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Firstly: 

Al-Bazzaar (4922) narrated via Usaamah ibn
Zayd al-Laythi, from Abaan ibn Saalih, from Mujaahid, from Ibn ‘Abbaas, in a
marfoo‘ report: “Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has angels on earth
other than the recording angels who write down how many leaves fall from the
trees. If one of you gets lost in the wilderness, let him call out, ‘Help
me, O slaves of Allah.’” 

Al-Bazzaar said:

We do not know of these words being
narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in this
wording except this version with this isnaad.

End quote from Musnad al-Bazzaar
(11/181) 

There are two problems with this hadeeth: 

1.    
It is based on the
narration of Usaamah ibn Zayd al-Laythi 

He is one of the narrators concerning whom
the scholars of al-jarh wa at-ta‘deel (evaluation of hadeeth narrators)
differed. Some of them regarded him as thiqah (trustworthy), and others
regarded him as da‘eef (weak). Whatever the case, there is some doubt about
his memory and precision. 

Imam Ahmad said: If you examine the
hadeeth he narrated, you will find some oddness in it.

End quote from al-Kaamil fi Du‘afa’
ar-Rijaal (2/76) 

Al-Haafiz adh-Dhahabi said concerning him:

He is sadooq (honest) but sometimes gets
confused. The view of Yahya al-Qattaan differed concerning him. Ahmad said:
He is nothing. An-Nasaa’i said: He is not qawiy (strong). Ibn ‘Adiyy said:
There is nothing wrong with him. 

End quote from al-Mughni fi ad-Du‘afa’
(1/66) 

Similarly, al-Haafiz said concerning him
in at-Taqreeb: He is (honest) but sometimes gets confused.

End quote from Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb
(p. 98) 

2.    
Those who narrated
it from Usaamah ibn Zayd differed about how  he narrated this hadeeth. Some
of them narrated it from him in a marfoo ‘ report, as the words of the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and some narrated it in
a mawqoof report as the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with
him). 

The only one who narrated it as a marfoo‘
report was Haatim ibn Ismaa‘eel. His report was narrated by al-Bazzaar in
his Musnad (4922). 

Four narrators differed from him. They
are: 

1.    
‘Abdullah ibn
Farookh. His report was narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Eemaan
(1/325)

2.    
Rawh ibn ‘Ubaadah.
His report was narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Eemaan (10/140)

3.    
Ja‘far ibn ‘Awn.
His report was narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Eemaan (10/140)

4.    
Abu Khaalid al-Ahmar.
His report was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (6/91)

All of them narrated from Usaamah ibn Zayd
al-Laythi, and regarded it as the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas. 

Undoubtedly the mawqoof report (with an
isnaad going back to the Sahaabi – Ibn Abbaas – and not the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – is more likely to be sound,
because the number of its narrators is greater and they are more precise, so
they are less likely to have made mistakes and get confused. 

Imam ash-Shaafa‘i said: If there are
several narrators (whose reports concur), it is more likely to be
transmitted correctly than if there is only one narrator.

End quote from Ikhtilaaf al-Hadeeth
, p. 177 

Al-Haafiz Shams ad-Deen adh-Dhahabi said:
If a hadeeth is narrated by a trustworthy narrator with an isnaad, and he
narrated it as a mawqoof or mursal report, but a number of his trustworthy
peers differed from him, then what counts is that on which those trustworthy
narrators are agreed, because a single narrator may make mistakes. In this
case there is a clear mistake with no way to explain it, and what matters is
what the majority agree on.

al-Mooqazah
p. 52 

What is more likely to be the case with
this hadeeth – if we determine that it is acceptable – is that it is the
words of Ibn ‘Abbaas, and not the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him). 

Al-Bayhaqi said: This is mawqoof (and its
isnaad ends with) Ibn ‘Abbaas, and it has been applied by some righteous
people, and they found it to be true from experience.

End quote from al-Adaab, p. 269 

Among those who acted upon this hadeeth
was Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. 

‘Abdullah the son of Imam Ahmad said: I
heard my father say: I heard my father say: I did Hajj five times, twice
riding and three times walking, or twice walking and three times riding. I
lost my way during one Hajj and I was walking, so I began to call out: O
slaves of Allah, show me the way. I kept doing that until I found the road.

End quote from Masaa’il al-Imam Ahmad
Riwaayat Ibnihi ‘Abdullah (p. 245). See also: Tareekh Dimashq by
Ibn ‘Asaakir (5/298). 

