—or that he may acquire religious knowledge and learn the Qur’an, or that his heart be set right, his character refined, and his soul purified, and the like. All such matters may be sought only from Allah the Exalted. It is forbidden for anyone to say to an angel, a prophet, or a shaykh—whether alive or dead—“forgive my sin,” “grant me victory over my enemy,” “heal my sick one,” “grant me wellbeing,” “grant wellbeing to my family or my riding beast,” or anything of that sort. Whoever makes such requests of any creature, whoever that creature may be, has committed shirk with his Lord; he is of the same ilk as the idolaters who worship angels, prophets, and the statues they fashion in their image, and akin to the Christians who supplicate the Messiah and his mother.

Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“And [beware] the Day when Allah will say, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to the people, “Take me and my mother as two deities besides Allah”?’” (Qur’an 5:116)

And He, Exalted is He, also says: