Ibn Abbas and his students on calling upon Anbiya and Saaliheen

Ibn Abbas on calling upon Anbiya and Saaliheen.

Allah says:

Allah says in Surah Isra verse 56-57

(56. Say: “Call upon those – besides Him whom you pretend. They have neither the power to remove the adversity from you nor even to shift (it from you to another person).”) (57. Those whom they call upon, desire a means of access to their Lord, as to which of them should be the nearest; and they hope for His mercy and fear His torment. Verily, the torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!)

Ibn Jareer at-Tabri quoted some opinions, The opinion of Ibn Abbas is the following.

حدثني يحيى بن جعفر ، قال : أخبرنا يحيى بن السكن ، قال : أخبرنا شعبة ، عن إسماعيل السدي ، عن أبي صالح ، عن ابن عباس ، في قوله ( أولئك الذين يدعون يبتغون إلى ربهم الوسيلة ) قال : عيسى وأمه وعزير .

حدثنا محمد بن المثنى ، قال : ثنا أبو النعمان الحكم بن عبد الله العجلي ، قال : ثنا شعبة ، عن إسماعيل السدي ، عن أبي صالح ، عن ابن عباس ، قال : عيسى ابن مريم وأمه وعزير في هذه الآية ( أولئك الذين يدعون يبتغون إلى ربهم الوسيلة )

حدثني محمد بن عمرو ، قال : ثنا أبو عاصم ، قال : ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحرث ، قال : ثنا الحسن قال : ثنا ورقاء ، جميعا عن ابن أبي نجيح ، عن مجاهد ( يبتغون إلى ربهم الوسيلة ) قال : عيسى ابن مريم وعزير والملائكة .

حدثنا القاسم ، قال : ثنا الحسين ، قال : ثني حجاج ، عن ابن جريج ، عن مجاهد ، مثله .
Ibn Abbas said: “Those whom they call upon, desire a means of access to their Lord” Meaning Isa his mother (Mariyam) and Uzayr.

Ibn Abbas said it means, Isa ibn Mariyam, Uzayr and Angels.

Mujahid said same. [Tafsir at-Tabri under al Isra verse 57]

In short, According to Ibn Abbas, Call upon Anbiya and Saliheen They have neither the power to remove the adversity from you nor even to shift (it from you to another person). They desire a means of access to their Lord, as to which of them should be the nearest.

Imam Mujahid the student of Ibn Abbas said regaring al Laat:
كان يَلُتّ السويق للحاجِّ، فعكف على قبره.
He used to mix Sawiq (a kind of barley mash) with water for the pilgrims. People remained next to his grave. [Tafsir at-Tabri under 53:19]

He also said:
«اللاَّتَّ» قال: كان يَلُتّ السويق فمات، فعكفوا على قبره.
al Laat used to mix Sawiq (a kind of barley mash) with water for the pilgrims.When he died people remained next to his grave. [Ibid]

We often hear from extreme sufis that do not say so and so wali died, rather say (in urdu) “Pardah farma gaye hain” i.e. He veiled himself from us. This was also the creed of mushriqeen for al-Laat, Ibn Hajr a asqalani said:
والصحيح أن اللات غير عمرو بن لحي فقد أخرج الفاكهي من وجه آخر عن بن عباس أن اللات لما مات قال لهم عمرو بن لحي إنه لم يمت ولكنه دخل الصخرة فعبدوها وبنوا عليها بيتا
True is that al-Laat is other than Amr bin Luhy as it is narrated by al Faakihi from Ibn Abbas that when al-Laat died Amr bin Luhy said: He did not die rather he just entered into the stone, then he was worshiped and people made a building over it. [Fath al Bari 8/612]

You will never find a single tafseer of a Sahabi or Tabiyee on the meaning taken from the verses of Quran by innovators. Like when they say that “The Prophet peace be upon him is Omnipresent, Mukhtar e kull, Shaykh Abdul Qadir jelani knows each and everything etc”.