What is the ruling on calling for aid from the awliya (close friends of Allah) and asking them to send down rain?
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Question:
Honorable Shaykh, we seek your advice. We have come from Africa, and when the country suffers from drought and a lack of rain, some people go to the grave of one of the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) and ask him to save them and send them rain. They say, for example, "O my uncle Mas'ud, send us rain and thunder." May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes one out of the religion. The one who asks a dead person to send down rain and calls upon him for aid is committing major shirk that takes one out of the religion. Therefore, it is not permissible to ask the dead for help, call upon them for aid, or ask for rain through them. When the people faced drought in the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him),
he wanted to ask for rain and ordered al-Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib to make supplication, while they believed in his closeness to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They did not go to the grave of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), even though it was only a few meters or cubits away from them. They did not go to the grave of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and say, "O Messenger of Allah, save us. O Messenger of Allah, make supplication for us," because they knew that this is not permissible.
They were the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the role models. In fact, they asked al-Abbas because he was alive and present, and they asked for supplication from the one who is alive and present. Now, asking for supplication from the dead is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). You must convey to them that this is major shirk and is not permissible, and they must repent to Allah the Exalted and Majestic. If they want to ask for rain, they should follow the Sunnah (recommended practice): they pray and then make supplication to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, and they affirm the supplication of the khatib (sermon giver), for Allah is near and responsive. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, we seek your advice. We have come from Africa, and when the country suffers from drought and a lack of rain, some people go to the grave of one of the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) and ask him to save them and send them rain. They say, for example, "O my uncle Mas'ud, send us rain and thunder." May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that takes one out of the religion. The one who asks a dead person to send down rain and calls upon him for aid is committing major shirk that takes one out of the religion. Therefore, it is not permissible to ask the dead for help, call upon them for aid, or ask for rain through them. When the people faced drought in the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him),
he wanted to ask for rain and ordered al-Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib to make supplication, while they believed in his closeness to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They did not go to the grave of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), even though it was only a few meters or cubits away from them. They did not go to the grave of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and say, "O Messenger of Allah, save us. O Messenger of Allah, make supplication for us," because they knew that this is not permissible.
They were the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the role models. In fact, they asked al-Abbas because he was alive and present, and they asked for supplication from the one who is alive and present. Now, asking for supplication from the dead is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). You must convey to them that this is major shirk and is not permissible, and they must repent to Allah the Exalted and Majestic. If they want to ask for rain, they should follow the Sunnah (recommended practice): they pray and then make supplication to Allah the Exalted and Majestic, and they affirm the supplication of the khatib (sermon giver), for Allah is near and responsive. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم الاستغاثة بالأولياء وطلب نزول المطر منهم؟ #فتاوى الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.