What are the legal ways of seeking blessings and what are the forbidden 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 is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

To seek blessings from something is to seek goodness by getting nearer to that thing or by having a close association with it. The permissible way of seeking blessings is to seek blessings by what is mentioned in Islamic legislation, because seeking blessings is something determined by the Islamic legislation and no one can change it, alter it or add anything to it.

The permissible ways of seeking blessings that are mentioned in the Islamic legislation are as follows:

1) Seeking blessings through persons or subjects: the Prophet Zam Zam water, and the black stone.

2) Times: the month of Ramadan, the night of Decree, and the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah.

3) Places: Makkah, Madeenah and Jerusalem mosques.

4) Actions: Prayer, fasting and alms.

What is not mentioned in the legislation as being permissible to seek blessings with is forbidden. For instance:

In human beings: like the scholars and pious people.

Times, like the night of Ascension and the night of the birth of the Prophet .

Places: like graves and the like.

Actions: like innovations and newly introduced matters.

Allaah Knows best.