It is not permissible to call on the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم)in du’aa’ after his death, because du’aa’ is an act of worship that can only be directed to Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا
اوربے شک مسجدیں الله کے لیے ہیں پس تم الله کے ساتھ کسی کو نہ پکارو
وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ
اور اس سے بڑھ کر کون گمراہ ہے جو الله کےسوا اسےپکارتا ہے جو قیامت تک اس کے پکارنے کا جواب نہ دے سکے اور انہیں ان کے پکارنے کی خبر بھی نہ ہو
And the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said to Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him): “If you ask, then ask of Allaah, and if you seek help then seek help from Allaah.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2516) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi.]
Du’aa’ is asking for benefit and asking for harm to be warded off, and it is not only done by saying Yaa (O…), rather it has become customary among people to use this call in du’aa’, especially when hardship comes and calamity strikes, so they say Ya Allaah, meaning O Allaah, save us, give us help, support us.
This is the action of monotheists (believers in Tawheed) who do not call upon anyone other than Allaah. As for those who worship graves and tombs, they call upon their “saints” and revered ones, saying Ya Badawi, Ya Rifaa’i, Ya Jilaani, and what they mean is, O Badawi, help us, come to our aid, save us.
And some of them say: Ya Rasool-Allaah, Ya Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم), in this manner also. This is calling upon him, seeking his help and turning to him.
It is well known that this is one of the worst ways of going against the message that was brought by Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) and the other Messengers, and that was revealed in the Books, namely the call to Tawheed and worshiping Allaah alone, and forsaking the worship of all others.
It is not acceptable in the religion of Islam, which Allaah has chosen as the religion for His slaves, to call upon anyone except Allaah, not any Prophet who was sent or any angel who is close to Him. Rather we are to call upon Him alone. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
بھلا کون ہے جوبے قرار کی دعا قبول کرتا ہے اوربرائی کو دور کرتا ہے اور تمہیں زمین میں نائب بناتا ہے کیا الله کے ساتھ کوئی اور معبود بھی ہے تم بہت ہی کم سمجھتے ہو
He replied: Allaah has stated in His Holy Book and on the lips of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that worship is the right of Allaah alone and no one else has any share of it, and that du’aa’ is a kind of worship, so if a person says in any place on earth, Ya Rasool-Allaah, Ya Nabi Allaah or Ya Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم), help me, or save me, or support me, or heal me, or support your ummah, or heal the sick Muslims, and guide their misguided ones and so on, then he is making him a partner with Allaah in worship. The same applies to those who do the same thing with regard to other Prophets, angels, awliya’ (“saints), jinn, idols or any other created beings, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
اور میں نے جن اور انسان کو بنایا ہے تو صرف اپنی بندگی کے لیے
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
Qur’aan al-Baqarah 2:21 O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness;
اے لوگو اپنے رب کی عبادت کرو جس نے تمہیں پیدا کیا اور انہیں جو تم سے پہلے تھے تاکہ تم پرہیزگار ہو جاؤ
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Some people at times of hardship say Ya Muhammad or Ya ‘Ali or Ya Jilaani. What is the ruling on that?
He replied: If the intention is to call upon them and seek their help, then the person is a Mushrik in the sense of major shirk that puts one beyond the pale of Islam, and he must repent to Allaah and call upon Allaah alone, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
بھلا کون ہے جوبے قرار کی دعا قبول کرتا ہے اوربرائی کو دور کرتا ہے اور تمہیں زمین میں نائب بناتا ہے کیا الله کے ساتھ کوئی اور معبود بھی ہے تم بہت ہی کم سمجھتے ہو
As well as being a Mushrik, he is also fooling himself. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُ ۚ وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Qur,aan al-Baqarah 2:130 And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly? Him We chose and rendered pure in this world: And he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the Righteous.
اور کون ہے جو ملت ابراھیمی سے روگردانی کرے سوائے اس کے جو خود ہی احمق ہو اور ہم نے تو اسے دنیا میں بھی بزرگی دی تھی اور بے شک وہ آخرت میں بھی اچھے لوگوں میں سے ہوگا
وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ
Qur,aan al-Ahqaaf 46:5 And who is more astray than one who invokes besides Allah, such as will not answer him to the Day of Judgment, and who (in fact) are unconscious of their call (to them)?
اور اس سے بڑھ کر کون گمراہ ہے جو الله کےسوا اسےپکارتا ہے جو قیامت تک اس کے پکارنے کا جواب نہ دے سکے اور انہیں ان کے پکارنے کی خبر بھی نہ ہو
End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (2/133).
And Allaah knows best.
Source:
http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/111019
