Islam is based on the following (five principles).  No one can claim to be a Muslim unless he/she believes in these five essential rules and practise them sincerely.

(1) To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's messenger.
(2) To offer the (compulsory) prayers dutifully and perfectly.
(3) To pay Zakat ( obligatory charity)
(4) To observe fasting during the month of Ramadan
(5) To perform Hajj whenever one is capable

The messenger (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him), said the superstructure of Islam is raised on five pillars: to testify that there is no god save Allah  and that Muhammad is His messenger; to perform the prayer; to pay the Zakat; to fast the month of Ramadan and to do pilgrimage to the Holy House.

To testify that there is no god save Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger has a specific meaning, which the Muslim should not only know, but also practise sincerely.  Whoever utters this testimony (Shahadah) without knowing its meaning, or without binding him/herself by it, will be of no use to them. This testimony means that there is none on the earth nor in the havens desiring to be worshipped save Allah.  Allah is the one true God.  All other deities worshipped beside Allah is an unbeliever and an idolater even if what he/she worships is a prophet, a saint or a holy man.  

The unbelievers had used this false pretext to justify worshipping their prophets and pious men.  Seeking to gain the consent of Allah, or asking for His help cannot be achieved by worshipping order than Allah, but it can only be attained by serving Allah alone, glorifying Him by His names and attributes, and by performing the good deeds that He had commanded us to do; such as prayer, fasting, fighting for His cause, pilgrimage and kind treatment of parents etc.

Worshipping takes different forms, and one of them is supplication, which means to ask for something that no one can ever grant except Allah. The fall of the rain, recovery of a patient, relief from misfortunes, asking for salvation from hell-fire and dwelling in paradise etc, in all this, one should ask Allah alone to grant such blessings.  Whoever asks a mortal being to grant him such things is indeed worshipping this being.  

Allah ordered His bondsmen to supplicate Him alone for whatever they may need. (And your lord says: call on me; I will answer your prayer), but those who are too arrogant to serve me will surely enter hell abased (40:60). Allah said that mortal beings, to whom idolaters supplicate, are dedicated with power with which they can never cause harm or bring any benefit to anyone.

Quran: "Call on those besides him whom you fancy, they have neither the power to remove your troubles from you nor to change them" (17:56) The Quran also states: "And the places of worship are for Allah .. So invoice not anyone along with Allah" (72:18). Offering sacrifices are services which should be for Allah alone.  Whoever offers a sacrifice or makes a vow of a dead pious man, for the Jinn or for anyone other than Allah, is an idolater cursed by Allah.  The Quran states: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are all for Allah, the cherisher of the worlds; no partner hath He, this am I commanded and I am the first of those who bow to His will" (16:162-163).

Vows should be to Allah alone and absolutely not to anyone else. The right vow therefore is to say 'I vow to offer a sacrifice to Allah, or I vow to Allah that I will pay to the poor this sum of money, or will give the needle so and so, if succeed in an examination, or be relieved from disease'. Calling for help, asking for refuge and invoking for support are also among the forms of divine services. One should not call for help, ask for refuge or seek for support from anyone else, order than Allah.  The holy Quran has stated:

"Thee do we worship and thane aid ilea sekk" (1:4).  The holy Quran states also: "I seek refuge with the lord of the dawn, from the mischief of created things" (113:1-2). Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said "call me not for help, but call Allah your lord". The prophet also said (if you ask for any thing ask for it from Allah alone, if you seek for help, seek it from Allah alone) It is permissible for a person to ask for his fellow brother's help or support if the matter for which he asks for his help is within the scope of human ability.  But if such a matter is beyond the scope of human ability such person must not ask for help from anyone save Allah.  

In all cases, it is strictly forbidden to ask for help or support from a dead man or an absent person, even if he were a prophet, a saint or an angle. Those who pretend to know that which is invisible, or foresee what is hidden in the future, are unbelievers and flagrant liars.  Even if what they fore-tell happens by chance.  Both Imam Ahmad and Al-Hakim related that the prophet has said: (whoever goes to a diviner or a fortune-teller and believes in what he said, disbelieves in what had been revealed to Muhammad, (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). Trust, submissions (Tawakul) and hope (Raja) are also among the forms of worshiping.  

