Is it permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?

The Shaykh: Go ahead.

The questioner : Regarding tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) and the means of intercession, O Shaykh, some people argue using the hadith of the blind man, saying that they invoke Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—by the status of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). They say that there is a hadith in al-Hakim’s al-Mustadrak: Is there a contradiction between this hadith and the other hadith?

The Shaykh : First, may Allah bless you and all those present. I hope you ask about matters whose answers are well-known and have been thoroughly discussed, so that time has passed over them and they have been consumed. A question like this has become well-known among those who oppose the Sunnah, let alone among students of knowledge who follow the Sunnah. First, the hadith of Adam (peace be upon him) does not state that he sought nearness through his love for the Prophet; this is an error on your part or on the part of the one you quoted. The word “love” is not mentioned in the hadith. Rather, the hadith states: This is the text of the hadith. But the reality of the matter is as the common people in our region of Sham say: “This deceased person does not deserve this condolence,” because the hadith is very weak, indeed it is fabricated. It contradicts the apparent meaning of the statement of Allah the Exalted: He repented to Allah—Mighty and Majestic—and sought His forgiveness and turned to Him in repentance, as is the case with all prophets and messengers. It was not because he sought nearness as stated in this fabricated hadith. Therefore, arguing with this hadith is an argument for falsehood. Furthermore, it is known among scholars who hold that it is not permissible to seek nearness to Allah through any of His creation—Mighty and Majestic—rather, tawassul...