The Ruling on Exalting Graves and Supplicating to Their Occupants

Question:
From Sudan, the questioners Ja'far Ibrahim and Ibrahim Abdul Qadir have this question: We have people who exalt graves and hope for benefit or harm from their occupants. Are these people disbelievers, even though they pray and perform the rest of the acts of worship? Please guide us in light of this question, Your Eminence.

Answer:
Attaching oneself to graves, hoping for their benefit, or warding off harm from them by supplicating to them, or rubbing against them, or calling for their aid, or circumambulating them, is all major shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is the shirk of the polytheists; this is the misguidance of the former generations.
It is not permissible to attach oneself to graves, neither to the graves of the righteous, nor to the graves of the prophets, nor to any others. Whoever attaches himself to them, circumambulates them, hopes for their benefit, or calls for the aid of their occupants, or makes vows to them, or rubs against their graves hoping for their benefit, or seeks their help, or slaughters animals for them, or prostrates to them, all of this is disbelief by the consensus of the people of the Sunnah and the community, by the consensus of the scholars. This is the shirk of the first polytheists.
Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Al-Mu'minun: 117]. He called them disbelievers. And He said (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Al-Jinn: 18]. And He said, the Exalted: If you call them, they will not hear your call, and even if they did hear, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disavow your association of partners with them [Fatir: 13-14]. They called it shirk (associating partners with Allah); He called them that.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So whoever calls upon them has worshipped them. If he says: "O my master! Help me," or "Cure my sick one," or "Intercede for me," or "I am under your protection," or "I am under your patronage," or "I rely on you," or "I ask you," or "I fear you," this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is not done except with Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). One addresses Allah: "O my Lord! Help me... Cure my sick one... I fear..." with Allah, the Exalted. But with a created being, this is major shirk. Or with the stars, or with the jinn, or with idols, all of this is major disbelief. This is the shirk of the polytheists.
And so is what the worshippers of al-Husayn do, or the worshippers of Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, or others, or the worshippers of al-Idris, or... Zaynab, or others. All of this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) if he calls upon him. If he calls upon al-Idris, or calls upon al-Husayn, or al-Hasan, or calls for the aid of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) or the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or seeks his help, or says: "O Messenger of Allah! Help me," or "Intercede for me," or "Cure my sick one," or "Keep me firm upon the religion," all of this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah).
Intercession is sought from him on the Day of Resurrection after the resurrection and rising. And in his lifetime, before death, it is said: "Intercede for me, O Messenger of Allah," and there is no harm in that. But after death, no, it is not sought from him, neither intercession nor anything else. But when he was alive, the Companion would say: "O Messenger of Allah! Intercede for us, call for our aid," and there is no harm in that; because he is capable. And on the Day of Resurrection, likewise, after Allah resurrects the people, and at the time of extreme terror, the believers go to Adam and say: "Intercede for us with your Lord so that He may relieve us from the distress of the standing, and judge between us." Adam excuses himself and refers them to Noah. Noah excuses himself and refers them to Ibrahim. Ibrahim excuses himself and refers them to Musa. Musa excuses himself and refers them to 'Isa. 'Isa excuses himself and says: "Go to Muhammad, the servant for whom Allah has forgiven what came before of his sin and what came after." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: -The people come to him- Then he goes (peace and blessings be upon him) and prostrates before his Lord, prostrates before Allah under the Throne, and praises Allah with praises He opens for him, extolling Him greatly until it is said to him: No one intercedes except after permission; because Allah says: [Al-Baqarah: 255]. So when He gives him permission, he intercedes for the people so that judgment is made between them, and he intercedes for the people of Paradise so that they enter Paradise, and he intercedes for some of the sinners who entered the Fire so that they are brought out of it, many intercessions, peace and blessings be upon him.
And so the believers intercede for the sinners... the angels intercede... the prophets intercede. This has come in the texts from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes.