The shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked about someone who said:

“It is permissible to seek relief from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in every matter in which relief is sought from Allah Most High, on the understanding that he is one of Allah Most High’s means of obtaining relief. Likewise, relief may be sought from the other prophets and righteous people in every matter in which relief is sought from Allah Most High.

“Whoever seeks to draw near to Allah Most High through His Prophet to have distress relieved has thereby sought relief from the Prophet, whether he uses the expression ‘seeking relief,’ ‘seeking a means of approach,’ or another expression with the same meaning. Saying, ‘O my God, I approach You through Your Messenger,’ or, ‘I seek relief through Your Messenger before You, asking that You forgive me,’ constitutes seeking relief from the Messenger in the literal sense, in the Arabic language and among all peoples.”

He said:

“People have always understood, in earlier times and today, what it means to seek relief from a person: that seeking relief can properly be attributed to created beings, that relief is sought from them by taking them as a means of approach, and that the expression applies to anyone who asks for distress to be relieved by taking a person as such a means. This is valid in the case of prophets and righteous people.”

He said:

“Regarding the report narrated by al-Tabarānī from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

‘Some of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, said, “Seek relief from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, against this hypocrite.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Relief is not to be sought from me; relief is to be sought only from Allah.”’