In the lifetime of the prophet, a blind Muslim man came to him to have his eyesight restaured. He begged him to supplicate God on his behalf, being the most righteous and closest to God from all people. The noble and humble prophet first told him the preferred course of action which is to bear the trials of life with patience
"Can you not bear it?’ and the man replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not have anyone to lead me around, and it is a great hardship for me."
Being full of empathy, one whom the Quran describes in many places as grieving for the fate even of the disbelievers, he could certainly not refuse a needy faithful's request to supplicating God for help. The prophet however did this on the condition that there be no ambiguity to pure monotheism. The prophet in fact stated that those who will earn his intercession wont be those that will call upon him, rather
"The luckiest person who will have my intercession on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who said sincerely from the bottom of his heart "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah".
The prophet thus proceeded by teaching the blind man the proper etiquette in doing so. The blind man was to first show spiritual submission to God alone
"Go make ablution, perform two rak'as of prayer".
This first step is aimed at dispelling any doubts as to God's unequivocal superiority and power over all things. Once that notion is firmly established, the person may introduce the prophet in the prayer but in a manner making it clear he is only a means by which the prayer to God is uplifted, on account of him being a most virtuous individual. This is no different than what is commonly done when someone invites honorable and righteous people to join in praying to God. The implicit notion is also that when righteous people join a person in prayer, it means this person must have some spiritual merit of his own. This is because the righteous and virtuous will certainly not assist a deviant sinful person in making a request to God
"0 Allaah I ask You and turn to You by means of Your Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy".
Now that God's superiority is established, that the prophet is introduced as a virtuous co-supplicant, with the assumption that the praying person has some spiritual merit of his own to be joined in prayer by a virtuous individual, a formal request is made to the prophet directly, inviting him to join in supplication to God
"0 Muhammad I have turned by means of you (i. e. your du'aa) to my Lord in this need of mine, so that it may be fulfilled for me".
The blind man was uttering this prayer in the prophet's presence, asking him to join. After that the prayer, as taught by the humble prophet refocuses on God, making sure that whoever the co-supplicant is, he has no power in and of himself, that no matter how virtuous the interceding person is, the acceptance of his prayer is God's decision ultimately
"0 Allaah accept him as a supplicant on my behalf, and accept my supplication for him (to be accepted for me)."
That portion is an authentic part of the hadith as reported by al Albany on behalf of Ahmad and al-Haakim, who authenticated it. Here it is literally the blind man who is interceding for the prophet, asking God to accept the prophet's prayer on his behalf.
Acceptance of prayer is thus completely in God's hands because although a virtuous might join others in prayer, it might well be that the person is undeserving of such honor and thus the intercession is cancelled. The noble prophet for instance, the "prophet of mercy" was told to desist from interceding on behalf of unworthy people
9:80"Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them".
As can be seen the noble and humble prophet taught the man the correct etiquette of requesting another to join in prayer to God so as to dispel any ambiguity as to God's supreme authority. The blind man's and the prophet's combined prayers to God were realized and he was cured.
This story was reported by Uthman bin Hunaif. The story that after the prophet's death, the same Uthman bin Hunaif advised a man in need to seek the prophet's assistance in prayer to Allah is weak and rejected by al Albani due to the presence of Shabeeb bin Saeed who reported it.
Further articles answering Sam Shamoun "NOTES FOR TAUHID DEBATE WITH YAHYA PT. 2"
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