The Difference Between Seeking Nearness to Allah Through Faith in the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Love for Him, and Seeking Nearness Through His Own Person

Question: Some people confuse seeking nearness to Allah through faith in the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), love for him, and obedience to him, with seeking nearness through his own person and his status. Similarly, they confuse seeking nearness through his supplication during his lifetime with asking for his supplication after his death. This confusion has led to the mixing of what is prescribed with what is prohibited. Is there a detailed explanation that removes this ambiguity in this matter and refutes the people of desires who mislead Muslims in these issues?

Answer: There is no doubt that many people do not distinguish between the prescribed seeking of nearness and the prohibited seeking of nearness due to ignorance and the scarcity of those who alert them and guide them to the truth. It is well known that there is a great difference between the two.
The prescribed seeking of nearness is that through which Allah sent the messengers, sent down the books, and created the two groups of jinn and mankind. It is worshipping Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), loving Him, and loving His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and loving all the messengers and the believers. It is also faith in Him and in everything that Allah and His Messenger have informed us of, such as the resurrection, the gathering, Paradise, the Fire, and all else that Allah and His Messenger have informed us of.
This is all part of the lawful means of entering Paradise and being saved from the Fire, and of happiness in this world and the Hereafter. Among these means is supplicating to Him (Glorified and Exalted is He), seeking nearness to Him through His names and attributes and loving Him, and believing in Him and in all the righteous deeds He has prescribed for His servants, making them a means to His pleasure and success in His Paradise and His honor, and also to the relief of distress and the facilitation of affairs in this world and the Hereafter. As Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : and He will provide for him from where he does not expect. [Al-Talaq: 2-3] And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [Al-Talaq: 4] And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Al-Talaq: 5] And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Al-Hijr: 45] And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [Al-Qalam: 34] And He (Exalted is He) said: the verse [Al-Anfal: 29], which is knowledge, guidance, and the criterion, and there are many verses in this meaning.
And among the prescribed seeking of nearness is seeking nearness to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) through love for His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), faith in him, and following his Shari'ah, because these matters are among the greatest of righteous deeds and the best of acts of drawing near to Allah.
As for seeking nearness through the status of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or through his person, or through his right, or through the status of other prophets and righteous people, or through their persons, or through their right, this is from the religious innovations that have no basis, and rather is from the means of associating partners with Allah. For the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) , who were the most knowledgeable people about the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his right, did not do this. And if it had been good, they would have preceded us to it. And when they were afflicted with drought in the time of 'Umar (may Allah have mercy on him) , they did not go to his grave (peace and blessings be upon him), nor did they seek nearness through him, nor did they supplicate at his grave. Rather, 'Umar (may Allah have mercy on him) sought rain through his uncle (peace and blessings be upon him), al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, meaning through his supplication. So he (may Allah have mercy on him) said while on the pulpit: Narrated by al-Bukhari in his Sahih.
Then he (may Allah have mercy on him) ordered al-Abbas to supplicate, so he supplicated, and the Muslims said "Ameen" to his supplication, and Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) gave them rain.
The story of the people of the cave is famous and is established in the two Sahihs. Its summary is that three men from before us were sheltered in a cave by the night and rain. They entered it, and a rock slid down from the mountain, blocking the cave, and they were unable to move it. They said among themselves: "Nothing will save you from this rock except that you call upon Allah with your righteous deeds." So they called upon Him (Glorified and Exalted is He) and sought His aid. One of them sought nearness through his kindness to his parents, the second through his chastity from zina despite his ability to commit it, and the third through his fulfillment of a trust. So Allah moved the rock away from them, and they came out. This story is among the great proofs that righteous deeds are among the greatest causes for relieving distress, escaping from difficulties, and safety from the hardships of this world and the Hereafter.
As for seeking nearness through the status of so-and-so, or the right of so-and-so, or his own person, this is among the denounced religious innovations and among the means to associating partners with Allah.
As for supplicating to the dead and seeking their aid, that is major shirk (associating partners with Allah).
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to supplicate for them, and to seek aid for them when they faced drought, and to intercede in everything that benefited them while he was alive among them. When he passed away (peace and blessings be upon him), they did not ask him for anything after his death, nor did they come to his grave to ask him for intercession or anything else. This is because they knew that this is not permissible after his death (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is only permissible during his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him) before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection when the believers turn to him to intercede for them so that Allah may judge between them and for their entry into Paradise. After they come to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them all), they will apologize regarding the intercession. Each one will say, "Myself, myself. Go to someone else." When they come to Jesus (peace be upon him), he will apologize to them and guide them to come to our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). They will come to him, and he will say: , because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has promised him that. So he will go and fall prostrate before Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and praise Him with many praises, and he will remain prostrating until it is said to him: .
This hadith is established in the two Sahihs, and it is the famous hadith of intercession. This is the praised station that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) mentioned in His saying in Surat al-Isra: [Al-Isra: 79] (peace and blessings be upon him) and upon his family, his Companions, and his followers with excellence. May Allah make us among the people of his intercession, for He is the All-Hearing, the Near.