Is the gathering called “Al-Hadra,” which includes the recitation of the Quran and poems praising the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, among them a hymn that says: “O Imam of Messengers, my support / You are the door of Allah, my reliance / In my worldly life and my Hereafter / O Imam of Messengers, take my hand,” permissible or forbidden, and is it permissible to attend these gatherings once a year with the intention of avoiding problems and pleasing a relative?

It is not permissible to supplicate the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, after his death, because supplication (du'a) is an act of worship that can only be directed to Allah, and directing it to anyone else is a form of polytheism (shirk (definition)), based on His saying: (And those whom you invoke other than Him do not possess so much as the membrane of a date stone. If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will deny your shirk. And none can inform you like [one who is] an expert [of all things].) So, saying: "O Imam of the Messengers, O my support, O Imam of the Messengers, take my hand," is a supplication to other than Allah. Love for the Prophet is shown by following him and emulating him, not by exaggerating about him or asking him for needs after his death. Indeed, he forbade praising him excessively, just as the Christians praised Christ. The one who does this should be advised with wisdom and good counsel.