You alone do we worship, and Your aid alone we seek. (Quran, 1:5)

It is not permissible to ask Allah by the virtue of anyone, not even by the virtue of the Prophets or Messengers or Awliyaa or righteous people. No one can compel Allah to do anything. It is not permissible to ask Him in any way except by His Names and Attributes, as Allah says: And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him (Quran, 7:180) And yet we see the Shia saying things like Naad-e-Ali which means call on Ali! We should only call on Allah. Ali will tell these deviant Shia to stop calling him as he has no power, but rather to call Allah for help. In the same manner will Prophet Isa repudiate the Christians for calling on him as opposed to Allah. With regard to saying to the occupant of a grave, O So and so, help me, this is obviously Shirk, because it is a supplication to someone other than Allah. Asking by the virtue of someone is a means to Shirk, and calling upon a created being is Shirk in worship. How can a Muslim seek assistance from any other than Allah Almighty? Despite the fact that every Muslim must repeat the following words from the Quran in his prayer (salat) at least seventeen times a day: You alone do we worship, and Your aid alone we seek. (Quran, 1:5) We see the Shia saying things like Ya Ali and Ya Mehdi when they are distressed and need help. They will say Ya Ali Madad! These people cry out these names in times of distress when they wish for help. In true Islam, however, we should only say Ya Allah! Calling out anyone elses name for help is Shirk, because we believe only Allah can help us! This is the Sunnah of the Prophet, as well as the way of Ali. Allah Almighty says clearly in the Quran: And invoke not, besides Allah, [anyone since that] will neither profit you, nor hurt you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers). And if Allah should afflict you with harm, then there is none to remove it but He; and if He intends good to you there is none to repel His grace. (Quran, 10:106-107) Humans, no matter their status, cannot help anyone or harm anyone. Only Allah Almighty can cause harm and only He can bring benefit to us. Allah Almighty says in the Quran: Say [O Muhammad]: I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills (Quran, 7:188) If the Prophet could not even have power of good or harm over himself, then how can we say that he has such powers over others? If the Prophet himself declares that he cannot bring good or harm, then why are we asking him? Islam is a fiercely monothiestic faith, and rejects all forms of intermediaries with Allah. Intermediaries are none other than idols. The pagans believe that their idols are intermediaries, and they invoke them to ask God for help through them. So too do the Christians believe in Jesus as an intermediary to God. And so have the Imams become an intermediary and idols for the Shia. How often do we hear the Shia say: Ya Ali, give us [such and such