The Ruling on Supplicating to the Dead and Asking Them
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The Shaykh : As for visiting graves to call upon the dead, that is foolishness in reason and misguidance in religion. It is foolishness in reason, why? Because this dead person cannot benefit himself, so how can he benefit you? How do you come to a lifeless body, which the earth may have consumed except what Allah wills, and then call upon it? Is it possible for this dead person to save you from anything? Answer, my brother. No, by Allah, never. He himself is in need of supplication, so how do you call upon him? This is foolishness. I think if a person came to a living person who was paralyzed and said, "O so-and-so, I ask you to carry my belongings with me to the car and carry them with me," what would people call this? A sane person or a fool? Where is the answer, O people? Give us your answer: is he sane or a fool? A man came to a paralyzed person, one who cannot move, a disabled person, as you say, and said, "O so-and-so, help me carry my belongings to the car." Would you carry them? What do you say about this man? A fool or a sane person? A fool. Is the dead person not more so than this? How do you say to the dead person, "O so-and-so, give me this, provide me with wealth, marry me"? Glory be to Allah! "My wife does not bear children, so let her bear children." Foolishness, very foolish in reason. Misguidance in religion, why? Because Allah the Exalted says: Listen, this is an interrogative form, and this interrogative form means negation. Even if you kept calling upon him until the Day of Resurrection, he would not respond to you. [Fatir 35:14] Here it says: [Al-Ahqaf 46:5] They do not understand and they do not hear. And after that: [Al-Ahqaf 46:6] What? [Al-Ahqaf 46:6] As He, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Al-Baqarah 2:166] From what? [Al-Baqarah 2:166-167] Meaning, "Would that we had a return to disavow you as we used to ally with you in the beginning." [Al-Baqarah 2:167] Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Al-Baqarah 2:167] May Allah protect us and you from that.
So, my brother, the people of the graves do not benefit you, and it is not permissible for you to supplicate to them.
And who is more astray
ومن أضلWho is more astray than one who invokes besides Allah one who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection
من أضل ممن يدعو من دون الله من من لا يستجيب به إلى يوم القيامةIf you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association
إن تدعوهم لا يسمعوا دعاءكم ولو سمعوا ما استجابوا لكم ويوم القيامة يكفرون بشرككمAnd who is more astray than he who invokes besides Allah those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they, of their invocation, are unaware.
ومن أضل ممن يدعو من دون الله من لا يستجيب له إلى يوم القيامة وهم عن دعائهم غافلونAnd when the people are gathered
وإذا حشر الناسthey [who were invoked] will be enemies to them, and they will be deniers of their worship.
كانوا لهم أعداء وكانوا بعبادته كافرينwhen those who have been followed disassociate themselves
إذ تبرأ الذين اتبعواfrom those who followed [them], and they [all] see the punishment, and cut off from them are the ties [of relationship], (167) Those who followed will say, "If only we had another turn
من الذين اتبعوا ورأوا العذاب وتقطعت بهم الأسباب وقال الذين اتبعوا لو أن لنا كرةso we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us
فنتبرأ منهم كما تبرؤوا مناThus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.
كذلك يريهم الله أعمالهم حسرات عليهم وما هم بخارجين من النارSo, my brother, the people of the graves do not benefit you, and it is not permissible for you to supplicate to them.