and loving him and remaining loyal to him, or by means of his supplication and intercession. For this reason, they did not seek nearness to Allah through his person alone, apart from either of these means.

The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, did none of those things, nor did they offer supplications of this kind. They were more knowledgeable than we are, knew better what Allah and His Messenger love, and understood better which supplications Allah commanded His Messenger to offer and which were more likely to be answered. Instead, they sought nearness to Allah through al-‘Abbās and others who were not equal to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Their turning from the more excellent to the less excellent demonstrated that the prescribed means of seeking nearness to Allah through the more excellent was no longer possible.

He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“O Allah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped. Allah’s wrath was severe against people who took the graves of their prophets as places of prayer.”

Mālik narrated this in his Muwatta’, as did others. In the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd, it is related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Do not make my grave a place of recurring gatherings. Send blessings upon me wherever you are, for your blessings reach me.”

In the two Sahīh collections, it is related that he said during his final illness:

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

He was warning against what they had done. ‘Ā’ishah said: “Were it not for that, he would have had his grave left in the open, but he disliked its being made a place of prayer.”

In Sahīh Muslim, Jundub relates that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said five days before his death:

“I disavow before Allah having any of you as an intimate friend. Were I to take an intimate friend from among my community, I would have taken Abū Bakr as an intimate friend, for Allah has taken me as an intimate friend just as He took Abraham as an intimate friend. Those who came 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.”

In the Sahīh collection, it is related from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he