who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.”

Allah answered his supplication, and his grave—praise be to Allah—has not been made an idol, as the graves of others have been. Indeed, no one can enter his chamber now that it has been enclosed. Even before that, they would not allow anyone to enter it to supplicate or pray beside his grave, or to do any of the other things done at the graves of others. Some ignorant people, however, pray towards his chamber, raise their voices, or utter forbidden words. These things are done outside his chamber, not beside his grave.

As for his grave itself, praise be to Allah, Allah answered his supplication: no one has ever been allowed to enter and pray or supplicate beside it, or associate him with Allah in worship, as has happened with others whose graves were made into idols. During ‘Ā’ishah’s lifetime—may Allah be pleased with her—no one entered except to see her, and she would not allow anyone to do anything beside his grave that he had forbidden. After her death, the chamber remained locked until it was incorporated into the mosque; its doorway was then sealed, and another wall was built around it.

All of this was done to safeguard him—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—by preventing his house from becoming a place of recurring gatherings and his grave an idol. It is, after all, well known that all the people of Medina are Muslims, that only Muslims come there, and that they all revere the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Even the graves of individual members of his community throughout the lands are held in honour. Thus, they did not do this to show disrespect for his noble grave. Rather, they did it so that it would not become an idol that is worshipped, so that his house would not become a place of recurring gatherings, and so that it would not be treated as the People of the Book treated the graves of their prophets.

The noble grave within the chamber is covered only with sand—that is, coarse sand. There are no stones or wood over it, nor is it plastered with clay, as has been done with the graves of others.