There is no doubt that Allah emphasizes in the Qur’an on the importance on Du’aa and its advantages. Indeed, it is us who are in need for Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to make du’aa all the times to the extent that he used to ask Allah’s forgiveness seventy or hundred times a day. We are recommended to invoke Allah alone and not anybody else even if he was our great Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is not permissible to call upon anyone other than Allah, whether at times of ease or times of hardship, no matter how great the status of the one who is called upon, even if he is a Prophet who is close to Allah, or one of the angels, because du’a’ is a form of worship.

It was narrated from al-Nu’man ibn Bashir that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Du’a’ is worship,” then he recited (interpretation of the meaning):

[And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!] (Ghafir 40:60). Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Maajah and classed as sahih by al-Albani.

Worship is due only to Allah; it is not permitted to direct worship towards anyone else. Hence the Muslims are agreed that whoever calls upon anyone other than Allah is a mushrik (polytheist, one who associates others with Allah).

Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: “Whoever regards the angels and Prophets as intermediaries whom he calls upon, puts his trust in and asks them to bring that which will benefit him and ward off harmful things, such as asking them to forgive sins, guide them, relieve them of distress and meet their needs, is a disbeliever, according to the consensus of the Muslims.”

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The kinds of shirk include asking the dead for one’s needs, or seeking their help, or turning to them. This is the essence of shirk.

Hence Allah has said that there is no one more astray than the one who calls on. Allah says: [ 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? And when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping. How can he call on others besides Allah, when Allah has told us that they are helpless]

How can the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) be called upon, when Allah has commanded him to say, [Say: ‘It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right Path]. (Al-Jinn 72:21)

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If you ask, then ask of Allah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allah.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned us, according to the report narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, ‘Do not praise me as the Christians praised ‘Eesa ibn Maryam, (Jesus Son of Marry) I am the slave of Allah and His Messenger.’ Rather the way to venerate him and love him is by following his Sunnah and establishing his religion and rejecting all the myths that the ignorant attribute to him. But most of the people do not do this, and they occupy themselves with this exaggeration and praise which leads them to commit major shirk.”

Moreover, it is not known that even a single companion used to seek the help of the Messenger or call up
on the Messenger, neither was that transmitted from any of the respectable scholars. It is only one of the myths of the deviant. If something troubles you, then say Yaa Allah and do not say Ya Rasul Allah, for Allah is the One Who answers prayers, relieves distress and controls all things. ”