prayer and supplication there are better than prayer and supplication elsewhere. Rather, they all agreed that prayer in mosques and homes is better than prayer at graves—the graves of prophets and righteous people—whether or not they are called “shrines.” Allah and His Messenger have prescribed certain things specifically for mosques, not shrines. Allah Most High says:

“Who is more unjust than those who prevent Allah’s name from being mentioned in His mosques and strive to destroy them?”

He did not say “shrines.” Allah Most High also says:

“While you are in devotional retreat in the mosques.”

He did not say “in shrines.” Allah Most High says:

“Say, ‘My Lord has commanded justice. Direct your faces toward Him at every mosque.’”

Allah Most High says:

“Only those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakāh, and fear none but Allah maintain Allah’s mosques. It is they who may be among the rightly guided.”

Allah Most High says:

“The mosques belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone alongside Allah.”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, said:

“A man’s prayer in the mosque is twenty-five times better than his prayer in his home or marketplace.”

He also said, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace:

“Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build him a house in Paradise.”

As for graves, it has been reported that he, may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace, forbade taking them as places of worship and cursed those who do so. This was mentioned by a number of the Companions and Successors, as recorded by al-Bukhārī in his Sahīh, by al-Tabarī and others in their Quran commentaries, and by Wathīmah and others in Stories of the Prophets, in connection with the words of Allah Most High: “And they said: