Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (27/205)

Another Response
By a Mālikī Scholar of Syria

Praise be to Allah, who is sufficient for me.

Journeying to places other than the three mosques is not prescribed. As for someone who journeys to the Prophet’s Mosque to pray there and offer greetings of peace to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and to his two Companions, may Allah be pleased with them both, such a journey, as described, is prescribed by agreement of the scholars.

As for undertaking a journey to visit him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, without intending to pray: if a person mentions the scholarly disagreement concerning this journey—that some scholars have said it is prohibited, while others have said it is permissible; that, according to both views, it is neither an act of obedience nor a means of drawing near to Allah; and that, consequently, under these two views, treating it as an act of obedience and a means of drawing near to Allah is forbidden by consensus—and presents the evidence for each view or gives preference to one of them, he does not incur the same liability as someone who disparages the Prophet, since this involves neither disparagement nor disrespect toward the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

جَوَابٌ آخَرُ: لِبَعْضِ عُلَمَاءِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ الْمَالِكِيَّةِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ حَسْبِي. السَّفَرُ إلَى غَيْرِ الْمَسَاجِدِ الثَّلَاثَةِ لَيْسَ بِمَشْرُوعِ. وَأَمَّا مَنْ سَافَرَ إلَى مَسْجِدِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِيُصَلِّيَ فِيهِ وَيُسَلِّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَى صَاحِبَيْهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا فَمَشْرُوعٌ كَمَا ذُكِرَ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْعُلَمَاءِ. وَأَمَّا لَوْ قَصَدَ إعْمَالَ الْمَطِيِّ لِزِيَارَتِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَمْ يَقْصِدْ الصَّلَاةَ فَهَذَا السَّفَرُ إذَا ذَكَرَ رَجُلٌ فِيهِ خِلَافًا لِلْعُلَمَاءِ: وَأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ إنَّهُ مَنْهِيٌّ عَنْهُ: وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: إنَّهُ مُبَاحٌ. وَأَنَّهُ عَلَى الْقَوْلَيْنِ لَيْسَ بِطَاعَةِ وَلَا قُرْبَةٍ فَمَنْ جَعَلَهُ طَاعَةً وَقُرْبَةً عَلَى مُقْتَضَى هَذَيْنَ الْقَوْلَيْنِ كَانَ حَرَامًا بِالْإِجْمَاعِ وَذَكَرَ حُجَّةَ كُلِّ قَوْلٍ مِنْهُمَا أَوْ رَجَّحَ أَحَدَ الْقَوْلَيْنِ. لَمْ يَلْزَمْهُ مَا يَلْزَمُ مَنْ تَنَقَّصَ إذْ لَا تَنَقُّصَ وَلَا إزْرَاءَ بِالنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.