performing these acts at the chamber is better is acting contrary to him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This concerns acts that are themselves prescribed, such as believing in him, testifying that he is the Messenger of Allah, and invoking blessings and peace upon him.

As for what Allah has not prescribed and for which He has sent down no authority to him—indeed, what he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has forbidden—such as supplicating to and worshipping any created beings besides Allah, whether angels, prophets or others, and making pilgrimage to created beings and their graves: only those who have neither knowledge nor revelation from Allah to support these practices command them. They resemble those who worship besides Allah that for which He has sent down no authority and of which they have no knowledge—or they themselves are a category of such people.

Allah has distinguished between His own right and the right of the Messenger in such statements as:

“Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, stands in awe of Allah and fears Him.”

Obedience is owed to Allah and the Messenger, whereas awe is for Allah alone, and fear is for Allah alone. No created being is to be held in awe or feared—neither an angel nor a prophet nor anyone else.

Allah Most High says:

“Allah has said: Do not take two gods. He is only One God, so fear Me alone.”

“To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and to Him belongs perpetual devotion. Will you then fear anyone other than Allah?”

Allah Most High also says:

“Only those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakah and fear none but Allah maintain Allah’s mosques. It is they who may be among the rightly guided.”

And Allah Most High says:

“So do not fear people, but fear Me, and do not exchange My signs for a small price.”

Likewise, He distinguishes between the two kinds of rights in His words, Most High:

“Had they been content with what