fixed, just as the Muslims gather at ‘Arafah and Minā. As for “visitation prescribed by Islamic law,” most scholars consider it recommended. Others consider it permissible, while others hold that all such visits are prohibited, as mentioned earlier. The scriptural evidence indicates that we should interpret the scholars’ unqualified statements in light of their qualified statements and distinguish three types of visitation: prohibited, permissible and recommended. This is the correct view.

Mālik and others said: “We visit only these sites: the Prophet’s Mosque, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the Mosque of Qubā’, and those buried at al-Baqī‘ and Uhud.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would specifically visit only these two mosques and these two cemeteries. He would pray on Friday in his mosque and go to Qubā’ on Saturday, as reported in the two Sahīhs from Ibn ‘Umar—may Allah be pleased with him and his father:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to go to Qubā’ every Saturday, riding or walking, and pray two units of prayer there.”

As for the hadiths conveying the prohibition, they are numerous and well known, appearing in the two Sahīhs and elsewhere. Among them is his statement, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“May Allah curse the Jews and Christians: they took the graves of their prophets as places of prayer.”

‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “Were it not for that, his grave would have been left exposed, but he feared that it would be made a place of prayer.”

Al-Bukhārī and Muslim narrated it.

In Sahīh Muslim, it is reported that five days before his death, he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Those who came before you used to take graves as places of prayer. So do not take graves as places of prayer; I forbid you to do so.”

And in the two Sahīhs, it is reported from ‘Ā’ishah and Ibn ‘Abbās