call upon him, but ask him to supplicate for you, just as you say to a living person, “Supplicate for me,” and as the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—used to ask the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, to supplicate. This is prescribed with regard to the living, as explained earlier.

As for the dead, whether prophets, righteous people, or others, it has not been prescribed for us to say to them, “Supplicate for us,” or, “Ask your Lord on our behalf.” None of the Companions or Successors did this, none of the imams instructed people to do it, and no hadith has been reported prescribing it. Rather, the established report in the Sahīh states that when they suffered drought during the time of ‘Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—he sought rain through al-‘Abbās and said: “O Allah, when we suffered drought, we used to seek to draw near to You through our Prophet, and You would grant us rain. Now we seek to draw near to You through our Prophet’s uncle, so grant us rain.” They would then be granted rain.

They did not come to the grave of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, saying, “O Messenger of Allah, supplicate to Allah for us and ask Him to grant us rain. We complain to you of what has befallen us,” or anything similar. Not a single Companion ever did this. Rather, it is an innovation for which Allah has sent down no authority. When they came to the grave of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, they would greet him with peace. If they wished to supplicate, they would not supplicate to Allah facing the noble grave. Instead, they would turn away, face the qiblah, and supplicate to Allah alone, without any partner, just as they supplicated to Him everywhere else.

For it is reported in al-Muwatta’ and elsewhere that he, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, said: “O Allah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped. Allah’s wrath was severe against people who took