Facing the Prophet's grave in supplication: Is it shirk (associating partners with Allah) or bid'ah (religious innovation)?

Question:
The questioner says: I found a man in the Prophet's Mosque supplicating toward the direction of the grave, with his back to the grave. When I rebuked him, he said, "The qiblah for supplication is the sky, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the greatest gate of Allah." Is this shirk (associating partners with Allah)?

Answer:
Yes. If the one supplicating is calling upon the Messenger and seeking aid from the Messenger, that is shirk (associating partners with Allah). But if he is calling upon Allah while facing the Messenger, that is bid'ah (religious innovation); it is not shirk, it is bid'ah (religious innovation). This is because the qiblah is not the sky. The qiblah for Muslims is the Ka'bah. Allah did not command us to face the sky; He commanded us to face the Ka'bah. in prayer and in supplication, so it is our qiblah.