Ninth: Seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted through the supplication of a righteous man whose response is expected, and clarifying the ruling on that.

The Shaykh : The ninth is seeking nearness to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) through the supplication of a righteous man whose response is expected. Seeking nearness to Allah through the supplication of a righteous man whose response is expected means you go to a person whose response is expected. I heard someone say, "If he is alive," but he did not pay attention to the wording. We said, "whose response is expected." A dead man does not do anything such that his response is expected, or it is not expected. So, you go to a righteous man whose response is expected and you say, "Call upon Allah for me to grant me a child." He raises his hands and says, "O Allah, grant so-and-so a child." This is permissible. But is it a required matter, a desirable matter, or a detested matter? The answer is no, it is not required and it is not desirable. The least that can be said about it is that it is permissible, and leaving it is better. Meaning, you go to a man and say, "Call upon Allah for me." How do you say that? And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: Do not make an intermediary between you and Allah. Call upon Allah, and Allah will increase you in faith, and increase you in submission to Allah, and increase you in humility and prostration to Him. Is it not correct to say to someone, "Call upon Allah for me," and then you leave? This is not correct. Then, if you ask a man to call upon Allah for you, some people are overcome by their evil-desiring selves, and they puff up their chests and need to renew the chair they are sitting on, because their first chair became too small for them when they puffed up. They puff up and say, "Who am I? I am the one to whom people come to call upon Allah for them." This is a reality, my brothers. Some people, truly, if asked to call upon Allah for a person, they puff up and walk with arrogance. Yes, this is harm. Harm to the one who is asked to call upon Allah. How do you harm your companion?
Thirdly, it is attachment to other than Allah, because this seeker attaches his heart to whom? To the one who calls upon Allah. He says, "Praise be to Allah, I, by Allah, have so-and-so calling upon Allah for me." Glory be to Allah, "I have so-and-so calling upon Allah for you." What prevents you from calling upon Allah directly? It is clear, my brothers. Now.
I say this regarding the one who calls upon Allah for the seeker, from the righteous man, that it is a matter not desirable. It is not befitting for you to humble your face before a creation like you, and leave your Lord, and leave the direct supplication to your Lord. My brother, call upon Allah yourself. Accustom yourself to supplication to Allah. You will find humility to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and attachment to Him, and do not attach yourself to other than Allah. Did you understand, my man? Now.
As for the one for whom it is requested that he calls upon Allah, as for the one who is asked, he should comfort his companion's heart and call upon Allah for him. But if he refuses to do so and says, "No, call upon your Lord," for the sake of educating people, there is no blame on him. Now, this is if the request is not for the benefit of the Muslims in general. If it is for the benefit of the Muslims in general, as if you come to a man and say, "O so-and-so, the people are now in drought and the rain has stopped, and the land has dried up. If you would call upon Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to send them relief, that is good." Because you did not humble yourself, but you asked for whom? For whom? For the general Muslims. This is good and there is nothing wrong with it, on the condition that we are safe from the one being asked... what? Puffing up. If the fear comes, we stop. And how many are there who greet a person and say, "I ask you for supplication, call upon Allah for me." May Allah help you, my brother, you call upon Allah. Allah the Exalted said: If you say, "Was it not said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab: " The answer is that this hadith is not authentic, it is not correct at all, and it is not befitting the Prophet (peace be upon him). Yes, it is not befitting the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to ask 'Umar. Which one is higher in rank? Without doubt, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So this is a hadith that is not authentic and cannot happen from the rational aspect. And with this, we say that asking another for supplication is a matter that is not desirable and is not a recommended practice. Turning to Allah and attaching yourself to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is better for you than your attachment to a creation. Now, how many are these? Ten or nine? It appears they are nine.
The student: ...

The Shaykh : The tenth remains. Now, these nine are the ones that came to my mind now, and perhaps there are things that have escaped my mind now, but these are sufficient for one. And as for seeking nearness through the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), by Allah,