The Ruling on Seeking Nearness to Allah Through the Status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, what is the ruling on the one who says, “O Allah, I ask You by the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)”?

Answer:
The ruling is that it is a forbidden religious innovation (bid'ah); it is not permissible. There is no report, not in a weak hadith, not in an authentic one, and not in a good one, of asking by status. Rather, there is a fabricated hadith that says, “Seek nearness to Allah through my status, for my status with Allah is great.” Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said this hadith is a lie and is not found in any of the collections of the Prophetic Sunnah. So asking by status is never permissible, nor by the right of the Messenger. It is not permissible to ask by right or by status. My brother, call upon Allah directly. Say, “O Allah, I ask You such and such.” Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: , up to that point. He did not say, “Seek nearness to Me through the status of so-and-so or the right of so-and-so.” Rather, He said, “Call upon Me, and I will respond to you.” How do you twist this matter and go asking by the status of so-and-so or the right of so-and-so? Yes.