Secondly: 

One of the important matters to which
attention must be paid is that the guideline on the kind of seeking help
that constitutes shirk is “asking of anyone other than Allah for that which
no one can do except Allah.” 

As for seeking help from other created
beings in matters that they are able to do, that has nothing to do with
shirk at all. 

The report mentioned states that there is
a type of angels, who are alive, in the sense of a life that is natural and
appropriate for them. Allah has put them on earth to help those who are lost
and guide them to the correct route, so whoever asks them for help is asking
for help from a created being regarding something that he is able to do, and
Allah has created him for this role. 

There is a great difference between this
and asking a created being who is dead or absent to heal his sick loved one,
or to bless him with a child, or to make childbirth easy for his wife, or to
have mercy on him and forgive him, and other things that no one can do
except Allah. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

Istighaathah means seeking ghawth (help)
which is removal of hardship. A created being may be asked for help with
regard to matters that he is able to help with, as Allah, may He be exalted,
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“but if they seek your help in
religion, it is your duty to help them”

[al-Anfaal 8:72]

“The man of his (own) party asked him
for help against his foe”

[al-Qasas 28:15]

“Help you one another in Al-Birr and
At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)”

[al-Maa’idah 5:2]. 

But with regard to that which no one can
do except Allah, it should only be sought from Allah. End quote from
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (1/103). 

And he said:

As for that which no one can do except
Allah, may He be exalted, it is not permissible to seek it from anyone
except Allah, may He be glorified; it should not be sought from the angels
or the Prophets or anyone else, and it is not permissible to say to anyone
other than Allah “Forgive me” or “Give us rain” or “Grant us victory over
the disbelieving people” or “Guide our hearts” and so on. … As for that
which humans are able to do, that does not come under this heading.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
(1/329) 

And he said:

The Sunnah is that the living person may
be asked to offer du‘aa’ (supplication), just as he may be asked for
anything else that he is able to do. As for created beings who are absent or
dead, they are not to be asked for anything.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
(1/344) 

And he said:

Things that no one is able to do except
Allah are not to be sought from anyone else, such as sending down rain,
causing crops to grow, relief of distress, guidance away from the wrong
paths, and forgiveness of sins. No one in creation is able to do these
things; no one is able to do them except Allah.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
(1/370) 

We have quoted a great deal from Shaykh
al-Islam about this point because there is a great deal of confusion about
it among those who follow whims and desires and innovations (bid‘ah), who
seek to confuse others also. 

Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh said: The
hadeeth does not support the claim of the followers of falsehood, that one
may ask of the dead and others. Rather it clearly states that those who are
addressed by the one who has lost his way are the angels, who can hear what
he says to them and are able to respond by their Lord’s leave, because they
are alive and have been given the ability to help the one who is lost find
his way. They are the ones who are addressed as slaves of Allah; they are
alive and can hear, and can respond by doing what their Lord enables them to
do, which is to help the one who is lost in the wilderness find his way.
Whoever quotes these reports as meaning that one may call upon a specific
person by name is telling lies against the Messenger of Allah, and he has
not paid attention to and contemplated the words of the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him), and that is characteristic of those who
follow whims and desires. 

Once this is clear, we may say that this
report contains words that may be said and one may be lenient concerning it,
despite the fact that it is da‘eef, because it is in accordance with the
basic teachings of Islam and is not contrary to the texts of the Qur’an and
Prophetic hadeeths. Moreover, it is specific to a situation as mentioned in
the report, because this is one of the matters concerning which it is not
permissible to make analogy, as beliefs are based on tawqeef [i.e., they can
only be known through divine Revelation and sound texts of hadeeth, with no
room for ijtihad].  This is what we understand. (p. 56) 

To sum up: 

With regard to that which no one can do
except Allah, and that which is unique to His Lordship, such as giving life,
causing death, and granting provision… All of that is not to be sought from
anyone except Him, may He be glorified. Whoever seeks help from anyone other
than Allah with regard to such matters has committed shirk (association of
others with Allah). 

With regard to that which created beings
are able to do, there is nothing wrong with asking for it from those who are
able to do it, or seeking their help with regard to it, subject to two
conditions: that the one whose help is sought is alive and present, and that
he is able to do that thing. 

For more information, please see the
answer to question no. 132642

And Allah knows best.