ANSWER:

Question:

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakahtuh

Bismillah

Q 1) Question is How to Please Allah Ajja Wajjal and what are the ways Allah refers too in Surah Al Maida Verse 35

Ba'arak Allah Hu Feek

و عليكم السلام والرحمة الله وبركاته ،

Barak Allah hu Feek, I've taken the liberty to broken down the question into two parts so it becomes easier to digest for everyone, in sha Allah.

In the first ayah, what is asked about in connection to Waseelah, I've presented the Tafsir of ibn Katheer (رحمه الله) who has done an excellent job. And the second part is about Waseelah is explained below in detail, in sha Allah.


Ans 1) Explanation about the asked ayah:

Surah al Ma'idah: 35

﴿ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱبۡتَغُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ وَجَـٰهِدُواْ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ • إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ڪَفَرُواْ لَوۡ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعً۬ا وَمِثۡلَهُ ۥ مَعَهُ ۥ لِيَفۡتَدُواْ بِهِۦ مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنۡهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬ • يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَخۡرُجُواْ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمَا هُم بِخَـٰرِجِينَ مِنۡہَا‌ۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ۬ مُّقِيمٌ۬ ﴾
(35. O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah and seek the Wasilah to Him, and strive hard in His cause, so that you may be successful.)
(36. Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them. And theirs would be a painful torment.)
(37. They will long to get out of the Fire, but never will they get out therefrom; and theirs will be a lasting torment.)

Tafsir ibn Katheer:
Commanding Taqwa, Wasilah, and Jihad
Allah commands His faithful servants to fear Him in Taqwa, which if mentioned along with acts of obedience, it means to refrain from the prohibitions and the prohibited matters. Allah said next,
﴿ وَٱبۡتَغُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ ﴾
(seek the Wasilah to Him.)
Sufyan Ath-Thawri (رحمه الله) said that Talhah said that `Ata' said that Ibn `Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said that Wasilah means `the means of approach'.
Mujahid, Abu Wa'il, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Abdullah bin Kathir, As-Suddi, Ibn Zayd and others gave the same meaning for Wasilah. Qatadah said that the Ayah means, "Seek the means of approach to Him by obeying Him and performing the acts that please Him.''
﴿ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ ﴾
(Those whom they call upon seek a means of access to their Lord (Allah).) (17:57) Wasilah is a means of approach to achieve something, and it is also used to refer to the highest grade in Paradise, and it is the grade of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his residence and the nearest grade in Paradise to Allah's Throne. Al-Bukhari recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah (رضي الله عنه) said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
« مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ، آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ، إِلَّا حَلَّتْ لَهُ الشَّفَاعَةُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة »
(Whoever, after hearing to the Adhan says, "O Allah! Lord of this perfect call and of the regular prayer which is going to be established! Grant Muhammad ﷺ the "Wasilah" and superiority and send him ﴿on the Day of Judgment﴾ to the praiseworthy station which You have promised him," then intercession from me will be permitted for him on the Day of Resurrection.)
Muslim recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As said that he heard the Prophet ﷺ saying,
« إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الْمُؤَذِّنَ فَقُولُوا مِثْلَ مَا يَقُولُ، ثُمَّ صَلُّوا عَلَيَّ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ صَلَاةً صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ عَشْرًا، ثُمَّ سَلُوا لِيَ الْوَسِيلَةَ، فَإِنَّهَا مَنْزِلَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ لَا تَنْبَغِي إِلَّا لِعَبْدٍ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللهِ، وَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا هُوَ، فَمَنْ سَأَلَ لِيَ الْوَسِيلَةَ حَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّفَاعَة »
(When you hear the Mu'adhdhin, repeat what he says, and then ask for Salah (blessing, mercy from Allah) for me. Verily, whoever asks for Salam (dua for peace and safety) for me, then Allah will grant ten Salam to him. Then, ask for the Wasilah for me, for it is a grade in Paradise that only one servant of Allah deserves, and I hope that I am that servant. Verily, whoever asks (Allah) for Wasilah for me, he will earn the right of my intercession.) Allah said,
﴿ وَجَـٰهِدُواْ فِى سَبِيلِهِۦ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ﴾
(and strive hard in His cause as much as you can. So that you may be successful.)

After Allah (ﻋﺰ ﻭ ﺟﻞ) commanded Muslims to avoid the prohibitions and to work towards obedience, He commanded them to fight against their enemies, the disbelievers and idolators who have deviated from the straight path and abandoned the correct religion. Allah encouraged the believers by reminding them of the unending success and great happiness that He prepared for them for the Day of Resurrection, which will never change or decrease for those who join Jihad in His cause. They will remain in the lofty rooms of Paradise that are safe and beautiful. Those who live in these dwellings will always be comfortable and will never be miserable, living, never dying, and their clothes will never grow thin (never worn out), nor will their youth ever end.

No Amount of Ransom Shall Be Accepted from the Disbelievers on the Day of the Judgment and They Will Remain in the Fire
Allah then describes the painful torment and punishment that He has prepared for His disbelieving enemies for the Day of Resurrection. Allah said,
﴿ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ڪَفَرُواْ لَوۡ أَنَّ لَهُم مَّا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعً۬ا وَمِثۡلَهُ ۥ مَعَهُ ۥ لِيَفۡتَدُواْ بِهِۦ مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنۡهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬ ﴾
(Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them. And theirs would be a painful torment.) So if a disbeliever brought the earth's fill of gold, and twice as much as that amount on the Day of Judgment to ransom himself from Allah's torment that has surrounded him, and he is certain that he will suffer from it, it will not be accepted of him. Rather, there is no escaping the torment, and he will not be able to evade or save himself from it. Hence Allah's statement,
﴿ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬ ﴾
(And theirs would be a painful torment.) meaning, hurtful,
﴿ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَخۡرُجُواْ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمَا هُم بِخَـٰرِجِينَ مِنۡہَا‌ۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ۬ مُّقِيمٌ۬ ﴾
(They will long to get out of the Fire, but never will they get out therefrom, and theirs will be a lasting torment.) In another Ayah, Allah said,
﴿ ڪُلَّمَآ أَرَادُوٓاْ أَن يَخۡرُجُواْ مِنۡہَا مِنۡ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُواْ فِيہَا ﴾
(Every time they seek to get away therefrom, in anguish, they will be driven back therein.) Therefore, they will still long to leave the torment because of the severity and the pain it causes. They will have no way of escaping it. The more the flames lift them to the upper part of Hell, the more the angels of punishment will strike them with iron bars and they will fall down to its depths,
﴿ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ۬ مُّقِيمٌ۬ ﴾
(And theirs will be a lasting torment.) meaning, eternal and everlasting, and they will never be able to depart from it or avoid it. Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah said,
« يُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ: يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ كَيْفَ وَجَدْتَ مَضْجَعَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: شَرَّ مَضْجَعٍ، فَيُقَالُ: هَلْ تَفْتَدِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا؟ قَالَ: فَيَقُولُ: نَعَمْ يَا رَبِّ فَيَقُولُ اللهُ: كَذَبْتَ، قَدْ سَأَلْتُكَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذلِكَ فَلَمْ تَفْعَلْ، فَيُؤْمَرُ بِهِ إِلَى النَّار »
(A man from the people of the Fire will be brought forth and will be asked, `O son of Adam! How did you find your