Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Among the hadiths that the author (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in the chapter on piety is this hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would supplicate to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with this supplication: Here, "guidance" means knowledge. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) needed knowledge just like other people, because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said to him: And Allah said to him: So he (peace and blessings be upon him) needed knowledge, and thus he asked Allah for guidance.
When "guidance" is mentioned alone, it encompasses both knowledge and success in the truth. However, when it is paired with something that indicates success in the truth, it is interpreted to mean knowledge. This is because the principle in the Arabic language is that conjunction implies difference; thus, "guidance" has one meaning, and what follows it, which indicates success, has another meaning.
As for his saying: The intended meaning of "piety" here is the piety of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked his Lord for piety, meaning that He would grant him success in the piety of Allah. For Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the One in whose hand are the reins of everything. If a servant is left to himself, he is lost and achieves nothing. But if Allah (Mighty and Majestic) grants him success and provides him with piety, he becomes upright in the piety of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
As for his saying: The intended meaning is that Allah bestows upon him chastity and purity from everything that Allah has forbidden. So its conjunction with "piety" is of the type of specifying the general with the particular, if we specify "chastity" as chastity from a specific thing. Otherwise, it is of the type of conjunction of synonyms. Chastity is for a person to be chaste from everything that Allah has forbidden, regarding all the prohibitions that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has forbidden.
As for "self-sufficiency," the intended meaning is self-sufficiency from other than Allah, meaning self-sufficiency from creation, such that a person does not become needy of anyone other than his Lord (Glorified and Exalted is He). When a person is granted success by Allah and bestowed with self-sufficiency from creation, he becomes dignified and not humbled, for need of creation is humiliation and degradation, while need of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is worship. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Allah (Mighty and Majestic) for self-sufficiency. We should follow the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in this supplication and ask Allah for guidance, piety, chastity, and self-sufficiency.
In this is evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not possess for himself any benefit or harm, and that the One who possesses that is Allah.
In it is also evidence for refuting those who cling to the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous in seeking benefits and repelling harms, as some ignorant people do when they call upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) when they are at his grave, or call upon those they claim are awliya (close friends of Allah) other than Allah. These people are misguided in their religion and foolish in their minds, for those who are called upon do not possess anything for themselves. Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And He said to him: And He said to him: So a person must know that humans, no matter how much prestige they are given with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and no matter what rank or status they have with Allah, they are not deserving of being called upon other than Allah. Rather, those who have prestige with Allah, namely the prophets and the righteous, completely disavow those who call upon them other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). 'Isa (peace be upon him) said, when Allah said to him: It is not the right of 'Isa or anyone else to tell people, "Take me as a god other than Allah." So the conclusion is that what we hear about some ignorant Muslims in some Islamic lands who come to the graves of those they claim are awliya (close friends of Allah) and call upon these awliya (close friends of Allah), this action is foolishness in the mind and misguidance in the religion. These people will never benefit anyone. They are lifeless corpses, lifeless corpses. They themselves cannot move, so how can they move for others? And success is from Allah.