has been done upon it of good and evil. Glory be to Allah! The earth upon which you now tread will, on the Day of Resurrection, be a witness either against you or in your favor. It will testify to what you did: to audible words that it heard and conveys, and to visible deeds that it saw and conveys. It has no eyes and no ears, but Allah, who has given speech to all things, will cause it to speak.

For this reason, some extended this ruling to the Friday prayer and said: It is recommended that one go to the Friday prayer by one route and return by another, because it is an Eid prayer and a gathering; thus, taking a different route is recommended for it.

Some scholars extended this ruling to all prayers, saying: It is recommended that one go to the prayer by one route and return by another.

Other scholars said: It is recommended for everyone who sets out to undertake a legislated act to go by one route and return by another.

Thus, if you go to visit a sick person, it is recommended for you to go to him by one route and return by another; and if you go to maintain ties with a relative, the same applies. However, extending analogy to this extent requires consideration. In other words, this is not conceded to those who make such an analogy—especially since the matters they mentioned existed during the time of the Messenger ﷺ, yet it has not been reported that he took a different route except on Eid.

We have an important principle for the student of knowledge: “Whenever the cause for something existed during the time of the Messenger ﷺ, yet he did not institute any practice concerning it, then whoever subsequently institutes a practice concerning it, his innovation is rejected.”

For we say: This cause which you have made the basis of the ruling existed in