This article is written solely to broaden understanding and perspective, not to judge or negate anyone’s beliefs. Its background arises from the reality of today’s life: many people believe that performing religious rituals—such as prayer, remembrance (dhikr), meditation, or worship—alone is sufficient, without realizing that the journey back to God requires a wasilah, namely intermediaries sent by Him in the form of prophets, messengers, or authentic spiritual guides.
Introduction
This article is written solely to open perspectives and insights, not to preach, judge, condemn, or negate anyone’s beliefs. The background lies in the reality of modern life: many people feel content with performing religious rituals—such as prayer, remembrance, meditation, or worship—without realizing that the journey back to God requires a wasilah.
A wasilah is not merely an intermediary but also a channel of Divine energy from Allah SWT, as well as a bearer of guidance that leads humanity back to the Creator. God sent this wasilah through prophets, messengers, and authentic spiritual teachers authorized by Him. This is the key to ensuring that Divine power continues to prevail and direct humankind toward truth, as emphasized in the scriptures revealed throughout prophetic history.
This condition was foretold by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the following hadith:
“A time will come when nothing will remain of Islam except its name, and nothing will remain of the Qur’an except its written form.”(Hadith narrated by Al-Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman, no. 1763).
This hadith illustrates the condition of the end times, when many still cling to rituals yet lose the essence and genuine connection with Allah SWT.
Objectives of the Article
The objectives of this article are to:
- Explain the role of religious rituals in the spiritual journey.
- Clarify that without wasilah, rituals may generate spiritual experiences that do not originate from the True God.
- Compare perspectives across major world religions, supported by scriptures, hadiths, and modern literature.
- Present scientific and psychological analysis for contemporary readers.
- Offer practical implications so that people are not trapped in spiritual illusions.
Current Condition
In the era of globalization, spirituality has often become a trend. Many people seek shortcuts to feel close to God through instant methods: simplified meditation, energy channeling, tarot, numerology, affirmations, or following charismatic cult leaders. These practices may appear to provide inner experience but often fail to connect with the True God.
The Qur’an affirms:
“There is nothing whatever like unto Him.”(Qur’an, Ash-Shura [42]: 11).
Sufi scholars further state that Allah SWT is “neither in letters nor in sounds,” meaning He cannot be equated with letters, numbers, whispers, or any physical form. Without an authentic wasilah, human consciousness can be deceived by false appearances—mystical letters, numbers, symbols, whispers, visions, or prophecies—which may seem real subjectively but do not originate from the True Divine Source.
Supporting references:
- Qur’an, Al-Maidah [5]: 35: “O you who believe, be mindful of Allah and seek the means (wasilah) to Him…”
- Ibn ‘Arabi, Futuhat al-Makkiyyah: emphasizes that connection with God requires a spiritual guide linked to Him.
- Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Knowledge and the Sacred (1989): argues that authentic spiritual experience always requires legitimate tradition, not mere ritual formality.
- Karen Armstrong, The Case for God (2009): critiques modern spirituality that emphasizes personal sensation rather than transcendence.
Religious Rituals: Important but Not Sufficient
Rituals are the foundation of every religion.
- In Islam: prayer (salat), remembrance (dhikr), supplication (dua), fasting, recitation of the Qur’an.
- In Christianity: prayer, mass, confession.
- In Hinduism: puja, japa (mantras), meditation.
- In Buddhism: meditation, recitation of the Tripitaka, moral practice (sila).
However, when rituals are performed without a wasilah, they may lead to:
- Dhikr → whispers of the self, not from God.
- Prayer or supplication → mechanical routine devoid of meaning.
- Meditation → altered states of consciousness that generate illusions or hallucinations.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“Whoever performs an action not in accordance with our guidance, it will be rejected.”(Hadith narrated by Muslim).
This hadith confirms that worship must follow authentic channels, not merely empty rituals.
The Importance of Wasilah Across Traditions
Nearly all major religions acknowledge the necessity of an intermediary (wasilah) between humans and God:
- Islam: “Seek the means (wasilah) to Him.” (Qur’an, Al-Maidah [5]: 35).
- Christianity: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).
- Hinduism: “Approach a guru who has realized the truth.” (Bhagavad Gita 4:34).
- Buddhism: “You yourselves must strive; the Tathagata only shows the way.” (Dhammapada 276).
These teachings show that rituals alone are insufficient; guidance through a wasilah is required for the spiritual journey to truly connect with the Divine Source.
In this sense, the wasilah is not only a guide but also a channel and transmitter. They provide not only instruction but also Divine energy from Allah SWT. Without this authentic energy, humans may instead receive “power” from other elements—whether unseen entities, psychological suggestion, or illusory energies—that ultimately mislead.
The Analogy of Electricity and Cables
This reality can be illustrated through the analogy of electricity and cables.
