Inside Connections: The “Waasitah” System in Some of the Muslim Countries

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful…

Muslims from the West may find difficulty in understanding and working under the systems of law in some of the Muslim countries, especially the “waasitah” system, wherein one relies on a person of status to act as a special connection, or intermediary, between himself and the authorities, to help him get a job, a visa for a relative, or any number of services or concessions.  Before taking a rash position on the illegality or corruption of such a system, Muslims should educate themselves about the topic. 

Waasitah in the Arabic Language

Waasitah comes from wasat (the middle), and it means: someone or something that comes between two things. In old Arabic, the waasitah of a necklace was its jewel or pendant in the middle.  The Arabs used words like waseet and mutawassat for our modern usage of the term waasitah, meaning: an intermediary.  They are all words from the same root.

The modern use of the term waasitah is a synonym for another classical Arabic term, shaafi’ or shafee’ (intercessor), from shafaa’ah (intercession), when someone assists a person in need.

Allaah says: [1]

من يشفع شفاعة حسنة يكن له نصيب منها ومن يشفع شفاعة سيئة يكن له كفل منها

( Whoever intercedes (on behalf of someone) in a good way shall have some of its benefit, and whoever intercedes in a bad way shall have some of its burden )

Known by the context of the verse, it was originally revealed about military expeditions.  The good intercession refers to assisting others in battling against the spread of evil.  The bad intercession refers to assisting others in fighting against the spread of the truth.  However, the generality of its wording includes all types of personal assistance and intercession, as stated explicitly by early scholars of Tafseer, like Mujaahid. [2]

So the generality of the verse includes our modern usage of the term waasitah, as introduced.

The Waasitah System According to the Book and the Sunnah

The idea of using a waasitah or acting as one has been mentioned in the Qur’aan, as preceded.  Notice that Allaah has mentioned the people’s intercessions for each other as two types: good and bad.

The great scholar of Tafseer, Al-Qurtubee (d.671) said, “Whoever intercedes to help someone shall get a reward, and whoever intercedes to harm someone shall receive a burden (of sin).  It has also been said that the good intercession is in acts of righteousness and obedience (to Allaah), while the bad one is in acts of disobedience…” He mentioned other opinions, and then said, “And Al-Hasan (al-Basree) said: The good kind (of intercession) is in every permissible thing in the Religion, and the bad one is in every impermissible thing.  This seems to be the most comprehensive opinion.” [3]

Aboo Moosaa al-Ash’aree (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Whenever someone came to the Messenger of Allaah (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) with a request, he would turn to those sitting with him and say: [4]

اشفعوا فلتؤجروا وليقض الله على لسان نبيه ما أحب

“Intercede (for him), so that you could be rewarded!  And let Allaah decide whatever He likes upon the tongue of his Prophet.”

This hadeeth is found in al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.  Al-Bukhaaree collected it in four places in his Saheeh, in one of them he named the chapter: The Chapter of Muslims Cooperating with Each Other.    And the chapter title (placed by An-Nawawee) in Saheeh Muslim is: The Chapter of the Recommendation of Interceding in Affairs that are not Haraam.

It should be absolutely clear from this that interceding for people to help them in their halaal requests, without causing harm to anyone, within a “waasitah system”, has been legislated by Allaah in His Book, and it was a system instituted and practiced by the finest of His Creation, the Messenger Muhammad (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace).

Yet, there may remain some people who say: I am not convinced that the texts about shafaa’ah (intercession) apply to the waasitah system used today. 

Let us look at a very clear question answered by the Permanent Committee of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia [5] about the modern waasitah system:

What is the ruling on the waasitah?  Is it haraam?  For example, if I wanted to get a job, or get accepted at a school, and I use a waasitah (to accomplish that), what is the ruling on this? 

The Committee, headed by the great scholar, ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz [d.1420] (may Allaah have Mercy on him), replied: 

Firstly, if using an intercessor to get a job entails depriving someone else who has more right, meaning someone who is more knowledgable about the field and more capable of performing the related duties properly, then this intercession is not allowed, since it is an act of oppression against a deserving individual, as well as an act of oppression against the authorities as well, who are deprived of qualified and capable workers to complete the tasks required to help take care of the society’s needs.  Thus, it is a transgression against the society itself, preventing capable people from serving it in the best and most efficient way.  Furthermore, it leads to animosity, bad feelings, and other harms between the people.

However, if no one’s rights are deprived or squandered because of the intercession, then it is permissibleeven encouraged in Islaam, yielding rewards to the intercessors, in shaa’ Allaah.  It has been authentically established that the Messenger of Allaah (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) said: “Intercede, so that you could be rewarded!  And let Allaah decide whatever He likes upon the tongue of his Prophet.”

