What are the permissible and the impermissible ways of seeking blessings?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Seeking the blessings of something means hoping that good things will happen through proximity to that thing and through touching it. The only permissible ways to do this are through what is mentioned in the texts of the Sharee‘ah, since it is not a matter that is subject to Ijtihaad (personal derivation of rulings). The Sharee‘ah texts permit seeking the blessings of the following:

Entities: the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam , the water of Zamzam and the Black Stone.

Times: The month of Ramadan, the Night of Al-Qadr (decree) and the first ten days of the month of Thu'l-Hijjah.

Places:  Makkah, Madeenah and Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).

Acts: Prayer, fasting and Zakah (obligatory charity).

It is impermissible to seek blessings when they are sought from someone or something that is not mentioned in the Sharee‘ah texts, such as the following:

Entities:  scholars and Awliyaa’ (allies of Allaah)

Times: the Night of Al-’Israa’ (the prophetic ascent to the heavens) and the Night of Al-Mawlid (night of the birth of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

Places: graves

Acts: religious innovations      

Allaah Knows best.