Mentioning some of the prohibited forms of seeking nearness to Allah through a means.

The Shaykh : As for other forms of seeking nearness to Allah through a means besides these four: seeking nearness to Allah through a means by one of the names of Allah, or by one of the attributes of Allah, or by the righteous deed of the one making the supplication, or by the supplication of a righteous man—everything else among these forms of seeking nearness to Allah through a means is from the newly invented matters. And you have often heard the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in some of his sermons:
And the worst of religious innovations is that which leads to associating partners with Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). And many of these innovated, non-prescribed forms of seeking nearness to Allah through a means are often accompanied by what is major shirk, such as their saying: "O Allah, I ask You by the right of so-and-so and by the right of so-and-so, by the status of Your Prophet, or the like of that." Because this seeking nearness to Allah through a means indicates that the one seeking nearness believes that the one through whom he seeks nearness has an effect on Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that Allah does not do what He wills, whereas the text of the Qur'an states that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does what He wills: In fact, some of these people who seek nearness to Allah through a means feel that the one with status has an effect on the Creator of all people. The evidence for this, as we have often experienced and discussed with the common people and some of the specialists, is that when we deny to them the innovated seeking nearness to Allah through a means other than these four forms, they deny us and give an example, and what a bad example it is: "Is it not the case that if one of us has a need with a king, a minister, or an emir, that we must present an intermediary to him to fulfill our need?" We say: Yes, that is how people are. But is this praise for that emir, minister, or king, or is it a defect?
So we used to say: What is your opinion of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, whom the disbelievers used as an example of a just ruler and called him the "democratic ruler"—they claimed—because of his justice toward his people? Was 'Umar on a straighter path than these emirs for whom you give the example of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), saying: "Just as we seek nearness to these people through an intermediary, we also seek nearness to Allah through an intermediary"? What is your opinion: is 'Umar better, or are these people who do not accept a need except through an intermediary?
They are poor, lost, and wandering, not knowing what is befitting of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and what is not befitting of Him. So they have no choice but to say: "No, by Allah, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab is better than these emirs to whom we do not reach except through intermediation." So we say to them at that time: Fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If you were to liken the Lord of the worlds to the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, you would have committed disbelief. Because Allah says: How is it, when you have refused to liken Allah to the just emir, and this likening is disbelief, that you have likened Him to the unjust among rulers and emirs? Do you not fear Allah? If this meaning is accompanied by the seeking nearness to Allah through a means, it is shirk in lordship, not in worship; it is in lordship. But if the seeking nearness to Allah through a means is free from this likening of the Creator to the created, it is a religious innovation, and that is sufficient as a warning, as you have just heard from his saying (peace be upon him): to the end of the hadith.