- Electricity is not the same as the cable; electricity remains electricity, the cable remains a cable.
- Yet electricity requires a cable to reach its destination: lighting lamps, cooling air conditioners, driving engines.
- Conversely, a cable without electricity holds no power.
Both are distinct but must work in synergy for energy to reach its purpose.
Similarly, wasilah—prophets, messengers, and their successors—are distinct from God, but they are the chosen channels through which Divine power, guidance, and energy are transmitted to humanity. God is eternal and everlasting, while the wasilah appear successively, generation after generation, carrying the light and energy of God so that it continues to reach humankind.
Supporting references:
- Qur’an, An-Nahl [16]: 36: “And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying]: Worship Allah and avoid false gods.”
- Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, Khatm al-Awliya: emphasizes that wasilah exist continuously to preserve the prophetic light.
- Huston Smith, The World’s Religions (1991): affirms that every religion stresses the necessity of teachers, prophets, or intermediaries so that humans do not become lost in private experiences.
The Reality of Modern Life
Current spiritual challenges include:
- Spirituality without religion (spiritual but not religious).
- Illusions of hidden knowledge through tarot, numerology, channeling.
- Cults that reject prophets yet claim personal revelation.
- Scientific materialism that denies spirituality altogether.
Without the filter of wasilah, rituals and spiritual experiences may result in false beliefs that mislead.
Diagram: Relationship Between Rituals, Wasilah, and Divine Awareness
[Human] → Religious Rituals (prayer, dhikr, meditation)
Scientific and Psychological Perspectives
Modern psychology describes spiritual phenomena as peak experiences (Maslow), moments of intense transcendence. William James referred to them as “varieties of religious experience.” Neuroscience even shows that brain stimulation can induce religious sensations.
However, such biological experiences do not necessarily mean “connection with God.” Here lies the role of wasilah: as a filter, ensuring that humans do not misinterpret inner sensations as absolute truth.
Practical Implications in Daily Life
How can one distinguish authentic spiritual experience from illusion?
- Examine the source → Does it align with scripture and prophetic guidance?
- Assess the results → Does it produce humility and goodness, or pride and self-claims?
- Seek authentic guides → Teachers rooted in prophetic or sacred traditions, not instant gurus.
- Measure with reason and ethics → Experiences that contradict reason and morality are unlikely to originate from God.
Through these steps, humans can ensure their rituals and spiritual consciousness do not fall into deceptive appearances.
Conclusion
- Religious rituals are important but not sufficient to return servants to God without wasilah.
- Wasilah are Divine intermediaries ensuring that human connection to God remains on its proper path.
- Without wasilah, rituals may produce false manifestations such as letters, numbers, whispers, or prophecies not from God.
- All major religions emphasize the importance of wasilah or guides as the path to God.
- Modern science shows that spiritual experiences may arise from the brain or suggestion, thus requiring authentic religious filters.
- Practically, believers must integrate rituals with guidance through wasilah in order to reach the True God.
👉 This article is written solely to broaden perspectives, not to judge. The hope is that readers realize that the spiritual journey is not only about knowledge and rituals but also about authentic connection with the Divine Source through the path that He has ordained.
References
1. Qur’an and Hadith
- Al-Qur’an al-Karim, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Republic of Indonesia, 2005.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Riqaq.
- Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman.
- Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Muqaddimah.
2. Scriptures of Other Religions
- The Bible (Old & New Testament), Indonesian Bible Society, 2011.
- Bhagavad Gita, trans. Swami Prabhupada, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 2000.
- Dhammapada, trans. Narada Thera, Buddhist Publication Society, 1993.
- Tripitaka (Pali Canon), Vipassana Research Institute, 2008.
3. Islamic Literature
- Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid. Ihya’ Ulumuddin. Dar al-Fikr, 2002.
- Ibn Taymiyyah. Majmu’ Fatawa. Dar al-Wafa, 1998.
- Quraish Shihab. Tafsir Al-Mishbah. Lentera Hati, 2005.
4. Christian Literature
- Augustine, St. Confessions. Oxford University Press, 2008.
- Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica. New Advent Publishing, 2012.
- Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. HarperCollins, 2001.
5. Hindu & Buddhist Literature
- Radhakrishnan, S. The Principal Upanishads. HarperCollins, 1992.
- Vivekananda, Swami. Jnana Yoga. Advaita Ashrama, 2003.
- Rahula, Walpola. What the Buddha Taught. Grove Press, 1974.
6. Scientific Literature
- James, William. The Varieties of Religious Experience. Longmans, Green, 1902.
- Maslow, Abraham. Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences. Penguin, 1994.
- Koenig, Harold G. Handbook of Religion and Health. Oxford University Press, 2012.
- Capra, Fritjof. The Tao of Physics. Shambhala Publications, 1991.
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