—rather, it is entirely good, with no evil in it, and involves nothing objectionable or harmful. For none of the prophets, peace be upon them, was worshipped during his lifetime in his own presence: he would forbid anyone from worshipping him or associating him with Allah, even if this amounted only to minor shirk. Thus, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade anyone who prostrated before him from doing so, and said:

“Do not say, ‘As Allah wills and Muhammad wills,’ but say, ‘As Allah wills, then as Muhammad wills.’”

There are other examples of this. After his death, however, there is reason to fear religious temptation and the association of him with Allah, just as the Messiah, Ezra and others were made partners with Allah at their graves. For this reason, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Do not praise me excessively as the Christians praised Jesus, son of Mary. I am only a servant, so say: ‘Allah’s servant and Messenger.’”

Both compilers reported this in their Sahīh collections. He also said:

“O Allah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped.”

And he said:

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

He was warning against what they had done.

In short, we hold to two great principles. The first is that we worship none but Allah. The second is that we worship Him only in the ways He has prescribed, not through innovated forms of worship. These two principles fulfil the testimony that “there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” As Allah Most High says:

“That He may test you as to which of you is best in deeds.”

Al-Fudayl ibn Iyād said: “The most sincere and the most correct.”

They asked: “Abū Alī, what do you mean by the most sincere and the most correct?”

He replied: “If a deed is sincere but not correct, it will not be accepted; and if it is correct but not sincere, it will not be accepted until it is both sincere and correct. Sincerity means that it is done for Allah, and correctness means that it accords with the Sunnah.”

This fulfils the words of Allah Most High:

“So whoever hopes to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and associate no one in the worship of his Lord.”