Question: My question is what’s the judgment of calling upon the Prophet or a Waliy? some people say it’s bid’a and some say it’s shirk while I know the majority of the Muslims are used to calling this out. Can you provide us with a clear answer on this topic, with proofs form the hadith pls. Thank you.

Answer: Bismillah, praise be to Allah the lord of the world, we ask Allah to raise the rank of our master Muhammad and we ask Allah by the virtue of the Prophet to have mercy upon our nation, ameen.

Know that It’s not shrik to call out “Ya Muhammad” or “Ya Rasulallah Shafa^ah” or calling out for a waliy such as “Ya Aliy” or “Ya Jaylaniy” because this call does not mean asking the Prophet or that waliy to create a benefit, rather it means “I ask Allah to give my my need by the virtue and high status of that Prophet or Waliy pious person.

The Prophet taught a blind man to say: “Ya Muhammad, I ask Allah by you to cure my blindness” as narrated by at-Tabaraniy.And the companions in their conquests they had the call “Ya Muhammadah” as their slogan.

The Proofs:

In Al-Mu^jam Al-Kabir and Al-Mu^jam AsSaghir, Imam at-Tabaraniyy related the hadith about the Prophet from the route of ^Uthman Ibn Hunayf who was in a circle with the Prophet when a blind man came to address Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asking for a need, so the Prophet taught him to pray two rak^ah and after prayer to say:

((اللّهم إني أسألك وأتوجّه إليك بنبيك محمد نبي الرحمة، يا محمد إني أتوجه بك إلى ربي في حاجتي لتقضى لي))

which
mean” O Allah, I ask You, and I direct myself to You in supplication by
our Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad, I direct myself
to Allah by you, so my need [here the specific need is mentioned] would
be fulfilled.” The blind man went and did as the Prophet
ordered. Shortly thereafter, he returned to the Prophet’s session with
his blindness cured.

And Calling upon someone who is absent is not shirk as some claim, as the Prophet taught us to call for help. Among what was mentioned concerning calling on someone other than Allah, whether that one is present, absent, dead or alive, is the saying of the Prophet: which means: “If the animal of anyone of you went out of control in the wilderness, then call: ‘O slaves of Allah, help me’”, since there are slaves of Allah [i.e. the angels] who will respond to him.

There is another hadith related by al-Bazzar in which the Prophet said: which means: ” If one of you lost something or needs help while in an open land, then let him say: “O slaves of Allah, help me.”” Another narration says:  which means “Rescue me, because Allah has created slaves whom you do not see.”

When traveling at nightfall the Prophet, sallallahu ^alyhi wa sallam, used to say: which means: ” O earth, my Lord and your Lord is Allah.”

When the Prophet visited the grave of Muslims, he used to say: which means: ” O people of the graves, peace be upon you.”

Also In the Tashahhud in as-Salah the Muslim says: which means: ” “O Prophet of Allah, may Allah protect you from infirmities, and have mercy and blessings on you.””

There is no harm in calling on and performing tawassul by someone unless one believes that someone other than Allah actually creates things. Hence, as long as one believes that only Allah creates them, there is no harm in performing tawassul. Likewise, attributing a certain doing to other than Allah does not harm unless one believes this doer actually creates. So once it is established the person does not believe the creating is for other than Allah then attributing a doing to other than Allah is understood in its proper context.

When one says: “This medicine benefited me,” or “This particular righteous Muslim benefited me,” he is merely exposing the created reason of the benefit. These statements are also similar to when one says: “This food satisfied my hunger,” or “This water quenched my thirst,” or “This medicine cured me.” When Muslims say such statements, they understand them in their proper context, i.e., food, water, and medicine are only reasons, and Allah is the Creator of their benefit.

We ask Allah to bless us with the guidance and to make us steadfast in following the methodology and the path of the Prophet. We ask Allah to let us consume all of our life in following the methodology of the Prophet. We ask Allah to make us among those who order with alma^ruf and forbid al-munkar.

