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Some persons believe that it is Shirk (associating partners with Allah) if you call to the Awliyah Allah (Saints) for
help, for example, "Ya Ghous, Assist me" or "Ya Khwaja, Assist me".

2. The Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'at believes that it is permissible to call to the Awliyah Allah (radi Allahu anhum) for
assistance or help as this is not associating partners with Allah Ta’ala. We believe that Allah Ta’ala has given the
Awliya Allah special powers to assist the creation with His permission.

3. The following verse of the Holy Quran proves that one can also seek the assistance of the Awliya Allah: "Your
helpers are Almighty Allah and His Rasool and those Muslims who perform Salaah and give alms and make Ruku"
(Part 6, Ruku 6) This verse refers to the Helpers as "those Muslims" who are in reality the "Awliya".

4. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated, "There are certain of Allah's servants that have been set
aside to fulfil the necessities of the people. People will call to them in their times of need. They are protected from the
punishment of Almighty Allah". (Jame Saghir) This Hadith Shareef clearly proves that one may call the Awliya Allah for
assistance.

5. Hazrat Allama ibn Juzri (radi Allahu anhu) states, "If one is ever in any need then He should say, 'O servants of
Allah, assist me! O servants of Allah, assist me! O servants of Allah, assist me'." (Tibraani)

6. Hazrat Imam Naudi (radi Allahu anhu), the commentator of "Muslim Shareef", quotes an incident: "One of my
superiors narrated an incident to me, 'My mule ran away and I had known the Ahadith and I immediately said, 'O
servants of Allah, assist me!' Almighty Allah immediately stopped the mule (from running away)'." (Kitaabul Azkaar)

7. Hazrat Shamsuddeen Muhammad Hanafi (radi Allahu anhu) was performing ablution in his room. He suddenly threw
his wooden sandal into the air. It disappeared although there was no way for it to exit through the room. He gave the
other sandal to his disciple and asked him to keep it until the first one returned. After some time a certain person from
Syria arrived with the sandal and some money as gifts and said, "May Almighty Allah give you the thanks for this. The
actual incident, which occurred, was that once when a thief sat on my chest and was about to slaughter me. In my
heart I said, 'Ya Sayyidi Muhammadin Ya Hanafiyu.' Then suddenly, this sandal came and fell on the chest of the thief
with such force that he became dazed and collapsed and Almighty Allah has saved me through your blessing."
(Tabqaatul Kubra)

8. Hazrat Allama Abdul Wahab Shu'raani (radi Allahu anhu) when explaining the status and significance of Hadrat
Moosa Abu Imran (radi Allahu anhu) states: "When any of his Mureeds would call to him from anywhere, he would
answer them even if he is in a years distance away or even more than that." (Tabqaatul Kubra)

9. When Hazrat Sayyidi Shamsudeen Hanafi (radi Allahu anhu) was on his death-bed, he called his Mureeds and said:
"If anyone has any wish or need, he should come to my grave, I will indeed help him in fulfilling it. Remember between
you and me, there is merely a handful of sand, and how can a mere handful of sand be a screen between a Murshid
and his Mureed. If the sand does become a screen, then the Murshid cannot be a perfect Man (Insaan-e-Kaamil)."

10. Sayyidi Mohammed Farghal (radi Allahu anhu) states: "I am indeed amongst those Saints who can assist you from
the grave. If, therefore, you have any wish or need come to my grave and facing me, mention your requirements. I will
fulfill them."

11. It is recorded that while Hazrat Sayyidi Madeen Ahmed Ashmooni (radi Allahu anhu) was performing the Wudhu,
he suddenly threw his sandal towards the eastern side of the city. A year later a man arrived and described a strange
incident. He said: "My daughter was once walking in the jungle, when an evil man tried to entrap her. She did not at
the time remember the name of her father's Murshid, yet in panic, she screamed, 'O Murshid of my father, save me!’
Suddenly, a sandal appeared from thin air and rendered the evil man unconscious." It is stated that the sandal is still
in the possession of the mentioned family.

12. Imaam Arif Billah Sayyidi Abdul Wahab Sha'raani (radi Allahu anhu), in his book, "Lawaaqi-ul-Anwaar Fi Tabqaatil
Akhyaar", records a strange and miraculous incident. It is recorded that a Mureed of Sayyidi Mohammed Khawri (radi
Allahu anhu) was once passing through the market, when the foot of the animal he was riding slipped. In extreme
panic he screamed, "Ya Sayyidi Muhammad, Ya Ghamri!" Co-incidently, in that very market place, the captured ruler,
ibn Omar Sa'eed, was also passing through. He inquired from the Mureed as to who was Sayyidi Mohammed. When
he was told who he was, he asked permission to use the name of the Murshid so that he could also be released. As
soon as he had proclaimed the name of the great Wali, the spiritual master appeared and driving away the capturers,
freed the ruler. The Shaikh then blessed the ruler, and thereafter departed.

13. Among the excellences of Hazrat Sayyidi Moosa Abu Imraan (radi Allahu anhu), it is recorded that whenever his
Mureeds used to call to him, he immediately use to assist them, even though the Mureed was as far away as a year's
journey or even more.

