Likewise, scholars hold two views concerning the permissible acts he performed without any particular intent: is imitating him in these acts merely permissible, or is it recommended? Both views are found in the school of Ahmad and elsewhere, as has been explained in detail in its proper place. Neither Ibn Umar nor any other Companion would deliberately seek out the places where he stayed or spent the night, such as his wives’ houses or his encampments during military expeditions. The discussion concerned only resembling him in the outward form of an action, even when he had not intended it as an act of worship. As for the places themselves, the Companions agreed that none should be venerated except those venerated by the Lawgiver.

Section

As for those who practise “innovated acts of worship,” Satan makes these acts seem attractive to them and makes them dislike the ways prescribed by Islamic law. Eventually, he makes them averse to religious knowledge, the Quran and hadith, so that they dislike hearing the Quran and hadith or having them mentioned. He may even make them averse to books themselves, so that they dislike any book and anyone carrying one, even if it is a copy of the Quran or a collection of hadith.

Thus, al-Nasrābādhī related that they used to say, “He abandons the knowledge of patched cloaks and takes up the knowledge of written pages!” He said, “I used to hide my writing tablets from them, but when I grew older, they needed my knowledge.”

Likewise, al-Sarī al-Saqatī related that one of them came to see him, but when he saw an inkwell and a pen beside him, he left without sitting down with him. This is why Sahl ibn Abd