Istighatha - asking for thoughts

Assalamu alaikum, I wanted to share a quick convo I had and get other perspectives. I spoke with the sheikh at my masjid - someone who’s studied Islam for years and whose advice I trust. I asked him about asking the dead for prayers, like turning to an awliya for their du'a or even asking the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to pray for us. He said there are hadiths some people use to support istighatha, but it’s a heavily debated issue. He didn’t give a black-and-white answer about how Sunnis should reject it. His take was that if a person’s intention is to ask a pious figure to pray to Allah on their behalf (not to treat that figure as someone who directly grants requests), then you can’t immediately label them a mushrik or kafir. But if someone truly believes those awliya or the Prophet can themselves give them what they want, then that crosses into shirk. He stressed the disagreement among scholars and that certain hadith can be cited for istighatha. At the same time he said it’s fine for someone to decide they’re uncomfortable with the practice and avoid it. Personally I’m leaning against istighatha because there are verses that seem to forbid calling on the dead or treating them as grantors of requests, and I can’t think of any clear verse or hadith saying the deceased or martyrs hear our supplications. Of course others might argue that asking them to pray for us is different from praying to them. I found the conversation helpful and was wondering what others think. Jazakum Allahu khayr for any thoughts or references.