He adds: “It has also been said that he died earlier, and Ibn Abi Dawud alleged that he passed away in Alexandria.” In al-Taqrib Ibn Hajar states categorically that his death occurred in the year 88 AH; Allah knows best. In short, we possess no text that can serve as decisive proof that any of the Companions were still alive when this alteration was carried out. Whoever claims otherwise must bring evidence. What appears in Sharh Muslim (5/13–14) suggesting that the event took place during the time of the Companions most likely rests on that mu‘dal or mursal report; such a report cannot be used as proof. Even if it were sound, it would establish at most the presence of a single Companion at that time, not the Companions as a body. As for the statement made—without knowledge—by some writers: “Ever since ‘Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, enlarged the Prophet’s mosque and incorporated into it what had not originally belonged to it, the three graves have been enclosed within the mosque, and none of the Salaf objected,” this reflects an ignorance beyond bounds—I refrain from calling it a fabrication. No scholar has ever claimed that the inclusion of the three graves occurred during the caliphate of ‘Uthman. All are agreed that it took place in the reign of al-Walid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik, as noted earlier, roughly half a century after ‘Uthman. Yet they babble about matters they do not understand! Indeed, ‘Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, did the very opposite of what they attribute to him. When he expanded the Noble Prophet’s mosque he was careful not to contravene the relevant hadiths: he did not enlarge the mosque on the side of the private apartments (hujurat) nor did he incorporate them into it. That is precisely what he did…