the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself had instructed them not to leave his grave exposed. It is also reported with ḍamma on the khāʼ in the passive voice, meaning that the Companions were the ones who feared that outcome and therefore did not place his grave in the open.

Overall meaning of the ḥadīth: Out of his deep concern for safeguarding tawḥīd (pure monotheism) and sparing his nation the excesses that had driven earlier misguided communities to shirk, the Prophet ﷺ—while in the very throes of death—kept warning his ummah not to exaggerate regarding his grave by turning it into a mosque where they would pray. The Jews and Christians had done exactly that with the graves of their prophets, and Allah’s blessings be upon him: he truly delivered the message in the clearest manner.

Relevance of the ḥadīth to this chapter: It prohibits worshipping Allah at the graves of prophets and making them into mosques, because such practices lead to associating partners with Allah.

Points gleaned from the ḥadīth:

1. A prohibition on turning the graves of prophets and the righteous into mosques in which prayers are offered to Allah, as this is a pathway to shirk.
2. The Prophet’s ﷺ intense concern for tawḥīd and his fear that his own grave might be venerated in a way that leads to shirk.
3. The permissibility of cursing the Jews, Christians, and anyone who imitates them by building over graves and turning them into mosques.
4. An explanation of the wisdom behind burying the Prophet ﷺ in his house: to prevent people from falling into trial over his grave.
5. The Prophet ﷺ was a human being who experienced what humans experience—death and the agonies that accompany it.