the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) against the practices of those who introduce religious innovations at these sites, as in the report narrated by Muslim in his Sahīh from Jundub ibn ‘Abd Allāh, who said:

“I heard the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), five days before his death, saying: ‘Those before you used to take graves as places of prayer. Beware! Do not take graves as places of prayer, for I forbid you to do so.’”

He also said:

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

The leading scholars of Islam have agreed that building these shrines over graves is not prescribed, nor is taking them as places of prayer, praying at them, or going to them specifically to worship there through prayer, devotional retreat, seeking aid, fervent supplication, or similar acts. They disapproved of praying at them; moreover, many of them held that prayer offered there is invalid because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prohibited it.

Rather, the Sunnah for someone visiting the grave of a deceased Muslim—whether a prophet, a righteous man, or anyone else—is to greet him with peace and supplicate for him, just as one does when offering his funeral prayer. Allah linked these acts when He said concerning the hypocrites:

“And never pray over any of them who dies, nor stand at his grave.”

The implication is that funeral prayers are to be offered for believers and that one should stand at their graves. It is reported in the Sunan collections: “When the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)