of the Prophet’s seat and the spot where he would rest his hand, yet they never granted permission to wipe his grave. Some of our own scholars have cited a report concerning the wiping of the grave, arguing that Imām Aḥmad, when accompanying a funeral, once placed his hand on the grave while making supplication for the deceased. The difference between the two situations is plain.

Mālik regarded wiping the pulpit as reprehensible, just as he and others regarded wiping the grave as reprehensible. Today, however, the pulpit has been destroyed by fire, the knob has disappeared, and nothing remains of it but a small piece of wood; consequently, the concession that was once given no longer applies, for the narration transmitted from Ibn ʿUmar and others pertains only to wiping the Prophet’s seat.

Al-Athram, with his chain of transmission from al-Qaʿnabī, from Mālik, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dīnār, reported: “I saw Ibn ʿUmar standing at the Prophet’s grave, invoking blessings upon the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and upon Abū Bakr and ʿUmar.”

Third, as for the disapproval of deliberately going to the grave for supplication: the early generations—may Allah be pleased with them—found it objectionable, basing this on the Prophet’s statement, “Do not turn my grave into a festival.” We have already mentioned this from ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn and his cousin al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥasan, the two most virtuous members of the Prophet’s household among the Successors and the most knowledgeable about this matter, thanks to both their lineage and their proximity to the Prophetic Chamber.