or Islamic scholars who are primarily of Arabic or Middle Eastern descent. In conclusion, we argue that there is no violation of the provisions of aqidah and shari'ah, as well is not sinful, both for groups that allow tawassul and those that do not practice tawassul. The essential problem lies in the different perspectives and understandings of the two groups towards the existing texts of the Qur'an and Hadith. Our study contributes to the body of knowledge within the area of Quranic studies and to the Muslim communities who practice or reject tawassul.