Likewise, the saying attributed to him,

“Whoever performs Hajj but does not visit me has slighted me,”

is a fabrication. Slighting the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is forbidden, whereas visiting his grave is not obligatory, by the agreement of the Muslims. No authentic hadith from him concerning visiting his grave has been established. Indeed, reports such as “Whoever visits me and my father in a single year, I guarantee him Paradise from Allah,” and others like it, are fabrications by the agreement of the scholars. Al-Dāraqutnī and others narrated hadiths concerning visiting his grave, but they are weak.

Imam Mālik—who was among those most knowledgeable about the rights of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Sunnah followed by the inhabitants of his city among the Companions, the Successors and their successors—disapproved of saying, “I visited the grave of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.” Had this wording been authentically established from Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and known to the scholars of Madinah, Mālik would not have disapproved of it.

As for saying, “I greeted Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,” this is unobjectionable by agreement. As reported from him in the Sunan collections, he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“No man greets me with peace but Allah restores my soul to me so that I may return his greeting.”

Ibn ‘Umar used to say: “Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon you, O Abū Bakr. Peace be upon you, my father.”

In Sunan Abī Dāwūd, he is reported to have said:

“Send abundant blessings upon me on Friday and the night before it, for your blessings are presented to me.” They asked, “How will our blessings be presented to you when you have decayed?” He replied, “Allah has indeed forbidden