Here is the allegation:

Al-Hafidh Ibraaheem al-Harbee made tawassul by his saying, "The grave of Ma'roof al-Karkhee is a tried and tested antidote." (Taarikh Bagdhaad 1/122)

Rebuttal

Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee relates it as follows:

The chain of narration includes: (أبو عبد الرحمن السلمي محمد بن الحسين), Abu Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sullamee Muhammad bin al-Hussain.

The ruling upon him is that he is "da'eef" at least. And here are the views of the Scholars regarding him:

• Ibn al-Jawzee: (كان السلمي غير ثقة وكان يضع للصوفية الأحاديث), "As-Sullamee was not trustworthy, and he used to fabricated ahaadeeth for the Sufis". (Ad-Du'afaa wal-Matrookeen, 3/52).

• Adh-Dhahabi: (محمد بن الحسين أبو عبد الرحمن السلمي الصوفي صاحب المصنفات تكلم فيه وما هو بالحجة وقال الخطيب قال لي محمد بن يوسف القطان كان يضع الأحاديث للصوفية، قلت: وله في حقائق التفسير تحريف كثير), "Muhammad bin al-Hussain Abu Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sullamee as-Sufi, the author of works, they spoke about him, and he is not a proof. And al-Khateeb said: Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Qattaan said: "He used to fabricate hadeeths for the Sufis." I say: And he has, in regard to the realities of tafseer, a great deal of distortion (deviance)." (Al-Mughni 2/571)

• Ibn Hajar: (تكلموا فيه وليس بعمدة), "They spoke about him and he is not to be relied upon." (Lisaan ul-Meezaan 5/140).

Then there is a second person in the chain of narration: ( أبو الحسن أحمد بن محمد بن يعقوب بن مقسم المقري), Abu al-Hasan Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ya'qub bin Muqsim al-Muqri, and his condition is worse than as-Sullamee.

• al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee: (وكان يظهر النسك والصلاح ولم يكن في الحديث ثقة), "He used to display devotion and rectitude, and he was not trustworthy in hadeeth." (Tareekh Bagdhaad 4/429). He also narrates from Abu Nu'aym al-Haafidh, ( سألت أبا نعيم الحافظ عن احمد بن محمد بن مقسم فقال لين الحديث سمعت أبا القاسم الأزهري يقول لم يكن أبو الحسن بن مقسم ثقة وقد رايته وسمعته ذكره مرة أخرى فقال كان كذابا), "I asked Abu Nu'aym al-Haafidh about Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Muqsim, so he said, 'He is layyin [in] hadeeth (meaning a low status in his acceptability), I heard Abu al-Qasim al-Azhari say: Abu al-Hasan bin Muqsim was not trustworthy, and I saw him and heard him another time, he said, he (Abu al-Hasan bin Muqsim) was a liar'." (Taareekh 4/429), and al-Khateeb also wrote, (وقال بن أبى الفوارس أيضا كان سيء الحال في الحديث مذموما ذاهبا لم يكن بشيء البتة), "And also Bin Abi al-Fawaaris said, 'He was of a bad status with respect to hadeeth, blameworthy, a departer, he was not anything at all, ever." (Taareekh 4/429).

• Hamzah bin Yusuf as-Sahmee: (حدث عن من لم يره ، ومن مات قبل أن يولد), "He narrated from the one he never saw and from the one who died before he (Abu al-Hasan) was even born." (Su'aalaat as-Sahmee, p. 152). And he also said, (وسمعت الدارقطني وجماعة من المشايخ تكلموا في بن مقسم وكان أمره أبين من هذا ), "And I heard ad-Darqutnee and a group amongst the Mashaayikh (Scholars) [who] spoke about bin Muqsim and his affairs was more apparent than this." (p. 153).

From what has preceded, the narration is not authentic regarding Ibraaheem al-Harbee, and even if it was authentic, there is nothing within it that is evidence for the permissibility of tawassul or istighaathah (seeking rescue) by way of the physical essences (which is what the dispute is about).