The idea of this article is taken from the book “Tawheed e Khalis pages 475- 489” by Shaykh Badi ud din Shah Rashidi Rahimullah.
All of the Prophets, Pious, Mujahideen and Oppressed asked directly from Allah without any kind of innovative tawassul and asking help from dead.
1.The prayer of Adam aleh salam
2.The prayer of Noah aleh salam
3.The prayer of Ibraheem and Ismaieel aleh salam
4.The prayer of Yunus aleh salam
5.The prayer of Loot aleh salam
6.The prayer of Ayub aleh salam
7.The prayer of Yusuf aleh salam
8.The prayer of Shuayb aleh salam
9.The prayer of Hud aleh salam
10.The prayer of Zakariya aleh salam
11.The prayer of Moosa and Haroon aleh salam
12.The prayer of Eesa aleh salam
13.The prayers of Prophet peace be upon him
14.The prayers of pious people
a.The prayer of wife of Imran
b.The prayer of wife of Fir’aun
c.The prayer of queen of Saba Balqees.
d.The prayer of Ashaab alKahaf
e.The prayer of those who have intellect and faith
f. The prayer of people of Paradise
g.The prayer of people of alAraaf
15.The prayers at the time of Jihaad
16.The prayers of weak and oppressed
17.The prayer for parents
18.The prayer for children and wives
19.The prayer for Momineen who died
1.The prayer of Adam aleh salam
They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.”[7:23]
2.The prayer of Noah aleh salam
And Noah called to his Lord and said, “My Lord, indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your promise is true; and You are the most just of judges!”[11:45] [Noah] said, “My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.”[11:47] [Noah] said, “My Lord, support me because they have denied me.”[23:26]
So he invoked his Lord, “Indeed, I am overpowered, so help.”[54:10]
3.The prayer of Ibraheem and Ismaieel aleh salam
And [mention] when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits – whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day.” [ Allah ] said. “And whoever disbelieves – I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the destination.”[2:126]
And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], “Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.[2:127]
Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.[2:128]
Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”[2:129] [And he said], “My Lord, grant me authority and join me with the righteous.[26:83]
… Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination.[60:4]
Our Lord, make us not [objects of] torment for the disbelievers and forgive us, our Lord. Indeed, it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”[60:5]
4.The prayer of Yunus aleh salam
And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”[21:87]
5.The prayer of Loot aleh salam
He said, “My Lord, support me against the corrupting people.”[29:30]
He said, “My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower.”[38:35]
6.The prayer of Ayub aleh salam
And remember Our slave Ayub (Job), when he invoked his Lord (saying): “Verily! Shaitan (Satan) has touched me with distress (by losing my health) and torment (by losing my wealth)![38:41]
7.The prayer of Yusuf aleh salam
He said:”O my Lord! Prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. Unless You turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or those who do deeds) of the ignorants.”[12:33]
8.The prayer of Shuayb aleh salam
“We should have invented a lie against Allah if we returned to your religion, after Allah has rescued us from it. And it is not for us to return to it unless Allah, our Lord, should will. Our Lord comprehends all things in His Knowledge. In Allah (Alone) we put our trust. Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth, for You are the Best of those who give judgment.”[7:89]
9.The prayer of Hud aleh salam
He said: “O my Lord! Help me because they deny me.[23:26]
Most of the commentators say this is regarding Hud aleh salam
10.The prayer of Zakariya aleh salam
At that time Zakariya (Zachariya) invoked his Lord, saying: “O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.”[3:38]
11.The prayer of Moosa and Haroon aleh salam
He [Musa (Moses)] said: “O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother, so separate us from the people who are the Fasiqun (rebellious and disobedient to Allah)!”[5:25]
Mûsa (Moses) said: “O my Lord! Forgive me and my brother, and make us enter into Your Mercy, for you are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”[7:151]
12.The prayer of Eesa aleh salam
‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), said: “O Allah, our Lord! Send us from heaven a table spread (with food) that there may be for us – for the first and the last of us – a festival and a sign from You; and provide us sustenance, for You are the Best of sustainers.”[5:114]
All of them invokes Allah, some asked for a child, some asked for healing, some asked for victory, some asked for paradise, they asked for many things but all of them asked from Allah not from dead auliyah, Prophets etc..
So this is the correct procedure of invocation, Allah would have told us if someone asked help from auliyah and Prophets and asked Allah through their means.
