And because his sanctity after death is the same as his sanctity while alive, Abū Jaʿfar grew humble and said, “O Abū ʿAbd Allāh, shall I face the qiblah and make supplication, or shall I face the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?”

Mālik replied, “Why would you turn your face away from him when he is your means—and the means of your father Adam—to Allah on the Day of Resurrection? Rather, face him, seek his intercession, and Allah (1) will allow him to intercede (2).” He then recited the words of the Most High:

“If, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you and sought Allah’s forgiveness …” (al-Nisāʾ 4:64) (3)(4).

This report, in the form just related, is therefore either weak, altered, or else must be interpreted in a way that conforms to Mālik’s legal position, for it may be understood in a sense contrary to the view reliably transmitted by his trusted pupils. There is no disagreement in his school that one is not to face the grave while supplicating (5). Indeed, he explicitly stated that no one should remain at the grave for duʿāʾ at all (6). A group of his companions narrated that the visitor approaches the grave, greets the Prophet ﷺ, then turns toward the qiblah to pray, with the grave behind him; others said he should not turn his back to it. Thus they agreed on facing the qiblah but differed over whether the grave should be behind one at the moment of supplication.

It also seems—Allah knows best—that Mālik, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about facing the grave when extending the greeting of peace, and he called that act “supplication.” Some jurists of Iraq held that even during the greeting one should face the qiblah, whereas Mālik held that one should face the grave in that circumstance, as noted above.