As for the knowledge with which Allah sent His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, it is accurately preserved and safeguarded, as He Most High says:

“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will preserve it.”

The collections of authentic hadith report that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“A group of my community will continue to prevail upon the truth, unharmed by those who oppose or abandon them, until the Hour comes.”

These falsehoods originate in misguidance, religious innovation, and polytheism. Those who have gone astray imagined that undertaking journeys to these shrines, praying and making supplications at them, dedicating vows to them, kissing and touching them, and similar practices were acts of righteousness and religious devotion. I have even seen a large book compiled by one of the leaders of the Rāfidah, Muhammad ibn al-Nu‘mān, known as al-Shaykh al-Mufīd, the teacher of the man known as al-Murtadā and of Abū Ja‘far al-Tūsī. He entitled it “Pilgrimage to Visit the Shrines.” In it, he cited reports attributed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his household concerning visits and pilgrimages to these shrines, the like of which he did not cite concerning pilgrimage to Allah’s Sacred House.

Most of what he cited consists of the most obvious lies and blatant fabrications. Indeed, I found more lies and fabrications in it than I have found in many Jewish and Christian books. These practices were originally invented and fabricated by hypocrites and heretics to turn people away from Allah’s path and corrupt their religion of Islam. They introduced for them the very foundation of polytheism, which is opposed to devoting worship sincerely to Allah alone, as Ibn ‘Abbās and others among the early generations explained concerning the words of the Most High about Noah’s people:

“And they said, ‘Do not abandon your gods; do not abandon Wadd or Suwā‘