al-Husayn ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib at the grave. He called to me while eating supper in Fātimah’s house, saying, ‘Come to supper.’ I replied, ‘I do not want any.’ He asked, ‘Why were you at the grave?’ I replied, ‘I greeted the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.’

He said, ‘When you enter the mosque, offer your greeting of peace.’ Then he said, ‘The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: “Do not make my house a place of recurring observance, nor make your houses graves. May Allah curse the Jews: they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship. Send blessings upon me, for your blessings reach me wherever you may be. You and those in al-Andalus are alike.”’”

This principle has been discussed at length elsewhere. If this is what is prescribed concerning the grave of the foremost of Adam’s descendants, the best of creation and the most honoured of them before Allah, then what can be said concerning anyone else’s grave?

It has been transmitted through numerous independent reports from the Companions that whenever hardships befell them—as in times of drought and when seeking rain, or during battle and when seeking victory—they would supplicate to Allah and seek His aid in mosques and houses. They did not deliberately seek to supplicate at the grave of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—or at any other graves of prophets and righteous people.

Indeed, it is established in the Sahīh that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said:

“O Allah, when drought afflicted us, we used to seek a means of approach to You through our Prophet, and You would grant us rain. Now we seek a means of approach to You through our Prophet’s uncle, so grant us rain.” They would then be granted rain.

Thus, they sought a means of approach to Allah through al-‘Abbās, just as they had done through the Prophet—that is, through his supplication and intercession. Likewise, they sought a means of approach through the supplication and intercession of al-‘Abbās. They did not deliberately seek to supplicate at the grave of