built the House and Allah Most High commanded him to proclaim the pilgrimage to it among the people, they began travelling to it from the time of Abraham, peace be upon him. According to the more correct of the two views, this was not obligatory upon people. Nor was it obligatory in the early days of Islam; Allah only imposed it upon Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at a later stage, when Surah Āl ‘Imrān was revealed.

In Surah al-Baqarah, He commanded those who had begun Hajj or ‘umrah to complete them. Hence, according to the vast majority of scholars, voluntarily beginning either pilgrimage makes its completion obligatory. It has also been said that the command to complete them makes undertaking them obligatory in the first place, but the first view is correct.

So too, Al-Aqsā Mosque and the Mosque of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, were each built by a noble messenger who called people to travel there for worship. No prophet—peace be upon them—built a mosque and called people to travel there for worship except in the case of these three mosques. They did, however, have mosques in which they prayed without calling people to travel to them. Abraham, peace be upon him, likewise prayed where he was, but called people only to make pilgrimage to the House.

No prophet ever called people to travel to his grave, his house, a place where he had stood, or any other traces of his presence. Rather, they called people to worship Allah alone, without any partner. After mentioning them, Allah Most High said:

“That is the guidance of Allah, by which He guides whom He wills of His servants. Had they associated others with Him, all their deeds would have come to nothing.”

“Those are the ones to whom We gave the Scripture, judgment, and prophethood. If these people disbelieve in them, We have entrusted them to a people who do not disbelieve in them.”

“Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance.”