a calamity befalls you, turn to me.” Rather, he advised his cousin, ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Abbās:

“Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you. Know Allah in times of ease, and He will know you in times of hardship. When you ask, ask Allah; when you seek help, seek help from Allah.”

As for the report circulated by some ordinary people that he said:

“When you ask Allah, ask Him by virtue of my standing, for my standing with Allah is great.”

This is a false, fabricated hadith. No scholar has transmitted it, nor does it appear in any of the Muslims’ authoritative religious books. If a deceased person possesses any virtue, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has the greatest claim to every virtue, followed by his Companions. And if the living can benefit through the dead, his Companions would have been the people most entitled to benefit through him, both during his life and after his death.

It is thus clear that this is a form of misguidance. Even if one of the shaykhs did say this, it was an error on his part. Allah will forgive him if he exercised independent scholarly judgment and erred. He is not a prophet whose words must be followed, nor is he infallible in what he commands and forbids. Allah Most High has said:

“If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.”

Section

As for the claim that whoever recites the “Verse of the Throne” and faces in the direction of Shaykh