Is seeking help from a present, living, but incapable creature considered shirk (associating partners with Allah)?

Question:
May Allah reward you and may Allah reward you with good. This questioner says: What is the ruling on seeking refuge in a present, living, but incapable creature? Is it shirk? Certainly.

Answer:
Seeking refuge means turning to something to escape a disliked thing. It is a form of worship, one of the types of worship, and it is not to be directed to anyone but Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). As for turning to one of the people who has the ability to help you, this is called seeking support, not seeking refuge. It is called seeking support. You turn to someone to protect you from your enemy; there is no harm in that, if he has the ability, is alive, and is capable of helping you, then there is no objection to turning to him. But as for seeking refuge using this specific term, seeking refuge is a type of worship that is not permissible except for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).