a request made by invoking his person, then asking created beings by invoking Allah Most High would be more fitting than asking Allah by invoking created beings. But since it meant the former, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rejected the man’s statement:
“We seek Allah’s intercession with you.”
He did not reject his statement, “We seek your intercession with Allah,” because an intercessor asks the one with whom he intercedes to fulfil the petitioner’s need. Allah Most High does not ask any of His servants to fulfil the needs of His creation, although a poet spoke of seeking Allah Most High as an intercessor in words such as these:
“My intercessor with you is Allah; there is no Lord besides Him,
And there is no way to turn the intercessor away.”
These are objectionable words that no scholar has uttered. Likewise, some who hold that the Creator and creation are one have mentioned seeking Allah’s intercession—glory be to Him—with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Both are error and misguidance. Rather, He—glory be to Him—is the One who is asked and invoked, whom everyone in the heavens and on earth asks. He, blessed and exalted, commands His servants, and they obey Him. Whenever obedience to a created being is obligatory, it is obligatory only because it constitutes obedience to Allah Most High. The messengers convey Allah’s commands on His behalf: whoever obeys them has obeyed Allah, and whoever pledges allegiance to them has pledged allegiance to Allah.
Allah Most High says:
“We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by permission of Allah.”
And He Most High says:
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah.”
Those in authority, whether scholars or rulers, must be obeyed only when they command obedience to Allah and His Messenger.
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in an authentic hadith:
“A Muslim must listen and obey, in hardship and ease, whether willing or reluctant, unless he is commanded to disobey Allah. If he is commanded to disobey Allah, then he must neither listen nor obey.”
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said:
“There is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator.”