13.The prayers of Prophet peace be upon him
The prayers of Prophet peace be upon him are also mentioned in the Quran, nowhere Tawassul is mentioned.
a. Say (O Muhammad SAW): “O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things. [3:26] You make the night to enter into the day, and You make the day to enter into the night (i.e. increase and decrease in the hours of the night and the day during winter and summer), You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit (measure or account).[3:27]
b. And say (O Muhammad SAW): My Lord! Let my entry (to the city of Al-Madinah) be good, and likewise my exit (from the city of Makkah) be good. And grant me from You an authority to help me (or a firm sign or a proof).[17:80]
c. Then High above all be Allah, the True King. And be not in haste (O Muhammad SAW) with the Quran before its revelation is completed to you, and say: “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”[20:114]
d. He (Muhammad SAW) said:”My Lord! Judge You in truth! Our Lord is the Most Beneficent, Whose Help is to be sought against that which you attribute (unto Allah that He has offspring, and unto Muhammad SAW that he is a sorcerer, and unto the Quran that it is poetry, etc.)!”[2:112]
e. Say (O Muhammad SAW): ” My Lord! If You would show me that with which they are threatened (torment),[23:93] My Lord! Then (save me from Your Punishment), and put me not amongst the people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doing).”[23:94]
And there are many other prayers Allah told Prophet Peace be upon him but nowhere tawassul is mentioned.
14.The prayers of pious people
a.The prayer of wife of Imran
(Remember) when the wife of ‘Imran said: “O my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.”[3:35]Then when she delivered her [child Maryam (Mary)], she said: “O my Lord! I have delivered a female child,” – and Allah knew better what she delivered, – “And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaitan (Satan), the outcast.”[3:36]
b.The prayer of wife of Fir’aun
And Allah has set forth an example for those who believe, the wife of Fir’aun (Pharaoh), when she said: “My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir’aun (Pharaoh) and his work, and save me from the people who are Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers and disbelievers in Allah).[66:11]
c.The prayer of queen of Saba Balqees.
It was said to her: “Enter As-Sarh” [(a glass surface with water underneath it) or a palace], but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool, and she (tucked up her clothes) uncovering her legs, Sulaiman (Solomon) said: “Verily, it is Sarh [(a glass surface with water underneath it) or a palace] paved smooth with slab of glass.” She said: “My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, and I submit (in Islam, together with Sulaiman (Solomon), to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).”[27:44]
d.The prayer of Ashaab alKahaf
(Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the Cave, they said: “Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!”[18:10]
Allah praised them in another verse
And We made their hearts firm and strong (with the light of Faith in Allah and bestowed upon them patience to bear the separation of their kith and kin and dwellings, etc.) when they stood up and said: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any ilah (god) other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief.[18:14]
e.The prayer of those who have intellect and faith
Those who say: “Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire.”[3:16]
Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.[3:191]
“Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him, and never will the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) find any helpers.[3:192]
“Our Lord! Verily, we have heard the call of one (Muhammad SAW) calling to Faith: ‘Believe in your Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and remit from us our evil deeds, and make us die in the state of righteousness along with Al-Abrar (those who are obedient to Allah and follow strictly His Orders).[3:193]
“Our Lord! Grant us what You promised unto us through Your Messengers and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection, for You never break (Your) Promise.”[3:194]
f. The prayer of people of Paradise
And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world); rivers flowing under them, and they will say: “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this, never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us! Indeed, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth.” And it will be cried out to them: “This is the Paradise which you have inherited for what you used to do.”[7:43]
Their way of request therein will be Subhanaka Allahumma (Glory to You, O Allah!) and Salam (peace, safe from each and every evil) will be their greetings therein (Paradise)! and the close of their request will be: Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil-‘Alamin [All the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)].[10:10]
And they will say: “All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has removed from us (all) grief. Verily, our Lord is indeed OftForgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (good deeds and to recompense).[35:34]
Who, out of His Grace, has lodged us in a home that will last forever; there, toil will touch us not, nor weariness will touch us.”[35:35]
g.The prayer of people of alAraaf
And when their eyes will be turned towards the dwellers of the Fire, they will say: “Our Lord! Place us not with the people who are Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers).”[7:47]
Now here different invocations of pious people are mentioned but nowhere asking help from dead and tawassul through dead is mentioned.
15.The prayers at the time of Jihaad
a. And when they advanced to meet Jalut (Goliath) and his forces, they invoked: “Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience and make us victorious over the disbelieving people.”[2:250]
b. The Messenger (Muhammad SAW) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. They say, “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers” – and they say, “We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).” Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Maula (Patron, Suppor-ter and Protector, etc.) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.[2:285,286]
c. And they said nothing but: “Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our transgressions (in keeping our duties to You), establish our feet firmly, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.”[3:147]
16.The prayers of weak and oppressed
a.And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: “Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help.”[4:75]
b.”And you take vengeance on us only because we believed in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.) of our Lord when they reached us! Our Lord! pour out on us patience, and cause us to die as Muslims.”[7:126]
17.The prayer for parents
And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: “My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small.”[17:24]
18.The prayer for children and wives
And those who say: “Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders for the Muttaqun” (pious – see V.2:2 and the footnote of V.3:164).”[25:74]
19.The prayer for Momineen who died
And those who came after them say: “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.[59:10]
Allah taught us and told us so many prayers of Prophets, Pious, lay people, oppressed etc. not a single prayer states innovative tawassul and asking help from dead. We only see these kind of things in fabricated stories made by later people. Allah and his Prophets and his companions and pious people are free from all these allegations. People should think about this issue, when Allah is very close to us then why is there a need of saying “Ya Ali Help. Ya Gawth al adham help”?.