I said: This isnād is weak and obscure; I did not recognize Ayyūb al-Hilālī nor those below him. Abū Yazīd al-Raqāshī, mentioned by al-Dhahabī in "al-Muqtaṣá fī Sard al-Kuná" (2/155), was not named, and it was indicated that he is unknown by saying: "He narrated something." And I see that he is referring to this story. It is a rejected narration, clearly objectionable, and suffice it to say that it traces back to an unknown Bedouin! Unfortunately, it was mentioned by al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr in his commentary on this verse: * (And if only, when they wronged themselves...) * and it was picked up by many of the people of desires and innovators, like Shaykh al-Ṣābūnī, who mentioned it in its entirety in his "Mukhtaṣar"! (1/410) It includes an addition at the end: "Then the Bedouin left, and I was overcome by sleep, and I saw the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) in a dream, and he said: 'O ʿUtbi! Follow the Bedouin and give him the glad tidings that Allāh has forgiven him.'" It is in "Ibn Kathīr" not attributed to any of the known people of ḥadīth, but rather it was linked to "al-ʿUtbi," who is not known except in this story, and it is possible that he is Ayyūb al-Hilālī in the isnād of al-Bayhaqī. It is a rejected story, rather false, as it contradicts the Qur'an and the sunnah, and therefore it is propagated by the innovators, because it permits seeking help from the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and requesting intercession from him after his death, which is among the most false of falsehoods, as is well known. Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah has explained this in his books, especially in "al-Tawassul wa-al-Wasīlah," where he addressed this story of al-ʿUtbi with denunciation, so whoever wishes for more knowledge and understanding should refer to it.