Advice for the one who says: I bear witness that Muhammad, O Messenger of Allah

Question:
What do you advise the one who says: I bear witness that Muhammad, O Messenger of Allah? Is the phrase "O Messenger of Allah" correct or not? Does it lead a person into shirk (associating partners with Allah)? Also, some people say "By the Prophet," is this considered an oath?

Answer:
This matter requires detail. If a Muslim says: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah," or "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah," or "May Allah send prayers and peace upon you, O Messenger of Allah," or "May Allah reward you with good, O our Prophet, for what you did in conveying the message, explaining it, and advising the ummah (the Muslim community)," this is not a supplication to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it is a statement of sending prayers and peace upon him, and a supplication for him (peace and blessings be upon him). It is like what we read in the tashahhud (the testification recited while sitting in prayer): "Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings." You are supplicating for his safety, mercy, and blessing, singling him out for this and keeping him present in your heart. You say: "Peace be upon you," meaning: I supplicate for you, O Messenger of Allah, for safety, mercy, and blessing.
Likewise, when a Muslim says at graves, at his grave (peace and blessings be upon him) or others: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah," or "Peace be upon you, O people of the graves," this means keeping them present in one's mind and supplicating for them for safety, mercy, and blessing. This is not shirk (associating partners with Allah); rather, it is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it.
However, if he says: "O Messenger of Allah! Help us against our enemies," "O Messenger of Allah! I am under your protection," "Help, help," "Aid, aid."
Or if he says: "By the Prophet," meaning: Call upon him besides Allah and seek aid from him, this is a command to shirk (associating partners with Allah).
But if he says: "By the Prophet, I will not do such and such," or "By the Messenger, I will not visit you," or "By the Prophet, I will not speak to you," this is considered an oath by other than Allah, and it is minor shirk (associating partners with Allah), just as if he said: "By the trust, I will not do such and such," or "By the status of the Prophet," or "By the sanctity of the Prophet," or "By the sanctity of your father, I will not do such and such," or the like. All of this is called an oath by other than Allah. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) also said: , in a wording: . All of these are authentic hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
So it is obligatory for every Muslim, male and female, to guard his tongue from what Allah has forbidden him, which is swearing oaths by other than Allah, whoever it may be. So the oath is to be made by Allah alone .
Just as it is obligatory to guard one's tongue from supplicating to other than Allah, whether to the dead, idols, stars, trees, or jinn. One should not say: "O my master, O Messenger of Allah! Help me," or "Aid, aid," or "O angels of Allah," or "O you jinn, help us, support us," or "O my master al-Badawi," or "O my master Ali," or "O my master al-Husayn," or "O so-and-so," or "O my master 'Abd al-Qadir, help us or support us." All of this is shirk (associating partners with Allah), by the consensus of the people of knowledge and faith, that these are matters of shirk, as Allah said: [al-Jinn:18]. He said: [al-A'raf:55-56]. He, the Exalted, said: [Ghafir:60]. He said: [al-Baqarah:186]. He, the Exalted, said: [Yunus:106]. And He said: [al-Mu'minun:117]. So He named those who supplicate to other than Allah as disbelievers. And He said: [Fatir:13, 14], meaning: Himself .
So He, the Exalted, informed that those who are supplicated to besides Allah, from the dead and others, do not hear the supplication of their supplicant [Fatir:14]. They are either dead, inanimate, or occupied with what Allah has commanded them to do, such as the angels and jinn, or occupied with their own needs, such as some of the jinn, or absent and not hearing, not being with the supplicant and not hearing his supplication.
Then He, the Exalted, clarified that even if they heard: if they were present, they would not respond; they would not be able to fulfill the requests of the supplicants. All of them are created beings, their affairs are in the hand of Allah , [Fatir:14]. Then He said: [Fatir:14]. These who are supplicated to besides Allah, from the dead, inanimate objects, idols, trees, stones, angels, and jinn, all of them on the Day of Resurrection will disavow the shirk (associating partners with Allah) of the polytheists and dissociate themselves from it.
So it is obligatory for all Muslims, indeed for all those who are accountable, in all the earth, that they worship Allah alone and supplicate to Him alone , and that they follow His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in what he brought; because they were created for this. He, the Exalted, says: [al-Dhariyat:56]. And He commanded them to do this, saying, the Exalted: [al-Baqarah:21]. And He, the Exalted, said: [al-Bayyinah:5].
So no one has the right to supplicate to other than Allah, whether to the jinn, angels, the dead, idols, stars, or otherwise. Rather, it is obligatory that supplication be for Allah alone, and worship for Allah alone, as He, the Exalted, said: [al-Zumar:2]. And He said: [al-Nisa:36].
But it is permissible to supplicate to a living, present person who is capable, regarding what he is capable of, whether this is face-to-face, or by way of writing, or by way of telegram, or by way of telephone... or similar new means of communication that enable a person to connect face-to-face with whom he wants to ask for the need he desires. For example, he might say: "O my brother so-and-so! Lend me such and such," or "Help me in building my house," or "Help me in repairing my car." Addressing him in this way is not a problem, as Allah said: [al-Qasas:15], in the story of Moses [al-Qasas:15] .... Moses was present and capable of helping this Israelite.
And as He, the Exalted, said: [al-Qasas:21], meaning: Moses left Egypt in fear, looking around, afraid of the evil of Pharaoh. A person's fear of thieves until he locks his door and guards against their evil, or of highway robbers until he carries a weapon, this is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it; because it is fear in its proper place from things that cause harm, either naturally or by what they are able to do, such as the harm of the oppressor, the harm of the thief, and the harm of the one who transgresses against you. So guard against the evil of people so that they do not transgress against you, or against the evil of wild beasts, or the evil of snakes and the like, or thieves. All of this is what Allah has legislated guarding against, and it is permissible by the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) and by reason.
Likewise, borrowing from someone who hears your words, saying: "Lend me such and such money or food for your need," and then you return to him what he lent you, this is permissible among Muslims and there is nothing wrong with it, just as you heard in His saying, the Exalted: [al-Qasas:15]. And this is permissible among Muslims, whether it is face-to-face with the present person, or by means of known communications such as telephone, writing, and the like.
And shirk (associating partners with Allah) is that you supplicate to a dead person or an absent person by other than the known means of communication, but rather you believe in a secret connection with him, that he hears your words and benefits you, even if he is absent from you, and even if there is no known physical connection between you and him, neither by way of writing, nor by way of telephone, nor by way of telex, for example. Rather, you believe that he has a secret connection, as the worshippers of graves and the worshippers of idols and statues believe. This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), and this is what Allah and His Messenger prohibited.
As for ordinary matters among people in their cooperation with one another, Allah says: [al-Ma'idah:2]. And He, the Exalted, says: . And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified for us that cooperation is required, just as Allah clarified in His saying : [al-Ma'idah:2]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also clarified that in the preceding hadith: , .
So cooperation among Muslims is permissible on the condition that it is with those who are present and hear, or by the known means that convey your words and your intention, whether by writing, telegram, or by way of telephone... and the like.
As for supplicating to the dead, supplicating to idols, and supplicating to the absent with the belief of a secret connection in them, such as supplicating to the angels or supplicating to the jinn, this is what the people of knowledge have specified and clarified to be shirk (associating partners with Allah) and misguidance, as indicated by the Book of Allah and indicated by the Sunnah (the Prophet's way) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And success is from Allah. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.