the seeking of intercession from the angels, the prophets, or anyone else, for intercession belongs exclusively to Him, glorified be He. It must be asked of Him alone so that He may grant permission to the intercessor. This is unlike the custom among created rulers, where intercessors approach without prior leave, and those rulers feel compelled to accept the plea—whether or not they approve of the person on whose behalf it is made—because they depend on aides and ministers. As for Allah, exalted is He, no one may intercede except with His permission and only for those with whom He is pleased. The Almighty says: “How many an angel there is in the heavens whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah gives leave to whom He wills and is pleased with.” ⦗1⦘

Fifth: Another of their specious arguments is their claim that the saints and the righteous enjoy a special rank with Allah, and that they therefore ask Allah by virtue of those saints’ prestige and status.

The reply: All believers are Allah’s allies, yet to assert that a particular individual is one of Allah’s chosen friends requires explicit evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah. Even when a person’s sainthood is established through scripture, we are not permitted to venerate him excessively or seek blessing through him, for such practices are avenues to idolatry. Allah has commanded us to supplicate Him directly, without setting up intermediaries between ourselves and Him. Indeed, this very rationale—taking esteemed figures as go-betweens—was the excuse advanced by the earlier polytheists, who made those figures intercessors and mediators, asking Allah on the strength of their standing and nearness to Him; and Allah rejected their practice.