Question:
Is prophet Mohamed alive? Can we say “ya rasoolallah”?
Answer:
No, he is not alive, and we should not say that at all….that is form of shirk.
Insisting that the Prophet (PBUH) attends their sitting is a lie, and the Prophet (PBUH) being alive in his grave is the life of barzakh, enjoying the bliss and comfort of paradise, and not like his life in this world, since he died and was washed and covered in the burial shroud and the funeral prayer was performed over him and he was buried like others (are).
And he will be the first who shall rise from his grave on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) has said, addressing him:
“Verily, you will die and verily, they will die. (30) Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be disputing before your Lord” [Az-Zumar 39 : 30-31]
And He (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) said:
“And the places of worship are only for Allah, so invoke not anyone along with Allâh.” (Al-Jinn 72:18)
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’aa’ is a form of worship.
It was narrated from al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer that the Prophet (PBUH)) said: “Du’aa’ 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!” [Al-Ghaafir 40:60]
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2895; Ibn Maajah, 3818; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2370.
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).
Shaykh 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 kaafir, according to the consensus of the Muslims.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 1/124.
Allah has said that there is no one more astray than the one who calls on others besides Him. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“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? (5) And when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping” [Al-Ahqaaf 46:5-6]
How can he call on others besides Allah, when Allah has told us that they are helpless? Allah says:
“….And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone). (13) 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) like Him Who is the All‑Knower (of everything)” [Al-Faatir 35:13-14]
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan Aal al-Shaykh said:
Allah tells us the situation of those who are called upon instead of Him, of the angels, Prophets, idols, etc. in a manner that indicates their helplessness and weakness, and that they lack the abilities that are to be expected in the one who is called upon, such as sovereignty, the ability to hear the call and the ability to respond.
Fath al-Majeed, p. 158
How can the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah 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 – interpretation of the meaning]
And the Prophet (PBUH) said: “If you ask, then ask of Allah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allah.”
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2516; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2043.
Hence there can be no doubt that it is a mistake to praise the Prophet (PBUH) in the words:
“O most noble of creation, I have nobody to turn to except you when calamity strikes.”
The major scholars have denounced this as being wrong.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it shirk if someone says in any place on earth, Ya Muhammad Ya Rasool-Allah , calling him?
He replied:
Allah has stated in His Holy Book and on the lips of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that worship is the right of Allah alone and no one else has any share of it, and that du’aa’ is a kind of worship, so if a person says in any place on earth, Ya Rasool-Allah , Ya Nabi Allah or Ya Muhammad, help me, or save me, or support me, or heal me, or support your ummah, or heal the sick Muslims, and guide their misguided ones and so on, then he is making him a partner with Allah in worship. The same applies to those who do the same thing with regard to other Prophets, angels, awliya’ (“saints), jinn, idols or any other created beings, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And I have not created the Jinn (the spirit) nor the human beings for any other purpose except to worship me (alone)” (Ad-Dharyat 51:56)
“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allâh), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious)” (Al-Baqara 2:21)
End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (2/453).
Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: http://www.islamtomorrow.com/
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in his footnotes to the book Fath al-Majeed, commenting on the poem Burdat al-Busayri from which these words are taken:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned us, according to the report narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim, ‘Do not praise me as the Christians praised ‘Eesa ibn Maryam, 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.”
Fath al-Majeed, p. 155
Moreover, it is not known that even a single Sahaabi used to seek the help of the Messenger or call upon the Messenger, neither was that transmitted from any of the respectable scholars. It is only one of the myths of the deviant.
Hence it is not allowed to invoke “Ya RasulAllah”, with the intention that he is alive and will hear. If something troubles you, then say Yaa Allah, for He is the One Who answers prayers, relieves distress and controls all things.
Ref.
http://islamicislamic.com/mohammad_intercessions.htm