What is the ruling in Islam regarding a group that believes in the awliya (close friends of Allah), holds circles of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) accompanied by beating the duff (hand drum), calls for aid from the righteous, and does other such things?

Question:
You say that they have those people who believe in the awliya? And the shaykhs where they hold circles of dhikr and Prophetic praises, beat the drums, call for aid from the righteous, and praise them, and that they dim the lights and stand up to congratulate one another? Is their work correct? Is it from the Sunnah at all? What is the ruling in Islam regarding these people? What is the ruling on one who sits with them? Is that permissible? May Allah reward you with good and do you good. Also participating in this issue is the listener Fayyadh al-Zubdah al-Asmarani from Syria.

Answer:
All of these actions are invalid, and they are from the practices of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah). Indeed, calling for aid from the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous, and supplicating to them other than to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: The awliya and the righteous, who are the believing, God-fearing servants of Allah, are not to be called upon for aid, nor is help or the fulfillment of needs sought from them. They are dead and have no power over anything. He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: to you, and He (the Exalted) said: And He (the Exalted) said: Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him. The awliya and the righteous do not possess for themselves any harm or benefit, nor death or life or resurrection, let alone possess such things for others. He (the Exalted) said: What is obligatory regarding the awliya and the righteous, who are the believing, God-fearing servants of Allah, is to love them, to follow their example in good deeds and obedience, and to supplicate for them and seek mercy for them; because they are in need of those who supplicate for them and seek forgiveness for them; because their deeds have ended, and their deeds were cut off by their death, so they are in need of the supplication of their brothers and their seeking of forgiveness for them. As for seeking needs from them, that is major shirk, and it is an action of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) came to invalidate and deny, and to fight its people and battle them until they enter into Islam and declare pure tawhid (the oneness of Allah) by saying "La ilaha illa Allah." The meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" is that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So when a Muslim declares it, he commits to its meaning, he makes his worship pure for Allah, and he does not associate with Allah anyone else, neither a sent prophet nor a near angel, let alone others. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not pleased that anyone be associated with Him in His worship, neither a sent prophet nor a near angel, let alone others. He (the Exalted) said: And if other wrongs are added to these gatherings, that is an additional condition, such as the free mixing of men and women, and also the practice of bid'ah (religious innovation), using shirk or bid'ah phrases, and extinguishing the lights. All of this has no authority from Allah. What is obligatory upon Muslims is to make their supplication, worship, and humility pure for Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that they do not supplicate to anyone with Allah, nor seek anything from the dead or the absent. Likewise, from the living, nothing is sought from them except what they are capable of doing from ordinary matters that Allah has enabled them to do. As for matters that only Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is capable of, they are not sought from anyone, but are sought from Allah, such as sending down rain, healing the sick, causing plants and crops to grow, and the birth of children, and the like. These are not within the