Ruling on gathering in the name of a deceased awliya (close friends of Allah) for supplication and dhikr (the remembrance of Allah)

He also asks and says: What do you say about a group of people who gather in the house of their "Hadrat" or under a tree in the name of someone who died centuries ago, whom neither they nor their fathers saw, but whom they and their fathers named Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, Shaykh Husayn al-Bali, so-and-so, and so-and-so? And if someone rebukes them, they do not accept it from him, arguing that such-and-such a scholar did not rebuke them, and that the disbelievers in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) disbelieved because they did not believe in the Messenger, whereas we believe in him and in what he brought (peace be upon him). What do you say about this as well? May Allah reward you with good?
Answer: This gathering in the name of Shaykh Abdul Qadir, or in the name of Shaykh Husayn, or so-and-so, or in the name of al-Badawi, or in the name of Husayn ibn Ali, or in the name of Ali ibn Abi Talib, or in the name of Umar, or in the name of al-Siddiq, or in other names, or in the name of their "Hadrat"—this term "Hadrat" is vague and we do not know its meaning. If the intention is the head of the group, or the scholar of the group, or something similar, then all of this is a bid'ah (religious innovation). There is no basis for them gathering in the name of Shaykh Abdul Qadir to supplicate for him, or to send blessings upon him, or to seek nearness to Allah through him (tawassul). There is no basis for this. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions did not do this. Supplicating for Muslims is permissible; one may supplicate for the scholars of the Muslims, even if they died long ago, just as one supplicates for the Companions and others. One says: "O Allah, be pleased with them," "O Allah, forgive the dead of the Muslims," "O Allah, forgive Shaykh Abdul Qadir," "O Allah, forgive Husayn ibn Ali," "O Allah, be pleased with him and his brothers." There is nothing wrong with all of this; it is good. But gathering under a tree, or at a mountain, or at the place of so-and-so, specifically to gather for supplication for so-and-so or to seek Allah's pleasure with so-and-so, has no basis. Singling out a specific gathering in this manner is a bid'ah (religious innovation). You may supplicate for him while you are on the road, in a regular gathering, or in your home; there is nothing wrong with that. You may supplicate for the scholars of the Muslims, for Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani—Shaykh Abdul Qadir is a scholar among the scholars of the Muslims. You may supplicate for Abu Hanifah, for Malik, for al-Shafi'i, for Ahmad ibn Hanbal, for Sufyan al-Thawri, for the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), for the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), and for other believers; there is nothing wrong with that. But singling out one of them with a specific gathering at a specific tree, or at a specific mountain, or at a specific person's place, dedicating this gathering to him on a specific day, or in a specific month, or in a specific week—all of this has no basis. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.