the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace:

“There will be people in this community who transgress the bounds in supplication and purification.”

As for a man who, when calamity befalls him or he fears something, calls upon his shaykh for help, seeking to steady his heart in the face of what has happened: this is a form of polytheism and is akin to the religion of the Christians. For Allah alone bestows mercy and removes harm. Allah Most High says:

“If Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it except Him; and if He intends good for you, none can repel His bounty.”

Allah Most High also says:

“Whatever mercy Allah opens up for people, none can withhold; and whatever He withholds, none can release thereafter.”

Allah Most High also says:

“Say, ‘Tell me: if Allah’s punishment came upon you, or the Hour came upon you, would you call upon anyone other than Allah, if you are truthful?’

“No! It is Him alone you would call upon, and He would remove the affliction for which you called upon Him, if He willed, and you would forget those you associate with Him.”

Allah Most High also says:

“Say, ‘Call upon those whom you claim to be gods besides Him. They have no power to remove harm from you or divert it.’

“Those whom they invoke themselves seek a means of drawing near to their Lord, each striving to be nearest. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, your Lord’s punishment is ever to be feared.”

He thus makes clear that the angels, prophets, and others who are invoked have no power to remove harm from those who invoke them or to divert it.

If someone says, “I call upon the shaykh so that he may intercede for me,” this is of the same kind as the Christians’ invocation of Mary, religious scholars, and monks. The believer hopes in his Lord, fears Him, and calls upon Him with sincere devotion to Him alone. What he owes his shaykh is to pray for him and ask Allah to have mercy on him. For the greatest of all created beings