And graver still is to say, “Forgive me and accept my repentance,” as some ignorant people who associate partners with Allah do.

Graver still is to prostrate oneself to his grave, pray facing it, and regard prayer in that direction as better than facing the prescribed direction of prayer. Some even say, “This is the prayer direction of the elite, while the Kaaba is the prayer direction of the common people.”

Graver still is to regard travelling to it as a form of Hajj, even saying that several journeys to it equal one Hajj. Their extremists say, “Visiting it once is better than performing the pilgrimage to the House many times,” and other such things. This is associating them with Allah, even though many people fall into some of these practices.

The second level is to say to a dead or absent prophet or righteous person, “Supplicate to Allah for me,” “Supplicate to your Lord for us,” or “Ask Allah for us,” as Christians say to Mary and others. No scholar doubts that this too is impermissible and that it is among the innovations never practised by any of the early generations of the Muslim community. Nevertheless, greeting the inhabitants of graves and addressing them are permissible. When his Companions visited graves, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would teach them to say:

“Peace be upon you, inhabitants of these abodes, believers and Muslims. Allah willing, we shall join you. May Allah forgive us and you. We ask Allah for well-being for ourselves and for you. O Allah, do not deprive us of their reward, do not put us to trial after them, and forgive us and them.”

Abū ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-Barr narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“No man passes the grave of someone he knew in this world and greets him without Allah restoring the deceased’s soul to him so that he may return the greeting.”