The Ruling on Seeking Aid from the Prophet When Visiting the Prophet's Mosque

We hear many pilgrims and others, when they enter the Prophet's Mosque, call out to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "O Messenger of Allah! I have come to you from such and such a land, so cure my sick one, fulfill my need, and provide me with such and such," and so on. What is your guidance, may Allah honor you, for these people?
Answer: Visiting the Prophet's Mosque is a recommended practice (sunnah), a means of drawing near to Allah, and an act of obedience, and one should travel specifically for it, based on his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: These three mosques are the best mosques in the world. Therefore, Allah has prescribed traveling to them for worship. The Sacred Mosque is for Hajj, 'Umrah, praying in it, reciting, and i'tikaf (spiritual retreat). The Prophet's Mosque is for praying in it, reciting, dhikr (remembrance of Allah), i'tikaf, and learning and teaching, just as in the Sacred Mosque. However, the Sacred Mosque is distinguished by tawaf (circumambulation), because Allah has prescribed tawaf around it, and it is intended for performing Hajj and 'Umrah. As for the Prophet's Mosque, it is intended for what is intended in other mosques, such as praying in it, reciting in it, dhikr, i'tikaf, and the like, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): This is a great virtue. It is the sunnah for the visitor, when he visits the mosque, to greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his two companions. He stands at his grave and the graves of his two companions and greets them all, may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him. He stands before the noble grave and says: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah, and Allah's mercy and blessings. I bear witness that you have conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, advised the Ummah, and striven in the cause of Allah with true striving. So may Allah reward you for your Ummah with the best and most excellent reward." If he is content with just the greeting and leaves, there is no harm. Then he moves slightly to his right and greets al-Siddiq (Abu Bakr), saying: "Peace be upon you, O Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and Allah's mercy and blessings. May Allah reward you for the Ummah of Muhammad with good, and may Allah be pleased with you. Indeed, you advised and fulfilled the trust..." and the like. Similarly, he turns slightly to his right and greets 'Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him) as he greeted al-Siddiq, and he prays for him, may Allah be pleased with them all. This is the sunnah.
As for calling out to him from near or far, saying: "O Messenger of Allah! Help me, or cure my sick one, or I have come to you from a distant land to cure me or to give me such and such," this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is not permissible, neither with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor with anyone else, nor with al-Siddiq, nor with 'Umar, nor with any person; because worship is the right of Allah alone, and du'a' (supplication) is worship, so it is not permissible to direct it to other than Allah, whoever it may be. The dead are not asked, not supplicated to, and not sought for aid, whether they are prophets or not. The obligatory duty is to make worship sincere for Allah alone, as Allah the Exalted said: [Surah adh-Dhariyat: 56]. And He said: [Surah al-Isra: 23]. And He said: [Surah al-Jinn: 18]. His saying: "(anyone)" is an indefinite noun in the context of prohibition, which encompasses the prophets, the righteous, idols, trees, angels, and others: [Surah al-Jinn: 18], meaning: whoever it may be. Similarly, His saying: [Surah Yunus: 106], meaning: the polytheists. And everyone other than Allah does not benefit and does not harm. Allah the Exalted is the One who benefits and harms, and He is the One who places benefit in whom He wills and removes it from whom He wills, and places harm in whom He wills and removes it from whom He wills. He, the Exalted, is the Benefactor, the Harmer, the Giver, the Withholder, the Strong, the Mighty, (Exalted and Majestic is He). He is the One to be asked and sought . So if you come to the Messenger of Allah to greet him, or to any cemetery to greet the graves and pray for them, beware of supplicating to them along with Allah. Do not say: "O my master so-and-so, cure my sick one, or fulfill my need, or I am under your protection, or I am in your care, or I have come to you intending you to forgive me, or to have mercy on me, or to cure my sick one, or to ease my distress," neither with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) nor with anyone else. This is the right of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. But you greet the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his two companions, you seek their pleasure, you pray upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and you bear witness that he conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, and advised the Ummah. This is the right. As for adding to this by saying: "O Messenger of Allah! Intercede for me, or help me, or cure my sick one, or I am in your care, or I am under your protection, or I am oppressed so help me, or your Ummah has been afflicted with what has afflicted it so help it, or cure it from what has afflicted it," or the like of that, this is not permissible. This is shirk with Allah . But this is sought from Allah. You seek it in your prayer in the Prophet's Mosque and elsewhere, in your home. You say: "O my Lord, help me. O my Lord, reform the Ummah of Muhammad. O my Lord, guide them. O my Lord, unite their word upon the truth. O my Lord, protect them from the evil of their enemies. O my Lord, forgive me. O my Lord, cure my sick one." This is between you and Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, in the mosques, in prayer, and otherwise. As for the created being, even if he is a prophet, he does not possess this. All is in the hand of Allah . Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he made qunut (supplication) for a period of time, cursing some of the Arabs, that Allah revealed regarding him: [Surah Aal 'Imran: 128]. The matter is with Allah . He is the One in whose hand is guidance and misguidance, harm and benefit, giving and withholding, and the like. All is in His hand, Glorified and Exalted is He. He is the Owner of all things. Intercession is the right of Allah : [Surah Az-Zumar: 44]. It is His dominion , and He gives it to whom He wills. And His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that Allah will intercede for him on the Day of Resurrection. There is no need for you to ask him while he is in his grave. If it is the Day of Resurrection and you are among the people of Paradise, you will enter into his intercession. And he will also intercede for the people of the standing place, and judgment will be made between them, and you are among them. So there is no need for you to ask him... You ask Allah for it. You say: "O Allah, intercede for Your Prophet. O Allah, make me among the people of his intercession. O Allah, reward him for us with good," and the like of that. As for you seeking it from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), no. But in his lifetime, there is no harm if he is alive among the people, may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him. You say: "O Messenger of Allah! Intercede for me that Allah may guide me, that Allah may provide for me." He used to intercede for his Companions. And when drought and famine struck them in some years, some of them came to him while he was delivering the Friday sermon and said: So Allah caused the clouds to gather and then it rained. The people went out in the rain, each concerned with reaching his home, and the rain continued until the next Friday , when the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped over the city. And Allah answered his supplication immediately, in the first and the last, may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him. And that is among the signs of his prophethood and that he is truly the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him. So in his lifetime, there is no objection to asking him to seek aid for the Muslims and to intercede for them. Similarly, on the Day of Resurrection, when he is among them, the believers turn to him and ask him to intercede until Allah relieves the people from the terror of the standing place, and until judgment is made between them. Then he also asks Allah for the believers to enter Paradise. He intercedes to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, for the people of Paradise to enter Paradise. This is the truth, as the texts have come.
As for him in his grave after the barzakh (the interval between death and resurrection), after he died (peace and blessings be upon him), nothing is sought from him; rather, he is prayed upon (peace and blessings be upon him), his Sunnah (recommended practice) is followed, and his command and prohibition are honored. However, seeking the healing of the sick or the fulfillment of needs at his grave or in any country is what is not permissible. This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), which Allah has forbidden for His servants in His saying, the Exalted: [Luqman:13], and in His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): : [Al-Ma'idah:72], and in His saying, the Exalted: [Al-An'am:88], and in His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): : [An-Nisa:48]. It is obligatory for every person of legal age and every human being to be mindful of this matter, whether he is a pilgrim or not. Let him beware of calling for aid (istighathah) to the prophets, or the righteous, or the angels, or the jinn in any place. Rather, he should direct his supplication to Allah alone, and single out his Lord for supplication and calling for aid, and turn to Him, the Exalted, asking Him to fulfill his needs and relieve his distress, for He, the Exalted, is capable of everything, (Exalted and Majestic is He). As for the prophets, the angels, the jinn, and the rest of creation, they have nothing in their hands. Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone, the Exalted and Exalted, He is the Owner of everything, (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Al-Ma'idah:120] . So fear Allah, O servant of Allah, and beware of what Allah has forbidden for you. Advise your brothers who are with you and explain to them what Allah has prescribed for them in Hajj (the major pilgrimage) and in other matters, and warn them of what Allah has forbidden for them. Likewise, women should be taught and directed to what pleases Allah and brings them closer to Him, and it should also be explained to them what Allah has prescribed for them in Hajj, so that everyone is on clear guidance in their Hajj and in their visit to the Prophet's Mosque (peace and blessings be upon him).
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.