Mālik said—according to the transmission of Ismāʿīl ibn Isḥāq in al-Mabsūṭ, and as related by Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ and others: “I do not consider it appropriate for anyone to stand by the Prophet’s ﷺ grave and offer supplication; rather, he should convey the greeting of peace and then continue on his way.”
He also states in al-Mabsūṭ: “There is no harm if someone who has returned from a journey, or is about to depart, pauses at the Prophet’s ﷺ grave, invokes blessings upon him, and prays for Abū Bakr and ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased with them both.”
It was said to him, “Some residents of Madinah who are neither arriving from a journey nor preparing to leave do this once—or even several times—each day: they stand at the grave, offer greetings, and remain for a while making supplication.”
He replied, “I have never heard of any of the jurists in our city doing this. The latter part of this community will only be set right by what set its first part right, and I have no report that the earliest generations of this community ever practiced such a thing. Therefore, it is disliked—except for one who has come from a journey or is about to depart.”
Earlier we have already cited reports from the Salaf and the leading Imams that agree with and reinforce this view
(1) Ismaʿil ibn Ishaq ibn Ismaʿil ibn Hammad ibn Zayd al-Jahdami al-Azdi, a Maliki jurist born in 200 AH. His works include: al-Mabsut, Shawahid al-Muwattaʾ, al-Usul, and al-Sunan. He died in 282 AH. See: al-Shirazi, Tabaqat al-fuqahaʾ, pp. 164–65; al-Zirikli, al-Aʿlam, 1:310.
(2) Qadi ʿIyad ibn Musa ibn ʿIyad ibn ʿUmar al-Yahsubi al-Sabti, the pre-eminent scholar of his age in the Maghrib in hadith, its ancillary sciences, grammar, and lexicography. His major works include: al-Tanbihat, Mashariq al-anwar, and a commentary on Sahih Muslim. Celebrated for his keen intellect and upright conduct, he was born in 476 AH and died in 544 AH. See: Ibn Khallikan, Wafayat al-aʿyan, 3:483–85; al-Zirikli, al-Aʿlam, 5:99.
(3) Al-Shifaʾ by Qadi ʿIyad, 2:84.
(4) The words fa-yusalli ʿalayhi ("and he offers the prayer over him") are absent from MS A. MS B reads: wa-yadʿu lahu fa-yusalli ʿalayhi, wa-yadʿu lahu wa li-Abi Bakr ("he supplicates for him, then offers the prayer over him, and supplicates for him and for Abu Bakr").
(5) The printed edition reads: illa yafʿaluna dhalik ("unless they do that").
(6) From this point up to the phrase "the first of this umma (community)"—about one line—is missing from MSS J and D.
(7) See al-Shifaʾ by Qadi ʿIyad, 2:87–88.