14. Before the passing away of Moulana Rumi (radi Allahu anhu), he revealed to his Mureeds a startling secret. He
said: "Whatever conditions you may be in, remember me, so that I can be your protector and helper, irrespective of
what state I may be in. In this world I have two types of relationships, one with my body and the other with you, and
when, with the Mercy of Allah I am freed from this contact with my body and the world of loneliness is exposed to me, I
will divert the attention of my soul to you."

15. Hazrat Shah Wali'ullah (radi Allahu anhu), records a method for achieving and fulfilling one's needs and wishes in
his book, "Al intibah fi Salasil-e-Awliya". He states: "One should first perform two Rakaats of Nafil Salaah. After
completion he should recite the following - 111 times Durood Shareef, 111 times Kalima Tamjeed and 111 times 'Shay
an Lillah, Ya Shaikh Abdal Qaadir Jilaani'." From this book, it has been proven that all the great Luminaries believed in
the proclamation of "Shay an Lillah" as being a valid and a great solution to many unsolved problems.

16. Hazrat Ahmed Zarooq (radi Allahu anhu) said: "I indeed bless my (Mureeds) with tranquillity during times of
difficulty and perplexity, when cruelty and evil oppresses them and in times of misery and fear. Therefore (during
these times) call to me 'Ya Zarooq', I will immediately come to your assistance."

17. Allama Ziyadi, Allama Ajhoori, Allama Dawoodi and Allama Shaami (radi Allahu anhum), have all prescribed a
method for finding mislaid items. They state: "One should climb on to a high spot and offer Faatiha for Hazrat Sayyidi
Ahmed bin Alwaan Yamaani (radi Allahu anhu). Thereafter invoking his name one should say, 'Ya Sayyidi Ahmed, Ya
ibn Alwaan'."

18. From all of the above narrations one will see that to call upon the Awliya for assistance is permissible even if they
are thousands of miles away. With the permission of Allah Ta’ala they certainly assist those who are in need.

[MpNelQTU]

Istighatha - By Ismaeel Nakhuda, with additional quotes provided by Mufti Husain Kadodia - http://deoband.org/2009/02/aqida/dev...efs/istigatha/

Istighathah: Seeking aid from other than Allah - By Saad Khan - http://deoband.org/2010/09/aqida/dev...er-than-allah/

Ruling on Istighathah according to the scholars of Ahl al-Sunna - http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...f-Ahl-al-Sunna

Mufti Husain Kadodia's clear and concise explaination:

"I am extremly busy at the moment and have no time to enter into a discussion on Istighathah, however I guess it is time to clarify some basic concepts, which you seem to have difficulty grasping.

When a person calls out to one who is absent for help, he could do it in one of the following ways:

1- Believing that person having the ability to hear him and/or help him from afar on his own without the news being conveyed to him though ilham or Angels, without such abilities been granted by Allah

2- Believing that person having the ability to hear him and/or help him from afar on his own without the news being conveyed to him though ilham or Angels, with such powers having been granted by Allah, but Allah Ta'la (wa al-iyadh bi Allah) being unable to strip him of those powers.

These two are clear shirk and not the issue under discussion, as you will have to really look hard to find Muslims holding such belief. I wouldn't be too surprised if a few of the really extremist Barelwis do hold such beliefs, however, that isn't for discussion here.

3-Believing that person having the ability to hear him and/or help him from afar on his own without the news being conveyed to him though ilham or Angels, with such powers having been granted by Allah who holds the ability to strip him of such powers when he wishes.

This is the type of istighathah under discussion and this is what is meant by "Istiqlan", as this person supposedly receives knowledge of the unseen mustaqillan (independently), as the news was not delivered to him, rather he perceived it on his own.
Our Hanafi Fuqaha have clearly stated that one who believes in a person other than Allah Ta'ala being able to receive knowledge of the unseen in this manner, is a KAFIR.
I suppose they were probably loose in slithering out the words "kufr" and "shirk"!

As for the 4th and 5th type, that is one who calls out:
4- Not believing that the person has the ability to hear me, rather Allah Ta'ala would convey this call to him and then allow him to come to my aid through a karamah or instead Allah Ta'ala would aid me

and

5- Not believing that the person has the ability to hear me, rather he just adopted such words as Tawassul in the court of Allah, in reality asking Allah for help, without even intending that this person can ever hear me in any way or help me

then these two are definitely not Shirk haqiqi.

Yes, our Ulama forbid people from calling in such a manner as it could lead to others getting the impression of shirk or it could lead to the callers own beliefs being spoilt after some time.

The situation Mufti Taqi sahib called "fiqurative" or "imaginary" falls into this last type, as it is common in poetry, where a person calls out to all types of imanimate objects: addressing the earth, the walls, etc, not in anyway intending that they can hear or even respond. The same for those elders who address Awliya in their poetry."
[Husain - http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post388990]

Even more concise scheme by brother Saad:

"1. Permissible forms of istimdad:

- To ask Allah Most High through the wasila of a pious personality, dead or alive.
- To ask an alive individual to make du`a' for you to Allah.
- To ask a dead wali near his grave to make dua for you to Allah.

2. Impermissible forms of istimdad:

To ask anyone beside Allah, dead or alive, for du`a' from far with the belief that they can hear from far.
To ask anyone beside Allah, dead or alive, for things that are above the means (ma fawq al-asbab), like children, sustenance, rain, etc."
[Saad - http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post379600]