What we have mentioned—that travelling to revered places, whether graves or other sites, is regarded by its practitioners as Muslims regard Hajj—is well known among earlier and later generations, both in terminology and in substance. Through invoking created beings, humbling themselves before them and pleading with them, they seek the equivalent of what Muslims seek through invoking Allah Most High, humbling themselves before Him and pleading with Him. Yet, as Allah Most High says:

“Among the people are those who take others besides Allah as equals, loving them as they love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah.”

They call this a pilgrimage to those places, and this is well known among their earlier and later generations. Likewise, people of innovation and misguidance among the Muslims, such as the Rāfidah and others, make pilgrimage to shrines and to the graves of their shaykhs and imams, calling this Hajj.

Their herald proclaims, “Set out for the greater pilgrimage!” They display a banner for this pilgrimage, accompanied by a herald calling people to it, just as Muslims raise a banner for Hajj. But the herald of the people of innovation publicly proclaims, in places such as Baghdad, “Set out for the greater pilgrimage!” He means travelling to one of the shrines. Thus, they make the journey to the grave of a created being the greater pilgrimage, while regarding Hajj to the House of Allah as the lesser. Their imams have stated this in their writings.

Some ignorant people say, “By the right of the Prophet, to whom the mounts journey on pilgrimage!”

Since the polytheists offer prayers, invoke created beings and make pilgrimage to their graves, Allah Most High says:

“Say, ‘My Lord has guided me to a straight path—a sound religion, the faith of Abraham, who inclined to truth and was not one of the polytheists.’”

“Say, ‘Indeed, my prayer, my rites of worship, my living and my dying