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Al-Albani on Imam Hanbal and Imam Al-Shawkani:

: ( الألباني في "التوسل أنواعه وأحكامه" ( 38 "...مع أنه قد قال ببعضه بعض الأئمة، فأجاز الإمام أحمد التوسل بالرسول وحده فقط، وأجاز غيره كالإمام الشوكاني التوسل به وبغيره من الأنبياء والصالحي

Al-Albani in 'Al-Tawassul': "Even though some of them have been allowed by some of the Imams, so for instance Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal allowed tawassul through the Prophet alone, and others such as Imam Al-Shawkani allowed tawassul through his [pbuh] and through others from the Prophets and the righteous."

Al-Mardawi: The correct position of the Hanbali madhhab is that Tawassul thrugh the salihin is permiited

: ( المرداوي في الإنصاف ( 2:456 "... يجوز التوسل بالرجل الصالح على الصحيح من المذهب، وقيل: يُستحب. قال الإمام أحمد للمروذي : يتوسل بالنبي صلى اله عليه وسلم في دعائه وجزم به في المستوعب وغيره.."

Al-Mardawi said: "The correct position of the [Hanbali] madhhab is that it is permissible in one's du'a to use as one's means a pious person (saalih), and it is said that it is desirable (mustahabb). Imam Ahmad said to Abu Bakr al-Marwazi: 'Let him use the Prophet as a means in his supplication to Allah.'" (Al-Insaf 2:456)

This is also cited by Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmu' Al-Fatawa (1:140).