remove harm from you or shift it elsewhere.’”

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

Allah Most High also says:

“Say, ‘Invoke those whom you claim besides Allah. They do not possess even an atom’s weight in the heavens or on earth. They have no share in either, nor does He have any helper among them.’”

“Nor is intercession of any avail with Him except for one to whom He gives permission.”

There are many passages like these in the Quran, forbidding the invocation of anyone other than Allah—whether angels, prophets, or anyone else—for this constitutes polytheism or is a means leading to it. This differs from asking one of them during his lifetime to supplicate or intercede, which does not lead to that. None of the prophets or righteous people was worshipped during his lifetime in his presence, since he would forbid anyone who did so. By contrast, invoking them after their deaths is a means leading to associating them with Allah in worship. Likewise, invoking them in their absence is a means leading to polytheism.

If someone sees a prophet or an angel and says to him, “Supplicate for me,” this does not lead to associating him with Allah in worship. Invoking him in his absence, however, does lead to that, as has indeed happened. Someone who is absent or dead cannot forbid those who associate him with Allah in worship. Rather, when hearts become attached to his supplication and intercession, this leads to associating him with Allah in worship: a person then invokes him and seeks out the site of his grave or image, or something else of that kind. This is what the polytheists have fallen into, as have those who resemble them among the People of the Book and religious innovators among Muslims.

It is well known that the angels supplicate for the believers and seek forgiveness for them, as Allah Most High says:

“Those who bear the Throne and those around it glorify their Lord with praise, believe in Him, and seek forgiveness