In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

This is a response to those who use the statement of Imām Ahmad رحمه الله, "O slaves of Allāh, guide me to the right path," to justify seeking aid from the dead. The context of this statement is as follows: Imām Ahmad رحمه الله was travelling for Hajj on foot when he got lost. He then said, "O slaves of Allāh, guide me to the right path (i.e., show me the way)." Imām Ahmad's statement aligns with the hadīth narrated by Al-Bazzār in his Musnad (4922) on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما, in which the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: "Verily, Allāh has angels on earth, other than the scribes, who record what falls from the leaves of the tree (i.e., their numbers). If any of you is stuck in a desert (or a wide-open land), then let him call out, 'O slaves of Allāh, help me.'” This hadīth has been authenticated by some scholars, while others have deemed it weak. Some scholars opine that the correct view is that this statement is from Ibn ʿAbbās and not the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. Nevertheless, we find that those scholars who deemed this narration authentic, whether as a statement of the Messenger ﷺ or Ibn ʿAbbās, acted upon it as a form of dhikr to be recited when travelling. Al-Bayhaqī says in his book Al-Ādāb (p. 269): "This narration is the statement of Ibn ʿAbbās. The righteous people among the scholars acted upon it and implemented it because they found it to be true through their experiences." The scholars included this narration in their books and chapters on adhkār. Al-Haythamī mentioned it in relation to the adhkār of traveling, stating in the chapter heading: "Chapter: What should one say if his animal flees from him, or he needs help, or loses something." Thus, it is clear that the statement of Imām Ahmad is based upon the aforementioned narration. When analysing this narration, we find that either Ibn ʿAbbās or the Messenger ﷺ mentioned that there are angels whose task is to help those who are lost during their travels and to assist them. Therefore, if someone is lost, they should call upon these angels for aid. This is a case of seeking help from someone who can hear, is present (as per the hadīth), and is capable of assisting. This is not shirk, as shirk is to seek help from someone other than Allāh in matters that only Allāh can provide. Shaykh Ṣāliḥ Āl Ash-Shaykh says in his book Hādhihi Mafāhīmunā (p. 51): "This hadīth is clear in that the one being called upon is the angels. They can hear the call and are able to respond with the permission of their Lord because they are living beings who are responsible for guiding lost travelers. They are slaves of Allāh, who hear and respond with the ability that Allāh has given them—to guide lost travelers to the correct path in open landscapes." Whoever uses these narrations as proof for supplicating to a specific named individual (who is dead) has lied about the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and has misunderstood his statement. Then the Shaykh mentioned the statement of Imām Ahmad. So, what is the difference between this and what grave worshippers do? The difference is that grave worshippers call upon the dead, who cannot hear them or grant their needs. In contrast, this hadīth refers to calling upon someone who is alive, present, hears, and is capable of responding, as extracted from the narration. And all praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of the worlds. Abul Hasan Ali As-Somali hafidhahullah