take graves as places of worship. Beware! Do not take graves as places of worship, for I forbid you to do so.”

Later, some people established an endowment to provide lentils and bread. This endowment was not established by Abraham, Allah’s intimate friend, nor by any of the Children of Israel, nor by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, nor by his caliphs. Indeed, it has been reported that “the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, granted that village to the Dārimīs.” He did not instruct them to serve bread, lentils, or anything else at the tomb-shrine of Abraham, peace be upon him.

Anyone who believes that eating this bread and these lentils is a recommended practice prescribed by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is a misguided innovator. Indeed, anyone who believes that lentils in general possess any special virtue is ignorant. The report:

“Eat lentils, for they soften the heart, and seventy prophets were sanctified through them,”

is a fabricated, invented hadith, by the agreement of the scholars. Lentils, however, were among the foods the Jews craved. Allah Most High said to them:

“Would you exchange what is better for what is worse?”

Some people seek to draw close to the jinn through lentils: they cook lentils and place them in latrines or send them away, asking the devils for various favors. They do similar things in bathhouses and elsewhere. This is a form of belief in al-jibt and al-tāghūt (false powers and objects of worship).

“The essence of the religion of Islam” is that Allah alone be worshipped, without any partner, and that He be worshipped