IS IT PERMISSIBLE TO PRAY FOR THE SAKE OF SOMEONE?
Prayer, with its meanings of "inviting, calling, pleading, asking, requesting help," is the most beautiful expression of a person's connection with God.
The places of worship belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allah.
He is the Ever Living, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), so invoke Him making your worship pure for Him Alone (by worshipping Him Alone, and none else, and by doing righteous deeds sincerely for Allah's sake only, and not to show off, and not to set up rivals with Him in worship). All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (all that exists).
So, call you upon (or invoke) Allah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone). However much the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allah) may hate (it).
And when My slaves ask you concerning Me, then, I am indeed near. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.
And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!"
[Only] to Him belongs the true invocation; and those whom they invoke besides Him do not answer them in any wise—like someone who stretches his hands towards water [desiring] that it should reach his mouth, but it does not reach it—and the invocations of the faithless only go awry.
Say, "My Lord has ordered justice and that you maintain yourselves [in worship of Him] at every place [or time] of prostration, and invoke Him, sincere to Him in religion." Just as He originated you, you will return [to life] -
And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.
And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon seeking His Face. You are accountable for them in nothing, and they are accountable for you in nothing, that you may turn them away, and thus become of the Zalimun (unjust).
Allah declares that Allah will answer the prayers of his servants if they ask Allah, thus specifying the address of the prayer.
In fact, the Fatiha surah, which we recite in every rak'ah of every prayer, contains a statement of this, teaching us that we should seek help only from Almighty God.
Fatiha, Verse 5
You (Alone) we worship, and you (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).
The only authority that accepts prayers is the authority of Almighty God.
The verses that describe how prayer should be are given below:
Say: "Invoke Allah or invoke the Most Beneficent (Allah), by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names. And offer your Salat (prayer) neither aloud nor in a low voice, but follow a way between.
Say, "What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?" For you [disbelievers] have denied, so your denial is going to be adherent.
Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.
And do not do mischief on the earth, after it has been set in order, and invoke Him with fear and hope; Surely, Allah's Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers.
Their call therein will be, "Exalted(Glory) are You, O Allah," and their greeting therein will be, "Peace." And the last of their call will be, "Praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds!"
And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do.
I dissociate myself from you and whatever you invoke besides Allah. I will supplicate(invoke) my Lord. Hopefully, I will not be disappointed in supplicating my Lord.’
The following verses exemplify how, in times of hardship, a person remembers their Creator and prays only to Allah. By nature, a person in this situation seeks refuge only in Allah. However, Allah, in many verses, reveals human ingratitude, reminding them that when He delivers them from this situation, they again begin to associate partners with Him or forget Allah out of arrogance.
Say, ‘Tell me, should Allah’s punishment overtake you, or should the Hour overtake you, will you supplicate anyone other than Allah, should you be truthful?
No, Him you will supplicate, and He will remove that for which you supplicated Him, if He wishes, and you will forget what you ascribe [to Him] as [His] partners.’
When distress befalls man, he supplicates Us, [lying] on his side, sitting, or standing; but when We remove his distress, he passes on as if he had never supplicated Us concerning the distress that had befallen him. What they have been doing is thus presented as decorous to the transgressors.
He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea, till when you are in the ships and they sail with them with a favourable wind, and they are glad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think that they are encircled therein, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him Alone, saying: "If You (Allah) deliver us from this, we shall truly be of the grateful.
And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help.
65. When they board the ship, they invoke Allah putting exclusive faith in Him, but when He delivers them to land, behold, they ascribe partners [to Him],
66. being ungrateful for what We have given them! Let them enjoy. Soon they will know!
33. When distress befalls people, they supplicate their Lord, turning to Him in penitence. Then, when He lets them taste His mercy, behold, a part of them ascribe partners to their Lord,
34. being ungrateful toward what We have given them. So let them enjoy. Soon they will know!
And when a wave covers them like shades, they invoke Allah, making their invocations for Him only. But when He brings them safe to land, there are among them those that stop in the middle, between (Belief and disbelief). But none denies Our Signs except every perfidious ungrateful.
and when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord (Allah Alone), turning to Him in repentance, but when He bestows a favour upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before, and he sets up rivals to Allah, in order to mislead others from His Path. Say: "Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while: surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire!"
When harm touches man, he calls to Us (for help), then when We have (rescued him from that harm and) changed it into a favour from Us, he says: "Only because of knowledge (that I possess) I obtained it." Nay, it is only a trial, but most of them know not!
And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish from you except Him (Allah Alone). But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful.
Say: "Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and the sea (dangers like storms), when you call upon Him in humility and in secret (saying): If He (Allah) only saves us from this (danger), we shall truly be grateful."
There is no verse in the Quran that indicates that we need others to hear our prayers from Allah, or that it would be better to do so even if it wasn't necessary. There is also no evidence, as seen above, to justify placing someone else between ourselves and Allah, who is closer to us than our jugular vein, in our prayers. These are later fabricated forms of prayer. Such prayers have not been transmitted from our Prophet, his companions, or the Tabi'in (followers of the companions).
At that time Zakariya (Zachariya) invoked his Lord, saying: "O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation."
My Lord, make me and my descendants establishers of prayer. Our Lord, accept my prayer.