Aslam

Praise be to Allah.

This hadith was narrated by at-Tabaraani

in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (17/117) via ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Shurayk who

said: My father told me, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Eesa, from Zayd ibn ‘Ali, from

‘Utbah ibn Ghazwaan, from the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah

be upon him) who said: “If one of you loses something, or one of you wants

help, and he is in a land in which there are no people, then let him say, ‘O

slaves of Allah, help me; O slaves of Allah, help me,’ for Allah has slaves

whom we do not see.”

There are three problems with this hadeeth

which mean that it must be da‘eef. They are:

1.‘Abd ar-Rahmaan

ibn Shurayk ibn ‘Abdullah an-Nakha‘i al-Kufi

Abu Haatim said: He is weak in narration

of hadeeth.

End quote from al-Jarh wa at-Ta‘deel

(5/244)

Ibn Hibbaan mentioned him in

ath-Thiqaat (8/375) and said: He sometimes makes mistakes.

Al-Haafiz said in at-Taqreeb (p.

342): He is sadooq (honest) but makes mistakes.

See also: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb

(6/176).

2.Shurayk ibn

‘Abdullah an-Nakha‘i

The scholars highlighted his poor memory

and lack of precision. Al-Haafiz said concerning him: He is sadooq (honest)

but makes many mistakes; his memory changed after he was appointed as a

judge in Kufah.

End quote from Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb

(p. 266)

3.Zayd ibn ‘Ali ibn

al-Husayn did not meet ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwaan or hear from him. Between the

death of ‘Utbah and the birth of Zayd there were approximately sixty years.

See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (2/249,

4/64)

Hence al-Haythami said concerning the

hadeeth: It was narrated by at-Tabaraani and its men were regarded as

trustworthy even though some of them were somewhat da‘eef (weak). But Zayd

ibn ‘Ali did not meet ‘Utbah.

End quote from Majma‘ az-Zawaa’id

(10/93)

There is corroborating evidence for this

hadeeth in the marfoo‘ hadeeth of Ibn Mas‘ood: “If the mount of one of you

disappears in the wilderness, let him call out: ‘O slaves of Allah, bring it

back to me,’ for Allah has (angels) present on earth who will bring it back

to you.”

This was narrated by at-Tabaraani in

al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (10/217); Abu Ya‘la in his Musnad (9/177). It

is also da‘eef; it was classed as such by al-Haythami in Majma‘

az-Zawaa’id (10/132), al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in Sharh al-Adhkaar

(5/150); al-Haafiz as-Sakhkhaawi in al-Ibtihaaj bi Adhkaar al-Musaafir

wa’l-Haaj (p. 39).

Shaykh al-Albaani discussed this hadeeth

in detail in as-Silsilah ad-Da‘eefah, where he (may Allah have mercy

on him) said:

In addition to the fact that this hadeeth

is da‘eef (weak), there is nothing in the text to suggest that it is

permissible to seek the help of the dead, such as the awliya’ (“saints”;

close friends of Allah) and the righteous, because it clearly indicates that

what is meant by the slaves of Allah here is some creation other than human

beings.

This is based on the fact that in the

first hadeeth he says: “for Allah has (angels) present on earth who will

bring it back to you,” and in this hadeeth he says: “Allah has slaves whom

we do not see.”

This description can only apply to the

angels or the jinn, because they are the ones who we do not usually see. …

So it is not permissible to include with them Muslims among the jinn or

humans whom they call “men of the unseen,” such as the awliya’ and the

righteous, whether they are alive or dead. Seeking help from them and

seeking their aid is blatant shirk, because they cannot hear the

supplication, and even if they could hear it, they would not be able to

respond and fulfil the request.

This is clearly stated in many verses,

including the passage in which Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, says

(interpretation of the meaning):

“And those, whom you invoke or call

upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date

stone).

If you invoke (or call upon) them, they

hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant

it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown

your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad SAW) like Him Who

is the All-Knower (of each and everything)”

[Faatir 35:13-14].

End quote from Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth

ad-Da‘eefah wa’l-Mawdoo‘ah (656).

And Allah knows best.