and most scholars hold that both practices are prohibited. There is no doubt that they hold great honour with Allah—as He Most High has said concerning Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them both, as mentioned earlier. However, their stations and ranks with Allah benefit them themselves; we benefit from this by following them and loving them. Thus, seeking to draw near to Allah Most High through our faith in His Prophet, our love for him, our allegiance to him, and our adherence to his sunnah is the greatest means of drawing near. As for invoking his person alone, without seeking to draw near through faith in him and obedience to him, this cannot serve as a means. If someone invokes a created being without seeking to draw near through faith in that being or obedience to him, then by what means is he seeking to draw near?
When a person approaches another through an intermediary, he may ask the intermediary to intercede for him with that person. For example, he might say to the man’s father, his friend, or someone he holds dear: “Intercede for us with him.” This is permissible. Alternatively, he may adjure the person, saying, for example: “By the life of your son so-and-so, by the grave of your father so-and-so, and by the honour of your teacher so-and-so,” and similar expressions. Adjuring Allah Most High by created beings is impermissible, as is adjuring one created being by another. Or he may make his request on grounds conducive to obtaining what he seeks, as Allah Most High says:
“And fear Allah, in whose name you appeal to one another, and honour the ties of kinship.”
This will be explained below. It has already become clear that adjuring Allah, glorified be He, by anything other than Him is impermissible, and that swearing by a created being is never permissible. As for seeking to draw near to Him through the intercession of those granted permission to intercede, this is permissible. The blind man had asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to supplicate for him, just as the Companions asked him