Question
I have been told that it is shirk and not permissible to do ask Allah through an intermediary, such as a Prophet. Is there any basis for this claim?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. O Allah, I ask you to send prayers and salutations upon our Messenger Muhammad, his noble household, and companions.
An Account of the Man Who Came to the Prophet ﷺ at his grave
The renowned scholar Ibn Hajar stated in Fath al-Bari as follows: “Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated with a sound chain of transmission from the narration of Abu Salih al-Samman, who reported from Malik al-Dar.
He said, ‘People were afflicted by famine (meaning a severe shortage of food) during the time of Caliph Umar’s rule. A man came to the Prophet’s grave and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, seek rain for your Ummah, for they are perishing‘ (meaning ask Allah for rain for your followers).
The man then saw a dream, in which he was told by the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Go to Umar and convey my greetings to him, and inform him that they will be given rain. And tell him to be wise and diligent (meaning, exert his best efforts for the Ummah).’ The man approached Umar and conveyed the message, and Umar said, ‘O Lord, they only perished because of my inability‘ (meaning, he would spare no effort within his capacity to serve the Ummah).’
This man was Bilal ibn al-Harith al-Muzani, a companion, who visited the Prophet’s grave for blessings and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, seek rain for your Ummah, for they are perishing.’
Neither our beloved Umar ibn al-Khattab nor anyone else rebuked him.”
وقالَ الحافظُ ابنُ حجرٍ في «فتحِ الباري» ما نَصُّهُ: « وروَى ابنُ أبي شَيْبَةَ بإسنادٍ صحيحٍ مِنْ روايةِ أبي صالحٍ السَّمَّانِ عنْ مالكِ الدارِ قالَ: أصابَ الناسَ قحطٌ (أي مجاعةٌ) في زمَنِ عمرَ (أي في خِلافَتِهِ) فجاءَ رجل ٌ (منَ الصحابةِ) إلى قبرِ النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالَ: يا رسولَ اللهِ اسْتَسْقِ لأمَّتِكَ فإنهم قدْ هَلَكوا، (معناهُ اطلُبْ مِنَ اللهِ المطَرَ لأُمَّتِك) فَأُتِيَ الرجلُ في المنامِ فقيلَ لهُ: إيتِ عُمَرَ فأَقْرِئْهُ مِنّي السلامَ وأخبِرْهُ أنَّهُمْ يُسْقَوْنَ (أي سيأْتيكُمُ المطرُ) وقلْ لهُ: عليكَ بالكَيْسِ الكَيْسِ (أيِ اجْتَهِدْ في أمرِ الأُمَّةِ) فأتى الرَّجُلُ فَأَخْبَرَ عُمَرَ فقالَ : يا ربُّ ما ءالوا إلا ما عَجَزْتُ » (أيْ لا أُقَصّرُ معَ الاستطاعةِ، أيْ سَأسْعَى ما في وِسْعِي لخدمةِ الأمّةِ). وهذا الرّجُلُ هوَ بلالُ بنُ الحارثِ المُزَنِيُّ الصَّحابِيُّ قصدَ قبْرَ رسولِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وسلم) للتبَرُّكِ وقالَ « يا رسولَ اللهِ اسْتَسْقِ لأُمَّتِكَ فإنّهُمْ قدْ هَلَكُوا » فلَمْ يُنْكِرْ عليهِ سيدنا عُمَرُ بن الخطاب ولا غَيْرُهُ.
