Mālik, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked by a man who had vowed to visit the Prophet’s grave, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He replied:
“If he intended the Prophet’s Mosque, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, let him go there and pray in it. But if he intended the grave, he should not do so, because of the hadith: ‘Journeys are not to be undertaken except to three mosques.’”
Allah knows best.
Written by Abū ʿAmr ibn Abī al-Walīd al-Mālikī.
ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī al-Walīd al-Mālikī likewise affirms this.
The author, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “I transcribed all these responses from the handwriting of the muftis who issued them.”
He continued:
I also examined a letter that arrived with the responses from the scholars of Baghdad. Its text is as follows:
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
Praise be to Allah, who upholds the Islamic faith and strengthens the law brought by Muhammad through the enduring, blessed sultanic rule of al-Malik al-Nāsir. May Allah Most High clothe it in lasting might and adorn it with uninterrupted victory throughout the passing nights and days. Blessings and peace be upon the Prophet sent to all mankind; may Allah bless him and his righteous, noble family.