Is it permissible to seek help from the spirit of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and the spirits of the Companions and righteous saints, by saying, "O righteous servants of Allah, help me"?

The religion of Islam is based on the exclusive worship of Allah alone, without any partners, through what He has legislated via His Prophet. Worship is a comprehensive term encompassing all sayings and actions that Allah loves and approves of, including supplication (du'a) and seeking assistance (istighatha), both of which are among the noblest acts of worship. The Qur'an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus have all affirmed the prohibition of supplicating to other than Allah, considering it a polytheistic act (shirk) that Allah does not forgive. This is because polytheists used to take rivals and saints as intercessors and intermediaries to bring them closer to Allah, just as some ignorant people do today. Scholars have unanimously agreed that making intermediaries between a servant and his Lord whom he supplicates to and asks from is an act of shirk that expels one from the fold of Islam.