What is the ruling on this supplication: "O Allah, I ask You by the right of those who ask You," and do those who ask have a right upon Allah?

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. What is the ruling on this supplication? And do those who ask have a right upon Allah?

The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory for us first to know that seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted (tawassul) is of two types: a permissible type and a prohibited type.
The permissible type is what the Shari'ah has brought, and the prohibited type is what the Shari'ah has prohibited.
Let us look at the permissible types: Seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted in the state of supplication is divided into two types: permissible and prohibited. By permissible here, we mean what is not prohibited, so it is not prevented from being recommended.
First: Seeking nearness to Allah by His names, and this is permissible. What is its evidence? No, the questioner is not directing the question to one person. Rest.
Its evidence is His saying, the Exalted: "And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them." . Second, yes, and also the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): to the end of the hadith.
Second: Seeking nearness to Allah by His attributes. Among what came in the hadith is: . Is Allah's knowledge of the unseen an attribute or not an attribute? It is an attribute. His power over creation is an attribute, and this is seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted by His knowledge and His power.
Third: Seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted by His actions. Seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted by His actions means that you supplicate to Allah for something, then you seek nearness to Him in realizing that thing by doing its like. Among this is the hadith of sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . For Allah's sending blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim is among His actions. And likewise, you say: . Here, seeking nearness to Allah is by what? By sending down rain, which is an action among the actions of Allah.
Fourth: Seeking nearness to Allah by faith and righteous deeds. Seeking nearness to Allah by faith and righteous deeds. Among this is His saying, the Exalted: . Here He said: then He said: . What is this seeking nearness to Allah by? By righteous deeds. And among this is also seeking nearness to Allah by faith.
As for righteous deeds, among this is the hadith of the three men. . How many are these? Five.
Sixth: Seeking nearness to Allah by the supplication of one whose response is expected, meaning that you ask a person whose response is expected to supplicate to Allah for you, and this is common. Among this is what is established in the two Sahihs from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): - from what?
The student: Seeking nearness to Allah by the supplication of...

The Shaykh : Correct, and among this is the hadith of Anas: meaning due to the scarcity of rain and vegetation - .
And our saying: Seeking nearness to Allah by the supplication of one whose response is expected is of the permissible type, but is it of the prescribed matter, meaning is it prescribed for you to say to a person: "Supplicate to Allah for me"?
We say: There is a detail in this: If it is for a general matter, meaning you asked this man to intercede for you in a general matter for you and others, then there is nothing wrong with it. Among this is the hadith I referred to in the story of the man who came to, yes
The student: ...

The Shaykh : to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: . For this man did not ask for anything for himself, but rather he asked for something for the general Muslims. As for if it is for other than the general Muslims, the better course is not to ask anyone to supplicate for you, except if you intend behind that that the supplicant benefits. The supplicant benefits: You come to a person and say: "Supplicate to Allah for me." This is not a problem, provided that you do not intend by it to humiliate yourself by asking, but your intention is to benefit the supplicant. How is his benefit? Because if he supplicates for his brother in his absence, the angel says: . So these are six types, all of which are permissible.
As for the prohibited seeking nearness, it is: that a person seeks nearness by the created being. If this is the case, it is not permissible. If one seeks nearness by the created being, it is forbidden, meaning not by his supplication, but by his self. For example, if you say: "O Allah, I ask You by Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) such and such," then this is not permissible. And likewise, if you ask by the status of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), it is not permissible, because Allah and His Messenger did not make this cause a cause. Clear, everyone? Good, yes.
The student: ...

The Shaykh : And as for what came in the question: , the questioner asks: Do those who ask have a right? The answer is: Yes, those who ask have a right that Allah obligated upon Himself in His saying, the Exalted: . And likewise, Allah used to say when He descended to the lowest heaven: . So this is the right of those who ask, and it is from the action of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted by His action is not a problem. Yes, please.