and travelling to the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and al-Aqsā Mosque to pray, recite the Quran, remember Allah, observe devotional retreats, and perform other such acts there. This also includes invoking blessings and peace upon the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—when entering and leaving the mosque and during prayer, and following the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—in his practices in mosques, when visiting graves, and in other matters. For religion consists in obeying his commands and following what he prescribed for his community.

One must therefore not go beyond his Sunnah in the acts of worship he performed, such as going to Qubāʾ Mosque and praying there, visiting the martyrs of Uhud, and visiting the graves of those buried in al-Baqīʿ.

Whatever Allah and His Messenger do not love, and which is not recommended, is not among the acts of worship and obedience through which one draws near to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. This includes the religious practices of innovators among the polytheists, the People of the Book, and those who imitate them. They have forms of worship for which Allah neither sent down a scripture nor sent a messenger: worshipping created beings, such as the stars, angels, or prophets, or worshipping images fashioned in their likeness, as Christians do in their churches, saying that they seek their intercession.

It is reported in al-Sahīh that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—used to say in his sermons:

“The best speech is the speech of Allah, the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, the worst matters are those newly introduced, and every innovation is misguidance.”

This means whatever constitutes an innovation according to the revealed law. A practice may be prescribed, yet be called an innovation when performed after his time, as in the words of ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased