On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) declared, “Do not turn your houses into graveyards, and do not make my grave a recurring festival. Invoke blessings upon me, for your blessings reach me wherever you may be.” (1) Abū Dāwūd narrated it with a sound isnād; its transmitters are reliable.

“Do not turn your houses into graveyards”: that is, do not leave them devoid of supererogatory prayer, supplication, and Qur’an recitation, for were you to do so they would resemble graves.

“Do not make my grave a recurring festival”: a ʿīd is a time or place to which people regularly return. In other words, do not treat my grave as a meeting-place that you frequent and habitually visit for prayer, supplication, and the like.

“For your blessings reach me wherever you may be”: whatever prayers you send upon me reach me whether you are near to my grave or far from it; therefore you have no need to come to it or to visit it repeatedly.

Overall meaning of the ḥadīth: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade neglecting one’s homes of voluntary prayer, supplication, and Qur’an recitation lest they become like graveyards, for praying at graves was already prohibited. He also forbade habitual, collective visits to his grave for the purpose of supplication and devotion, because such practices are a pathway to shirk. Instead, he directed the ummah to suffice with abundant prayers and salutations upon him wherever they are on earth, for these reach him equally from the near and the distant; hence, there is no need to make journeys to his grave.

Relevance of the ḥadīth to the chapter: it cuts off the root of shirk and blocks the avenues that lead to it.