What is the ruling on one who dies while seeking aid from the awliya (close friends of Allah) and believing in their ability to benefit or harm?

Question:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. One of the brothers, who calls himself Abu Hudhayfah and resides in the southern region, says: Some people among us believe in the awliya and believe in their ability to benefit and wrong, and they seek their help in all their circumstances, even though some of the awliya, as those who seek their help call them, have passed away years ago. Some of the brothers have warned them, but to no avail, and some people have returned and repented to Allah. What is the ruling on such people? May Allah reward you with good. And if they die in that state, may Allah preserve you.

Answer:
Whoever dies while seeking aid from the dead, calling upon the dead, and drawing near to them, is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) with Allah the Exalted, committing major shirk (associating partners with Allah). He is to be treated as a mushrik: he is not to be washed, no prayer is to be offered over him, and he is not to be buried in the Muslim cemeteries, but rather he is to be treated as a mushrik, because he is a mushrik with Allah the Exalted who died while calling upon a rival for Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . This is a very serious matter. It is obligatory for those who cling to the dead and seek their aid to repent to Allah and to make their worship sincere for Allah alone, for the dead neither benefit nor harm, and they have no share in the matter. It is not permissible to cling to them or seek blessing from them, or to believe that they benefit or harm. This is the belief of the people of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), the belief of the polytheist idolaters. It is obligatory to repent to Allah for whoever does this, because he is a mushrik on a religion other than Islam. If he dies in this state, he will be among the people of the Fire, abiding therein forever, and refuge is sought in Allah.
It is obligatory for scholars to seek knowledge in every place and at every time. Their greatest obligation is to call people to Allah, to make them see the truth, and to warn them against this shirk (associating partners with Allah). It is obligatory for the rulers, it is obligatory for the rulers of the Muslims, to remove these shrines and these buildings that were constructed over graves, and to prevent people from this major shirk. This is the obligation of everyone. It is obligatory for scholars to clarify, guide, and warn, and it is obligatory for the rulers of the Muslims to remove this evil and prevent it by the power of authority that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has given them, because people are dependent on the consciences of the scholars and the consciences of the rulers. Therefore, it is obligatory for everyone that . Yes.