more often at the grave, greeting him with peace and supplicating for a while.” He replied:
“I have not heard of this from any of the jurists of our city. Nothing will set right the later generations of this community except what set right its earliest generations. I have received no report that the earliest and foremost generations of this community used to do this, except those who had returned from a journey or intended to undertake one.”
Ibn al-Qāsim said:
“I saw that when the people of Medina departed from it or entered it, they would come to the grave and offer greetings of peace.”
He said:
“That is also my practice.”
Thus, standing to supplicate after greeting him with peace was disapproved of by Mālik, the most knowledgeable scholar of his time—that is, the generation following the Successors in the Prophet’s city, whose inhabitants during the eras of the Companions, the Successors, and their followers were the most knowledgeable people about what is prescribed at the grave of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He explained that what is recommended is to supplicate for him and his two Companions through the prescribed invocations of blessings and peace. Even this, however, is not recommended for the people of Medina at all times, but rather when returning from a journey or intending to undertake one. This is because it is a greeting to him, and a person’s home is not sought out at all times merely to greet him, unlike when one returns from a journey.
Mālik said, in the report transmitted by Abū Wahb:
“When greeting the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—one should stand facing the grave, not the qiblah. One should draw near and offer greetings of peace, but should not touch the grave with one’s hand.”
Mālik also disapproved of saying:
“We visited the grave of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”
Al-Qādī ‘Iyād said:
“Mālik disapproved of this because it applied that expression to the Prophet’s grave—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—in view of his words: ‘O Allah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped. Great was Allah’s wrath against a people