Man should never trust, hope or submit to anyone save Allah.  It is regrettable that many of those who belong to Islam still commit idolatry and invoke others than Allah (i.e. notable men of authority, dead pious men etc). They circumbulator the graves of dead pious men invoking them for help or to attain their needs.  There is no doubt that that is a from of idolatry and whoever performs such an action is not a Muslim, even if he utters the testimony of Islam and performs all the fundamental duties of Islam.  

Allah states in the Quran:
(But it has already been revealed to thee, as it was to those before thee, if thou were to join (Gods with Allah), truly less will be they work (in life), and thou wilt surely be among the losers) (39:65) The Quran states also: (whoever joins other gods with Allah; will forbid him the garden, and the fire will be his abode.  Their will for the wrong doers be no one to help). (5:72).

Allah commanded his prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) to say to the peoples (I am but a man like yourselves, but the inspiration has come to me, that your God is one God, whoever expects to meet his lord, let him work righteousness, and in the worship of his lord, admit no one as partner). (18:110). Those foolish men are really deluded by wicked ignorant scientists who have acquaintance in some religious branches, but ignore absolutely the basic principle of faith, that is Tawhid (oneness of Allah).

Using deviated interpretations, false traditions inputted to the prophet mislead by lust, satanic dreams and all other forms of misguidance, those wicked pretenders call people to believe in the intercession of pious men and thus support idolatry by all means. Those demons who follow blindly their ancestors and adopt the same behaviour of ancient idolaters are unbelievers and evil doers.

Allah ordered us to seek the means of approach unto Him (5:35) and the means of approach which we are commanded to seek are well known.  They consist of performing righteous deeds, believing in the oneness of Allah, offering prayer, paying the Zakat, fasting during the month of Ramadan, performing pilgrimage and striving with might and main for the cause of Allah, invoking dead men in times of affliction and distress has nothing to do with the means of approach of Allah, it is rather against these means and contrary to the basic faith of Islam (Tawhid) or belief in the (oneness of Allah).

It is true that prophets, pious men and some other Muslims will be endowed with the favour to intercede for others, but they will never have such favour save by the will of Allah. Intercession is an exclusive divine prerogative.  No one can ever intercede for another except by the will of Allah.  Therefore, a true monotheist never invokes the dead for intercession, because a dead man can never remove harm or bring benefit, but in all cases the true Muslim invokes Allah: (O Allah, I pray to you to bestow upon me the intercession of your prophet and pious men).

Allah said in the holly Quran:
(To Allah belongs exclusively (the right to grant), intercession to him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth.  In the and, it is to Him that you shall be brought back). (39:44). Taking graves as places of worship, kindling lights thereon, constructing buildings, plastering, decorating them with curtains, or performing prayers thereon, all these actions are flagrant forms of heresy and are strictly prohibited by the noble prophet.

Ignorant people who circumvent the gives of Albadawy and Sayaidah Zanab in Egypt, Al-Jilaniy and the so called notable descendants of the prophet in Nagat, karbula and other cities of Iraq, and round other graves elsewhere, commit flagrant idolatry because they believe that these buried bodies have the ability to bring benefits or cause harm to them, and that they could help them attain their need.  Such men are not only lost idolaters, but they are disgraced ever as they pretend to be Muslims and do what Muslims do.

To be a true monotheist, it is not enough to say that there is (no God save Allah and Muhammad is his messenger).  But, it is essential for a Muslim to be aware of the meaning of this testimony and behave accordingly. For those who embrace Islam and desist from false creed, it is enough for them to utter first the testimony of Islam.  By doing this they become Muslims as long as they do not behave in a way contrary to the principles and morals of Islam.  Prophets and pious men are innocent of the idolatrous deeds of those who invoke them or ask them for help.  They are aware of the fact that Allah had sent His messengers to call people to abandon worshipping any being save Allah, even if they were prophets or pious men.

The way in which a true Muslim can show his men is to follow their good way taking them as models in deeds and behaviour.  It is a religious duty for every Muslim to love the prophets and pious men, but he must never worship them. Muslims believe that they not only should love prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him), but they should also prefer him to themselves, kindreds, sons and all other people.