Someone asked: some say that you cannot call upon a deceased person for help. This is unless you have a reason to believe that it will be conveyed. This is because simply assuming that the message will reach the deceased is like claiming knowledge of the Unseen. Hence, it is alright to send Salam to the Prophet Sal Allahu Alayhi Was Salam because of the hadiths mentioning the angels carrying the Salam to him, but how can we know that Imam Nawawi or the greatest Awliya like Shaykh Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani hear our calls?
Answer: The first claim “you cannot call upon a deceased person for help unless you have a reason to believe that it will be conveyed” does not prevent calling them from help, because a wali may be conveyed such a call. The second claim “simply assuming that the message will reach the deceased is like claiming knowledge of the Unseen” only holds if one claims that the call will be surely conveyed, and does not have any proof. So if someone called a deceased for help, merely hoping that it would be conveyed, then the two claims given will not prevent this from being permissible.
Author: Shaykh Abu Adam al Naruiji
Note: The author of this question wished to have his question answered privately. However, since we saw the general usefulness of this answer, we have published it, but have adequately removed any traces of the questioner’s identity from the question.
Sunni Answers 
as-salam alykoom,
How can you make a big claim such as, “The first claim…does not prevent calling them from help, because a wali may be conveyed such a call” without ANY quotes from the Quran and Sunnah?
I believe what I responded to was the idea that “simply assuming that the message will reach the deceased is like claiming knowledge of the Unseen”. If someone thinks that it may reach him, then that is not like claiming knowledge of the unseen, so the claim will not hold.
As salamu ‘alaykum Shaykh,
Are you saying that their are no differences between the Sunni Muslims and Christians(Catholics in particular) praying to saints?
Where did I ever say that Muslims pray to saints? Calling someone for help is not praying if there is no sense of worship coming from one’s belief or intention. See the article: “The meaning of worship.”
Shaykh is this correct that the prophets and Walis have some of the knowledge of the unseen?
e.g. where Hizar(as) had more knowledge of the unseen than Musa (as)?
Yes, it is correct. No, we cannot say that Khiđr’s knowledge is more based on their meeting, but that he had some information that Muusaa did not have in particular cases. This proves, however, that Khiđr was a prophet, not a waliyy, because a waliyy does not teach prophets.
As salamu ‘alaykum Shaykh,
You said:
“The first claim “you cannot call upon a deceased person for help unless you have a reason to believe that it will be conveyed” does not prevent calling them from help, because a wali may be conveyed such a call. The second claim “simply assuming that the message will reach the deceased is like claiming knowledge of the Unseen” only holds if one claims that the call will be surely conveyed, and does not have any proof. So if someone called a deceased for help, merely hoping that it would be conveyed, then the two claims given will not prevent this from being permissible.”
I’m not understanding this. How can a person GUESS that a message will be given to a person who has passed away without an evidence??
Far as I know, and I think we all would agree, that guessing is not a proof in Shari’ah.
So is there any evidence to substantiate the ‘maybe’ idea?
No one said it is a proof. It is about hope, just like when you are hoping someone will hear you that is far away from you when calling him.
Salam
There is evidence from the quran and sunnah where it is possible for the dead to hear. So because it is based upon the possibility and the permission of Allah it is hoped that they would hear it.
Wasalam
wa’alaykum salaam
Helping and hearing are two separate issues.
Assalaamuˆalaykum,
See Ibn Al-Qayyim argues for the validity of calling the dead.