The Ruling on Praying Behind One Who Seeks Nearness to Allah Through the Status or Blessing of a Person

The second question in the letter from the Jama'ah in Jordan says: We have an imam of a mosque who says: It is permissible for a person to ask Allah by the blessing of so-and-so: “Forgive me, O Lord, by the blessing of so-and-so,” meaning, for example, one of the righteous. Is this a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah)? And is it permissible to pray behind him? At the same time, he does not state it verbally unless we ask him. This imam also writes hijab (amulets) and incense for people as a means of treatment. Do we pray behind him or not? Please inform us; may Allah reward you.
Answer: This is not shirk (associating partners with Allah), but it is one of the means to shirk. Seeking nearness to Allah through the blessing of so-and-so, or the right of so-and-so, or the status of so-and-so, or going to so-and-so is one of the means to shirk, not shirk itself. Rather, it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) according to the majority of scholars. This is because seeking nearness to Allah (tawassul) is an act of worship that must be based on a specific text; it must be clarified by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or by Allah. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has clarified this for us, and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has clarified the means of worship for us. It is prescribed to seek nearness to Allah in our supplications to Him through His names, as He, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [Al-A'raf: 180], and through His attributes, Glorified and Exalted is He, and through tawhid (the oneness of Allah): , as mentioned in the hadith. It is also through righteous deeds; the believer seeks nearness to Allah through his faith in Allah and His Messenger, his love for Allah and His Messenger, his dutifulness to his parents, his fulfillment of trusts, his chastity from immoral deeds, his maintenance of the prayers, and so on.
In this regard, there is the story of the people of the cave, which is the hadith narrated by the two Shaykhs, al-Bukhari and Muslim, in the two Sahihs, from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): That three people from those before us were sheltered for the night—and in another narration, from the rain—in a cave. They entered it, and a rock slid down, blocking the door. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that they said among themselves: . One of them stood up and asked his Lord by his dutifulness to his parents, and the rock opened slightly. The second stood up and asked Allah by his chastity from the immoral deed—from zina (unlawful sexual intercourse)—and the rock opened slightly. The third stood up and sought nearness to Allah by his fulfillment of a trust, and the rock opened, and they came out. This is evidence that seeking nearness to Allah by righteous deeds is a legislated means. Likewise, seeking nearness to Allah by His names and attributes. Likewise, seeking nearness to Allah by His tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and sincerity to Him. As for seeking nearness to Allah by the status of so-and-so, or the blessing of so-and-so, or the right of so-and-so, this has no basis, and it is not permissible. Rather, it is one of the bid'ahs (religious innovations), but it is not shirk. The prayer behind the imam who says this is valid. However, he should be informed and guided to the good. If he knows the truth and complies and repents to Allah from that, otherwise, it is obligatory that he be replaced by someone else. It is obligatory for the responsible parties to seek an imam who is better than him for the mosque, so that he does not harm the people. Likewise, if he is engaged in writing hijab (amulets), which are tamimahs (amulets), this is also reprehensible. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the cutting of tamimahs (amulets) and said: , and he informed that they are shirk (associating partners with Allah). Therefore, it is not permissible to write tamimahs (amulets), whether from bones, beads, talismans, or anything else. The scholars differed on whether tamimahs (amulets) made from the Qur'an are permissible, with two opinions: one is permissibility, and the second is prohibition. The correct opinion is prohibition; it is not permissible to take tamimahs (amulets) and hijab (amulets), even if they are from the Qur'an, according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions. This is because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited tamimahs (amulets) and spoke in a general and comprehensive manner, so it is not permissible to make an exception for anything from that. And because hanging tamimahs (amulets) from the Qur'an is a means to hanging others, the door opens and shirk (associating partners with Allah) occurs. Blocking the means to harm (sadd al-dhara'i') is a known matter in the Shari'ah and one of its principles. And because hanging them may lead to the desecration of the Qur'anic verses, it is necessary to prohibit that.
As for incense, that is another matter. Incense may be used to treat some diseases. However, some of those who claim to be doctors may display certain things while having other things, such as displaying tamimahs (amulets) or incense while engaging in serving the jinn and asking the jinn, and claiming knowledge of the unseen through the jinn. The danger of such a person is great. Therefore, it is obligatory to rebuke him, guide him to the good, and inform him so that he benefits and becomes aware of this danger. If he reforms and repents to Allah and takes the straight path, otherwise, it is obligatory to replace him with another of the imams of the Muslims who have care for the matter of Allah, and who have soundness in creed and safety in religion. And Allah is the Helper, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah. Yes.