What relationship is there in this to someone who fashions pictures of created things in churches, who extols them and seeks intercession from him whose picture he has fashioned?
Hasn’t this been the basis for idol worship among mankind from the time of Noah until now?
Prayer towards the sun, moon, and stars and prostration in their direction is a pretext for prostrating before them.
Not one of the prophets ever commanded the use of pictures or seeking intercession from their patrons or making prostration towards the sun, moon and stars.
Although it was mentioned about one of the prophets that he fashioned an image for the sake of general welfare, this is one of the matters on which the laws may vary; by contrast, prostration before them and seeking intercession from those represented was never legislated by a single prophet.
No one of the prophets ever commanded anyone to pray to someone other than Allaah, neither at his grave nor his absence, nor to seek intercession in his absence after his death.
By contrast, seeking intercession from the Prophet during his lifetime and on the Resurrection Day, and mediating one’s prayers through him and one’s faith in him, is something commanded by the prophets, as Allaah has said (Qur'an-10:18; 16:36; 21:25; 39:1-4; 43:45).
Jawab as-Sahih of Ibnul Qayyim- salafipublications translation
Further reading found here :
http://salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?secID=MSS&subsecID=MSS05&loadpage=displaysubsection.cfm
