The Ruling on Seeking Blessing from People

He has a third question in his letter, saying: In our town, if a man is one of those in whom they believe there is righteousness, they appoint his son as his successor after him. And if this son dies, they appoint a successor in his place from among his sons, and so on, they inherit it, one successor after another. They believe in each of them that there is righteousness and blessing, and people kiss their hands, and money and vows come to them seeking blessing. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding this?
Answer: This is the practice of some destructive Sufis, and it has no basis in the Shari'ah. Rather, this is among the superstitions introduced by some of the people of Sufism. They appointed a khalifah and made his son take his place, and so on. All of this has no basis. Taking some people for tabarruk (seeking blessing from a thing or person) has no basis, and it is not permissible to take anyone for tabarruk. Rather, this is among the abominations and the means to shirk akbar (major shirk), for blessing is from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), He is the One who brings it, and one should not seek blessing from anyone else. So seeking it from Zayd or 'Amr to give you blessing has no basis. Rather, this is shirk if one seeks it from him and believes that he blesses people and that he is the one who gives the blessing. This is shirk akbar, we seek refuge in Allah. As for if one thinks that serving him or obeying him contains blessing because he is among the righteous and the good, and one hopes for reward by obeying him or helping him in something, this is different. If the one obeyed is a scholar from the scholars of the Muslims, or from the worshippers and the good who are known for uprightness in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and one helps him for Allah by fulfilling his need, or visits him for Allah and greets him because he is among the people of righteousness, visiting him only for Allah, not to seek blessing but for Allah, or visits him when he is sick, this is the affair of the Muslims. This is mustahabb (recommended) in the context of visiting one another, visiting the sick, and visiting brothers in Allah. This is right. But for the purpose of seeking blessing, it is not permissible, because there is no basis for this. This is only in the case of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whom Allah made a source of blessing, so there is no harm in intending to seek blessing from his water, his sweat, or his hair. Allah placed blessing in him (peace and blessings be upon him). When he shaved his head during the Farewell Pilgrimage, he distributed it among the Companions, and he used to give them his wudu' (ablution), and they would seek blessing from his wudu' because of the blessing Allah placed in it. This is specific to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and not for anyone else. The people of Islam should know this and beware of these superstitions practiced by the people of Sufism, and these differences they established: this is the khalifah of this... This all has no basis, and it is not befitting to adopt this thing, nor to give gifts and vows with this meaning. But if one gives his poor brother a gift of help because he loves him for Allah, or because he is poor, there is no harm in that. But for the belief in blessing, or that he is the khalifah of such-and-such a shaykh, the khalifah of the Tijaniyyah, or such-and-such of the Shadhiliyyah, or such-and-such, these have no basis. These are batil (invalid), and these are abominable matters and a means to shirk, we seek refuge in Allah. Yes.