The ruling on seeking aid from the dead and the absent

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, what is the ruling on seeking aid from a dead person by saying, "Help, so-and-so"? And what is the ruling on seeking it from the living who are not present to the person seeking aid?

Answer:
This is shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Seeking aid from the dead is major shirk, worship of other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic), supplication to other than Allah, and calling for aid from other than Allah. Among the types of worship are calling for aid and supplication. It is not permissible to supplicate to other than Allah, nor to call for aid from other than Allah in matters that only Allah is able to do. The dead person is not able to do anything. The dead person is not able to do anything. He is not able to benefit himself, he is not able to save himself from what he is in, he cannot save himself, so how can he save you? How can he give to you while he is dead?
When a person dies, his deeds are cut off, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said. His deeds are cut off; he does nothing. The deeds are in this world. But when a person dies, he becomes a lifeless corpse. You are alive; you are more capable than he is. You are more capable than he is. You are able to go and come, to seek help, and to act, but the dead person is unable to do anything. So how do you seek aid from a helpless dead person? Is this anything but a sign of abandonment, loss, and the weakness of minds or the faculties of the mind? That is, a living person seeks aid from a dead person? A living person who walks, changes, goes and comes seeks aid from a dead person who is at ease, bound by his deeds. Where are the minds, O servants of Allah?
Likewise, the absent person whom he does not hear: how do you seek aid from him? Even if he were alive, if he were absent, you do not seek aid from him because he does not hear your supplication. And if he does not hear your supplication, he is unable to come to your aid. Likewise, one does not seek aid from a created being except in what the created being is able to do. What he is able to do: he builds with you, he lifts your need with you, he carries you on his mount, on his car. The matters he is able to do with his mount. Seek his help. Allah the Exalted said in the story of Moses: He is able to take revenge on the aggressor. So one does not seek aid from a living person, even if he is present, except in what he is able to do. As for what he is not able to do, except Allah, it is not asked of anyone but Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Yes.