Title: Seeking Intercession from a Wali & Auliyaas Question: Is it Islamic to visit the graves of Wali & Auliyaas and making Dua from them because God accept their Dua and intercession as well? Please give some reference from Qur'an & Sunnah in this regard. Muhammad Sarosh Butt Pakistan Answer: Islam does not endorse visiting graves for the said purpose nor does the religious sources condone praying to any other except God. Praying to entities other than Allah is an act polytheistic in nature. The Holy Qur'an categorically states that Muslims cannot seek help from anyone except the Almighty. It requires us to bow only before Him and ask directly whatever we want. Praying to entities other than Allah is in fact a disbelief and distrust in Him. The Holy Qur'an says: When they mount upon the ship they pray to Allah, making their faith pure for Him only, but when He brings them safe to land, behold! they ascribe partners unto Him. [29:65] The Holy Qur'an also alludes to the fact that the dead have no connection with the world behind them. It says: Until when death comes unto one of them, he says, "My Lord! Send me back. So that I may do right in that which I have left behind." But nay! It is but a word he speaks [which is far from being heard]. And behind them is a barrier until the day when they will be raised. [23:99-100] For the reasons mentioned above we do not find any reliable report ascribed to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) where he has permitted such action or that his companions sought his intercession after his death, before God. On the contrary the following traditions show us how the Prophet [pbuh] closed the door to such acts. ` Aishah [rta] and ` Abdullah Ibn `Abbas [rta] narrated: When the last moment of the life of Allah's Apostle [pbuh] came he started putting his ' Khamisah ' (a cloth with lines on it) on his face and when he felt hot and short of breath he took it off his face and said, 'May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they worshiped the graves of their prophets." The Prophet (pbuh) was warning of what those had done. ( Bukhari , Narrative No. 417) While referring to a similar practice of Ethiopian Christians he is reported to have said: If any religious person died among those people they would build a place of worship at his grave and make these pictures in it. They will be the worst creatures in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. ( Bukhari , Narrative No. 416) I hope this helps Tariq Mahmood Hashmi May 2, 2003