The claim made by many misguided people, “This person is closer to Allah than I am, while I am far from Allah; I cannot supplicate to Him except through this intermediary,” and similar claims are among the sayings of the polytheists. For Allah, exalted is He, says:
“When My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed near. I answer the supplication of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.”
It has been reported that the Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, is our Lord near, so that we may address Him quietly, or distant, so that we must call out to Him?” Allah then revealed this verse.
It is related in the Sahīh that they were on a journey and were raising their voices in proclaiming Allah’s greatness. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said:
“O people, be easy on yourselves. You are not calling upon one who is deaf or absent; rather, you are calling upon One who hears and is near. Indeed, the One upon whom you call is nearer to each of you than the neck of his mount.”
Allah, exalted is He, has commanded all His servants to pray to Him and address Him privately, and has commanded each of them to say:
“You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”
He has also told us that the polytheists said:
“We worship them only so that they may bring us nearer to Allah.”
Then this polytheist is asked: When you call upon this person, if you think that he knows your condition better, is more capable of granting your request, or is more merciful towards you, then this is ignorance, misguidance, and disbelief. But if you know that Allah is more knowledgeable, more capable, and more merciful, why have you turned away from asking Him to ask someone else?
Will you not heed what al-Bukhārī and others narrated from Jābir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, used to teach us how to seek Allah’s guidance in our affairs just as he would teach us a surah of the Quran. He would say, ‘When any of you is considering a matter