Seeking Nearness to Allah Through the Status of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Status of the Awliya (Close Friends of Allah)
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Q3: A dispute arose between me and a man who carries the Book of Allah the Exalted and is a pilgrim to the House of Allah the Exalted as follows: I said: Seeking nearness to Allah through the status of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the status of the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) is permissible, as I have read in *Al-Fawz wa al-Najah fi al-Hijrah ila Allah* (Success and Salvation in Migration to Allah). He said: It is not permissible to seek nearness to Allah through any created being; because Allah says: [Al-Baqarah 2:186] And Allah does not need the intercession of anyone, and whoever seeks nearness to Allah through the prophets or the awliya is one who associates partners with Allah. He continued at length—and may Allah protect us from that—saying in the Moroccan dialect: "What does Muhammad have that he gives you? We help him with our prayers for him." Did the one who said this phrase become an apostate, or does he owe nothing? And is it permissible to seek nearness to Allah as I mentioned above through the Messenger and the prophets (peace and blessings be upon them), or not?
A3: What you mentioned regarding the statement of the one who rebukes the one who calls upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after his death or seeks nearness to Allah through his status: "What does Muhammad have that he gives you? We help him with our prayers for him"—this is a despicable arrogance and bad manners in expression that is not befitting
for a Muslim to say. Furthermore, it is a deterrent that turns people away from listening to his advice and benefiting from his knowledge. However, despite that, he is not an apostate from Islam; because he did not intend by that to insult the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or diminish his status, as far as it appears. Rather, he intended to make it understood to the one who sought help from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or sought nearness to Allah through him that he does not possess, after his death, the ability to bring benefit or harm to the one who asked him or asked through him. But he expressed it poorly. He did not intend to claim a favor over the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) by praying upon him; rather, he wanted to clarify that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. It is obligatory for us to recognize his message and his high rank without elevating him to the station of Lordship or Divinity by supplicating to him and seeking help from him, for that is the exclusive right of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). But he did not express the call and guidance to the path of Allah with wisdom and good admonition. Knowing that supplicating to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and calling for aid through him or through any of the prophets and the righteous is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). As for seeking nearness to Allah through his status or his right, it is not shirk, but it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) and one of the means to shirk, so it is obligatory to leave it. What is prescribed (mashru') for the Muslim is to seek nearness to Allah through the names and attributes of Allah, and through tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and faith in Him, and through the righteous deeds by which he draws near to his Lord. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌA3: What you mentioned regarding the statement of the one who rebukes the one who calls upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after his death or seeks nearness to Allah through his status: "What does Muhammad have that he gives you? We help him with our prayers for him"—this is a despicable arrogance and bad manners in expression that is not befitting
for a Muslim to say. Furthermore, it is a deterrent that turns people away from listening to his advice and benefiting from his knowledge. However, despite that, he is not an apostate from Islam; because he did not intend by that to insult the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or diminish his status, as far as it appears. Rather, he intended to make it understood to the one who sought help from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or sought nearness to Allah through him that he does not possess, after his death, the ability to bring benefit or harm to the one who asked him or asked through him. But he expressed it poorly. He did not intend to claim a favor over the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) by praying upon him; rather, he wanted to clarify that he is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. It is obligatory for us to recognize his message and his high rank without elevating him to the station of Lordship or Divinity by supplicating to him and seeking help from him, for that is the exclusive right of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). But he did not express the call and guidance to the path of Allah with wisdom and good admonition. Knowing that supplicating to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and calling for aid through him or through any of the prophets and the righteous is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). As for seeking nearness to Allah through his status or his right, it is not shirk, but it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) and one of the means to shirk, so it is obligatory to leave it. What is prescribed (mashru') for the Muslim is to seek nearness to Allah through the names and attributes of Allah, and through tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and faith in Him, and through the righteous deeds by which he draws near to his Lord. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.