He was also asked—may Allah sanctify his soul:

What is the ruling on the assertion made by some scholars and Sufi devotees that supplications are answered at the graves of four followers of the four imams: “the grave of al-Fandalāwī,” a follower of Mālik; “the grave of al-Burhān al-Balkhī,” a follower of Abū Hanīfah; “the grave of Shaykh Nasr al-Maqdisī,” a follower of al-Shāfiʿī; and “the grave of Shaykh Abū al-Faraj,” a follower of Ahmad—may Allah be pleased with them—and that whoever faces the qiblah beside their graves and supplicates will have his supplication answered?

And what of the advice that some scholars report having received from certain shaykhs: “If a calamity or something you fear befalls you, call upon me, and the distress you experience will be relieved, whether I am alive or dead”?

And what of the claim that whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī (the Verse of the Throne), faces in the direction of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī, and greets him seven times, taking one step towards his grave with each greeting, will have his need fulfilled; or, if he is attending a devotional listening gathering, he will feel uplifted and expressions of ecstasy will increase?

And what of the Sufi devotees’ assertion that Allah Most High looks upon them, manifesting Himself to them on three occasions: when the meal is spread out; when they rise to seek forgiveness or engage in discussions among themselves; and during devotional listening?

And what of the practice of certain worshippers who offer supplications at the graves of Zechariah and Hūd, perform prayers beside them, and stand in the space by the eastern side of the mosque’s portico, at the Gate of Purification in Damascus