seeking a means of approach to Allah through the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I wrote a detailed response on the subject and wished to include it here for the additional benefit it offers. For the more varied the explanations of these principles—concerning the affirmation of monotheism and the elimination of the roots of polytheism and excess—and the clearer their wording, the more this becomes light upon light. And Allah is the One whose help is sought.

The question was worded as follows:

The esteemed scholars, the imams of religion, are asked to explain what is permissible and what is not permissible in seeking intercession and seeking a means of approach to Allah through the prophets and the righteous.

The response was as follows:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. The Muslims unanimously agree that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will intercede for creation on the Day of Resurrection, after people ask him to do so and after Allah permits him to intercede.

Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah likewise agree upon what the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them all—agreed upon and what has been widely transmitted in the prophetic traditions: that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will intercede for those of his community who have committed major sins, and will also intercede for creation at large.

He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has forms of intercession exclusive to him, in which no one else shares, and other forms in which other prophets and righteous people share. Yet his share in these is superior to that of anyone else, for he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the best of creation and the most honoured by his Lord, Almighty and Majestic. The virtues with which Allah has distinguished him above all other prophets are too numerous to discuss at length here. Among these is “the station