It’s so sad to see some of our brethren committing the greatest of all evils, polytheism without even realising it and when somebody tries to correct them they still try and justify it without having any concern for their hereafter.
No doubt Muhammad (sallallaho alayhe wassallam) and his cousin Ali (radhiallaho anhu) were great men, and as Muslims it is necessary for us to have utmost love and respect for them.
However only our Lord, Allah the Exalted and Majestic is deserving of worship, prayer and supplication and only He has the power to answer our needs, grant forgiveness of sins, help us and relive us of our distress and hardships.
Allah alone is the Sovereign Lord who is able to do all things; we should not put our trust and hope in anyone except Him.
It is not permissible to ask any Prophet, Messenger, Saint or righteous person for help, only Allah should be asked for help (from the unseen).
This is where the people of the scripture (Christians and Jews) went astray. Jesus Christ (alayhis salaam) and Ezra (alayhis salaam) were also righteous people and beloved Prophets of Allah but their followers exaggerated their status and made them deities, same with pagan Arabs who started worshipping Angels and Jinns amongst other things.
Lets purify our faith for Allah alone and dedicate all devotion and worship for Him alone, and become His true slaves and only His sawaali.
A Muslim must believe in and act in accordance with Islamic Monotheism and there are three categories of Monotheism, Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah (to believe that Allah alone is the creator, the owner, the provider and the sustainer of all creation), Tawheed al-Uloohiyah (to direct all worship such as, supplication, taking oaths, slaughtering, hope, fear, reliance, aspiration, repentance, remorse and all other acts of worship whether they are actions of the heart, the tongue or the limbs to Allah alone) and Tawheed al-Asma was-Siffat (to believe in all of Allah’s names and attributes which are found in the Quran and authentic Sunnah of His Messenger [sallallaho alayhe wassallam] without changing them, twisting their meaning or likening them to the created).
The pagans of Mecca, the Christians and the Jews also believe(d) in the first category of Monotheism i.e. Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah but they violated Tawheed al-Uloohiyah and Tawheed al-Asma was-Siffat.
The Prophet (sallallaho alayhe wassallam) was sent to teach us the Quran and his Sunnah so that we may worship Allah and live our life in accordance with His orders. The Prophets and righteous people are our teachers, we should learn from their lives and love and respect them but not worship them.
“And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them” (Al-Quran 7:180)
“Say (O Muhammad): “I possess no power over benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Unseen, I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth” (Al-Quran 7:188)
“And your Lord said: “Invoke Me * I will respond to your (invocation)” (Al-Quran 40:60)
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)” (Al-Quran 2:186)
“Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls on Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations? Is there any god with Allah? Little is that you remember!” (Al-Quran 27:62)
“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen except Allah” (Al-Quran 27:65)
*“And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone).
If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the All Knower (of everything).
O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allah. But Allah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise” (Al-Quran 35: 13-15)*
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do” (Al-Qur’an 7:180)
“And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes) besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them.” (Al-Quran 46:5)
“Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills." (Al-Quran 4:48)*
’ who was he ?