a right; however, the question concerns invoking it in supplication. It may be said: if the right invoked is a reason for the supplication to be answered, then invoking it is appropriate, as with the right due to those who worship Him and supplicate to Him.

But if the supplicant says, “By the right of so-and-so,” then even if those people have a right before Allah that He should not punish them, should honour them with His reward, and should raise their ranks—as He has promised them and made binding upon Himself—their entitlement to such honour from Allah does not constitute a reason for granting this supplicant’s request. That person earned what he earned through the faith and obedience that Allah enabled him to attain, whereas this supplicant has not earned what that person earned. Thus, Allah’s honouring that person does not constitute a reason requiring this supplicant’s prayer to be answered.

If he says, “The reason is that person’s intercession and supplication,” this is true if that person has interceded and supplicated for him. But if he has neither interceded nor supplicated for him, no such reason exists.

If he says, “The reason is my love for him, my faith in him, and my allegiance to him,” this is a means sanctioned by the revealed law. It amounts to asking Allah and approaching Him through the supplicant’s faith, his love for Allah and His Messenger, and his obedience to Allah and His Messenger. However, one must distinguish between loving for Allah’s sake and loving alongside Allah. Whoever loves a created being as he loves the Creator has made that being a rival to Allah; such love harms him and does not benefit him. But whoever loves Allah Most High more than anything else, and loves His prophets and righteous servants for His sake, finds his love for Allah Most High to be the most beneficial of all things. The distinction between these two kinds of love is of the utmost importance.

If it is said: If using faith in him, love for him, and obedience to him as a means takes two forms—sometimes one uses this as a means to attain His reward and Paradise (and this is the greatest of means, and sometimes one uses this as a means