The Meaning of Tawassul and the Ruling on Making an Intermediary Between the Servant and His Lord

Question:
This is Abu 'Abdullah. He says: Honorable Shaykh, my question is about tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means). What is tawassul? And if I make a person an intermediary between me and Allah, knowing that Allah is the One who has the power to do it, and He is the One who benefits and harms, and this person has a high status with Allah

Answer:
Tawassul is drawing near to Allah, and the means (wasilah) is the act of drawing near and obedience. It is not meant by "means" to take a person as an intermediary between you and Allah. This is not permissible. It is not permissible to make an intermediary between you and Allah. Call upon Allah directly without an intermediary; because there is no evidence for making an intermediary between the supplicant and Allah from among the created beings. This is not permissible. This is from bid'ah (religious innovation), and it may become shirk (associating partners with Allah) if something of worship is directed to this intermediary, such as slaughtering an animal for him or making a vow for him. This is the reality of the worshippers of graves today. They worship them with sacrifices and offerings, just as the people of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance) did. They worship other than Allah what does not harm them and does not benefit them, and they say, "These are our intercessors with Allah" This is their argument, and it is false. There are no intermediaries from among the created beings between Allah and His creation. Allah commanded us to worship Him and commanded us to call upon Him and ask Him without intermediaries. Yes.