The Ruling on Seeking Supplication from the Righteous

Question:
Is it permissible for a person to ask the righteous to supplicate for him? If it is permissible, I am asking you, may Allah honor you, and those present, to supplicate for me that Allah may make it easy for me to memorize the Qur'an, grant me understanding in the religion, provide me with interpretation, and make me beneficial to the Muslims, with righteousness and sincerity in speech and action. Say, "Ameen"?

Answer:
Ameen. May Allah reform you, make your affairs easy, and grant you the memorization of the Noble Qur'an and acting upon it. May He guide us, you, and all other Muslims to the straight path. There is no harm; it is permissible for a Muslim to say to his brother, "O my brother, supplicate to Allah for me. Supplicate to Allah to guide me. Supplicate to Allah to forgive me." There is no harm in this, and there is no blame on him. However, the dead are not supplicated to; only the living are supplicated to.
One says to the living, "O my brother, supplicate to Allah for me that Allah may forgive me. Supplicate to Allah for me to make easy for me a righteous wife and righteous offspring." There is no harm in this. As for going to the dead, or supplicating to them from afar, saying, "O my master al-Badawi," or "O my master al-Husayn," or "O so-and-so, help me," or "intercede for me," this is reprehensible. This is not permissible. This is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). We seek refuge in Allah.