The Ruling on Praying Behind One Who Visits Graves to Seek Blessing

Q: What is the ruling on praying behind one who visits the graves of the righteous to seek blessing from them, and recites the Qur'an at mawlid celebrations and the like for a fee?

A: This requires a detailed explanation: If it is merely celebrating mawlid without shirk (associating partners with Allah), then he is an innovator, and he should not be an imam, based on what is established in the authentic hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: .
Celebrating mawlid is a religious innovation. However, if he calls upon the dead and seeks their aid, or seeks the aid of the jinn or other created beings, saying, "O Messenger of Allah, help me," or "Cure my sick person," or saying, "O my master al-Husayn," or "O my master al-Badawi," or other dead people, or inanimate objects like idols, "Help, help," then he is one who commits major shirk (associating partners with Allah). One does not pray behind him, and his imamate is not valid—may Allah protect us from that. As for if he commits a religious innovation, such as attending a mawlid but not committing shirk, or reciting the Qur'an at the graves, or praying there, without committing shirk, then he has innovated in the religion. He should be taught and directed to the good, and his prayer is valid if he does not do it at the graves. As for praying in the cemetery, it is not valid, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.