Thus He branded it as shirk, and the Exalted says: “Say, ‘Call upon those you claim to be deities besides Allah: they do not possess even the weight of an atom in the heavens or on the earth, nor do they have any share in either of them, nor is He aided by any of them. Intercession is of no benefit with Him except for those to whom He grants permission’” (Sabaʾ 34:22–23).

Supplication, therefore, is to be directed to Allah alone. No one else—whether living or dead—may be called upon under any circumstance.

Supplication is of two kinds:

1. Supplication of worship (duʿāʾ al-ʿibādah): praising Allah through His names, attributes, and actions. Whoever glorifies, magnifies, and praises Him has made this type of supplication.
2. Supplication of request (duʿāʾ al-masʾalah): petitioning Allah for one’s needs. Both types are contained in Sūrat al-Fātiḥah: from its opening until the words “You alone we worship” is supplication of worship, and the remainder of the surah is supplication of request.

The scholars state: every supplication of worship necessarily entails a supplication of request, and every supplication of request implicitly includes a supplication of worship.

Allah has promised to answer those who call upon Him, yet someone might say, “I have supplicated, but my prayer was not answered.”