Section: On the Stations of the Prophets and the Ruling on Intentionally Visiting Them
Statements of the Scholars, with the Correct Opinion and Its Proofs

Now then, regarding the stations of the prophets and the righteous—the locations where they once stood, stayed, or worshipped Allah Most High without turning those spots into mosques—two opinions from the well-known scholars have reached me:

The first view holds that visiting such places for worship is prohibited or at least disliked, and that no particular spot should be singled out for devotion unless the Sacred Law itself has prescribed doing so. Examples include the Prophet ﷺ offering prayer at the Station of Abraham, his choosing to pray beside the “Column” in the Prophet’s Mosque, his entering mosques for prayer, seeking the first row, and similar matters.

The second view maintains that a small measure of this is permissible. It is reported from Ibn ʿUmar that he would intentionally visit the routes the Prophet ﷺ had taken, even though the Prophet ﷺ had passed through them incidentally, not purposely. Sindi al-Khawātimī said: “We asked Abū ʿAbdullāh about a man …”