A Refutational Response:

al-Bukhariy narrated in al-Adab al-Mufrad that ^Abdullah son of Omar’s foot was paralyzed, a man told him: “mention the most beloved people to you, and so he said: “Ya Muhammad”, and he was cured.

روى البخاري في الأدب المفرد ما نصه : (( حدثنا أبو نعيم قال حدثنا
سفيان عن أبي اسحق عن عبد الرحمن بن سعد قال : (( خدرت رجل ابن عمر فقال
له رجل : اذكر أحب الناس إليك فقال : يا محمد )) ا.هـ . وقد ذكر البخاري
هذا الحديث تحت عنوان : (( باب ما يقول الرجل إذا خدرت رجله )).

في كتاب البداية والنهاية لابن كثير الذي تحبه الوهابية في المجلد الذي فيه الجزء السابع والثامن ص 104-105 يذكر فيه عن بلال ابن الحارث المزني الصحابي الذي قصد قبر النبي وطلب منه ما لم تجري به العادة وتوسل به، وفيه يقول: “إن أهله طلبوا منه أن يذبح لهم شاة فقال ليس فيهِنَّ شيء فألحوا عليه فذبح الشاة فإذا عظمها حُمُرٌ فقال: “يا محمداه”، ما كفر ولا كفره أحد من الصحابة،

Also in the book al-Bidayah wan-Nihaiyah for Ibn Kathir whom wahhabis adore, in the volume containing the 7th and 8th chapter, page 105-104 he mentions that Bilal the son of al-Harith al-Muzaniy the companion who had travelled to visit the Prophet’s grave and asked Allah by the Prophet (tawassal Bi Rasulillah), in that book he said: “Ya Muhammadah”. He did not blaspheme, and none of the companions considered him as a blasphemer for saying “Ya Muhammadah”!! and that’s because the companions knew that it’s permissible to ask Allah by the virtue and status of our beloved Prophet Muhammad even when he’s absent.

عند الوهابية من قال يا محمد بعد موت النبي محمد أو في حياته في غيابه فقد أشرك، ونص عبارة ابن تيمية في كتابه الكلم الطيب تحت عنوان “فصل في الرجل إذا خدرت قال عن الهيثم بن حَنَش، قال: كنا عند عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما فخدرت رجله فقال له رجل: أذكر أحب الناس إليك فقال: يا محمد فكأنما نشط من عقال”.

And so according to wahhabis, the one who says “Ya Muhammad” after the death of the Prophet or before his death in his absences is considered to them as a Mushrik (a kafir one who associates partners to Allah)!! And the literal term of Ibn Taymiah in his book al-Kalim at-Tayib under the title “Section about the leg if it was paralyzed” he said: “From al-Haytham son of Hanash he said: we were at ^Abdullah son of Omar Radiallahu ^Anhuma, his leg got paralyzed, a man said to him: mention the most beloved people to you, and so he said: “Ya Muhammad” he was cured as if he had no harm”.

Ibn Taiymiah the source of whahhabi beliefs, himself accepted and approved this hadith which contains calling upon someone (tawassul) by saying “Ya Muhammad” and so wahhabis would by their rule consider Ibn Taymiah as Mushrik, as well as ^Abdullah Ibn Omar as well as all Muslims on earth because they all say “Ya Muhammad” during hardships, and they all say it in every prayers. Also it was confirmed by at-Tabariy that when Companions went to fight Musaylimah the liar, their slogan was “Ya Muhammadah”.

So be warned from Ibn Taymiah and Wahhabis. You must be warned and must warn from their books and their fatwas that contradict the way of Ahlus-Sunnah and the way of the companions of Rasulullah (Sallallahu ^alahyi wa Sallam).

We ask Allah by the great status of our beloved Prophet, and great waliys, to protect us, and our nation,  and Allah knows best.

* For more info, Type “Tawassul” in the search filed.