Numerous hadiths have been transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, establishing that he forbade taking graves as places of prayer, cursed those who did so, and forbade making his grave a place of recurring gatherings. This is because associating partners with Allah first arose among the children of Adam in the people of Noah.
Ibn 'Abbās said:
“Between Adam and Noah were ten generations, all of whom followed Islam.”
It is established in the two Sahīh collections, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that Noah was the first messenger Allah sent to the people of the earth. Allah Most High related that his people said:
“Never abandon your gods, nor abandon Wadd, Suwā', Yaghūth, Ya'ūq, or Nasr.”
“And they have already led many astray.”
Several of the early generations said:
“These were righteous men among the people of Noah. When they died, the people remained devotedly at their graves; then, after a long time had passed, they worshipped them.”
Al-Bukhārī recorded this in his Sahīh on the authority of Ibn 'Abbās. He also mentioned that these gods passed to the Arabs and named the Arab tribes among whom these idols were found.
The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, knew that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had cut off the roots of associating partners with Allah by forbidding taking graves as places of prayer—even when the person praying was praying to Allah, Almighty and Majestic. Likewise, he forbade prayer at sunrise so that the person praying would not resemble those who prayed to the sun, even though he was praying only to Allah Most High. They also knew that someone who deliberately supplicated through a deceased person or at his grave was closer to associating partners with Allah than someone who intended only to pray to Allah, Almighty and Majestic. They therefore did not engage in such practices.
The Companions likewise knew that seeking nearness to Allah through him meant only doing so by believing in him and obeying him