Secondly, schools, institutes, and universities are for the general benefit of the whole society.  In them, people learn things of benefit for their Religion and for their worldly life.  No one should hold a status over another except by accomplishments, not because of intercession.  Thus, if someone in a position to intercede recognizes that his intercession will result in the deprivation of someone who has more right, due to qualifications, age, his place in line (for a promotion, for example, i.e. he was supposed to be next), or other factors, then his intercession is not allowed in this case, since it results in the oppression of the deprived, or making someone work in a more distant school that is difficult for him to reach, but it makes it easy on the one interceded for.  Also (it is not allowed), due to the animosity and corruption it causes in the society.

And from Allaah is our success.  May Allaah raise the rank of our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.

Good and Bad Usage of Waasitahs

From what has preceded from the Book, the Sunnah, the statements of the Companions and early scholars of the Salaf, as well as the most recognized group of qualified scholars of today, we see clearly that the use of a waasitah is of two types: good and bad, and thus: either halaal or haraam.

To summarize: The good, halaal waasitah, includes helping people with their needs and halaal requests, without harming anyone else.  The bad, haraam waasitah includes either haraam requests or haraam methods used in the process of intercession, like harming other candidates, lying, deceiving, bribing, etc. [6]

Although the second category may be widespread, we may not conclude that the waasitah system itself is corrupt, as it is from the perfect Religion of Allaah, based upon clear texts in the Book and the Sunnah.

And Allaah knows best.

Written by: Moosaa Richardson

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4):85

[2] See: Jaami’ al-Bayaan of at-Tabaree (8/580-581).

[3] Al-Jaami’ li-Ahkaam al-Qur’aan (6/484-485)

[4] Collected by al-Bukhaaree (#6026) and Muslim (#2627).  This is the wording of Muslim.

[5] Official Verdicts of the Committee (25/389-390)

[6] It is also impermissible to intercede for someone who has committed a crime that warrants an Islaamically legislated punishment, after the proofs have been established and the judge has ruled in the case.  This is understood from the hadeeth about the woman from the Makhzoom Tribe who stole, as collected by al-Bukhaaree (#6788) and Muslim (#1688), and how the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) rejected the intercession of Usaamah ibn Zayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) on her behalf.  While this specific act of intercession was unacceptable, it further proves what is established from the hadeeth of Aboo Moosaa (mentioned previously), that the waasitah system was in place as a normal routine in the time of the Messenger (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace).

6 thoughts on “Inside Connections: The “Waasitah” System in Some of the Muslim Countries

  1. i think a lot of Westerners make failed attempts at using waasitahs and give up on the system easily. could you provide some real tips on how to make it work in sha Allah?

    • It seems more probable that they have only seen the harms of the abundant haram types of wasta in action while living in these countries that lead them to conclude that ALL types of wasta are haram when clearly this isn’t the case…

  2. Having lived in a muslim country i can see why people get frustrated with the waasitah system, not just westerners but the local populace as well. From my experience waasitah was always used in the first example given in the answer of Shaikh Ibn Baz. Did not matter what your qualifications or experience were. What mattered was what family/tribe/nationality you were and this is clearly haraam.

  3. ‘Assalaamu ‘Alaykum. May ALLAAH assists all of us. May HE reward Bakkah and the initiators of this waasitah system. I personally have been serious worried for long on how to learn Arabic and Islaam in Saudi Arabia. I am afraid of the hadeeth “the occurence of 5 things before 5 things.” I dont want 2 be engulfed by wordly affairs without sound & detailed understanding of the Sunnah. May ALLAAH make da’wah an easy task for me. Thus what connections can you offer me in this respect. JAZAAKUMUL LAAHU KHAYRAA! Pls. Reply my email

    • Wa ‘alaykumus-salaam,

      To be absolutely clear dear brother Isah, this article is not intended to hint at or suggest that we can act as a connection or get you connections to get into any programs of study. We wish you well and ask Allaah Almight to grant you success!

  4. Jazakallah Khair.
    Having witnessed Wasitah and been frustrated by it first hand, I really appreciate this article.
    I guess its difficult as foreigners to a muslim country to not have the connections in hand when we arrive. Maybe this is why we are frustrated so much. Unfortunately blind tribalism is a reality true but each user (good or bad) of wasitah will be brought to account yawm al qiyaamah for their purpose (and we should remember this and have patience).

    Also, we’re too used to how things work in the west. I didnt realise until this article that this system is actually based in our religion and certainly this puts it in a completely new light for me.

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