Allama Jalaluddin Suyuti and Grave Worship

Allama Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti, who passed away in 911 AH, was a famous prolific scholar of the ninth century Hijri. He invigorated the pen on many subjects including Quranic sciences, Hadith sciences, Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Fatwas, and others, and authored many books. Among these books is ’’الأمر بالإتباع والنهي عن الابتداع‘‘.

This book of his was published with research by Mustafa Ashour by مكتبة القرآن بولاق قاهرة. Although Allama Suyuti is well-known among scholars of Hadith as “Hatib al-Layl” (the night orator), who indiscriminately collected narrations in his books, overall this composition is a very fine work. In this book, there is a chapter titled: ’’تعظیم الأماكن التي لا تستحق التعظيم‘‘ (meaning the veneration of places that do not deserve veneration). This discussion extends from pages 35 to 64 of the mentioned book. We have the honor to present the Urdu translation of this chapter to the readers of the monthly magazine “Al-Hadith”.

Undoubtedly, according to the proven prophecy of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, today a large part of the Muslim Ummah is following the footsteps of previous nations in imitation and reverence of ancestors. Examples of idol worship and grave worship are commonly seen everywhere, presenting a spectacle and a lesson. The true teachings of Islam are becoming unfamiliar. In such times, when someone speaks the truth, it is considered a new idea or new thinking. One purpose of presenting the translation of this chapter from the book of Allama Suyuti is also to show that the crime of grave worship and its refutation is not something new; people have been trying to reform it before. The refutation of this heinous act is based on authentic hadiths, which cannot be easily rejected under the titles of Wahhabism or Najdism.

[Muhammad Siddiq Raza]

And among the innovations is that Satan embellishes it for the masses, due to which people commonly fall into it. Mixing saffron and rose water and (supposedly sacredly) making walls and pillars, and lighting lamps at certain specific places in every city are actions performed by the public, who believe that by doing such acts they attain nearness. Then, in their hearts, they exceed limits in venerating these places, greatly honoring them, making various vows for them, believing in healing from diseases and fulfillment of their needs. Such places consist of springs, trees, walls, or some openings, etc., which resemble the “Dhat Anwat” mentioned in the hadith, which Tarnamdi (2180) explained and declared authentic.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Waqqad Al-Laithi رضي الله عنه that we set out with the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم towards Hunain. The Quraysh had a large and lush tree, near which they used to come every year. They would hang their weapons on this tree, graze their animals nearby, and slaughter animals as a form of offering for this tree.

And in another narration, it is mentioned that “We set out with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, towards Hunayn. We had not long left disbelief. The polytheists had a berry tree near which they used to perform I’tikaf (seclusion), and they would hang their weapons on it (for obtaining blessings). This tree was called ‘Dhat Anwat.’ When we passed by that berry tree, we said: O Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him! Appoint for us a ‘Dhat Anwat’ like theirs.” The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said with astonishment: سبحان اللہ، اللہ اکبر (This is like the statement) which the people of Moses, peace be upon him, said to him: ﴿اجعل لنا إلها كما لهم الهة﴾ “Appoint for us a god like their gods.”

Then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: ((والذي نفسي بيده لتركبن سنة من كان قبلكم)) “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! You will surely follow the ways of those before you.”

The Prophet ﷺ forbade this only because of resemblance to the disbelievers. Imam Abu Bakr al-Tartushi said: Look! May Allah have mercy on you! Wherever you see a berry tree or any tree, pillar, wall, niche, or such a stone towards which people go and show reverence, and they are certain of healing from it and tie pieces of cloth on it while making supplications, light candles and lamps there, or offer oil etc. as a sacrifice for those places, then (know that) these are also “the entities of Anwat,” cut them down, uproot them from the root.

Tartushi’s saying “Yunoton” is synonymous with this; it is a very bad and reprehensible act. Because it resembles idol worship and is a means and a form of idol worship, since those who worship idols used to go to such specific places (for obtaining blessings).

Shariah has not deemed this act good, so this act is among the forbidden deeds, that is, non-Shariah acts, whether the intention there is for prayer, supplication, recitation, remembrance of Allah, slaughtering an animal, or dedicating any other worship for that place.

Innovations in Accepting Vows:

And more importantly than the above matters is that to keep these places illuminated, one should vow to offer oil or a candle and say that these places or shrines accept these offerings or vows, as some misguided people say. Or to make such a vow for any grave. Among scholars, it is unanimously agreed that this is a vow of disobedience (i.e., a vow involving disobedience). Fulfilling such vows is not permissible; rather, according to many scholars, the person who makes such a vow must pay expiation for the oath. Among these scholars are Imam Ahmad and others. Similarly, making a vow to feed the fish, springs, and wells of these places with bread is also disobedience and sin. Making a vow to give wealth to the caretakers of graves, whether in the form of dirhams or gold, silver, camels, cows, sheep, etc., is also sin and disobedience. Likewise, making a vow for the servants (caretakers) of such places, who are called in Arabic: سَدَنَة, is also a vow of disobedience and resembles making vows to the servants of idols.

Fabricated or Imaginary Graves:

These are also places among those about which it is believed that they are the graves of a prophet (peace be upon him) or a pious person, or their place of residence, whereas in reality this is not the case.

There are many such places in Damascus, for example: people believe that outside the eastern gate of the city is the grave of Sayyidna Abi Bin Ka’b رضي الله عنه, while among the scholars it is not known that he passed away in Damascus (rather) he passed away in Madinah Munawwarah. Allah knows best whose grave this is. Similarly, the place near the qibla-facing wall of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, about which people say that it is the grave of Sayyidna Hud عليه السلام, although none of the scholars have narrated that Hud عليه السلام passed away in Damascus.

Rather, it is said that he passed away in Yemen and also that he passed away in Makkah.

Similarly, the grave opposite the “Bab Hibrun,” about which it is said that it is the grave of someone from the Ahl al-Bayt, is not true. Rather, it is a very ancient gate, about which it is said that it was built by Solomon (peace be upon him), and also that it was built by Dhul-Qarnayn, and there are some other opinions as well.

The matter is that in 636 AH, some unreliable person among these people told them that a trustworthy person said, “I had a dream, the requirement or interpretation of which is that someone from the pure Ahl al-Bayt is buried here.” Sheikh Shahab al-Din, known as Abu Shama, may Allah have mercy on him, said: A trustworthy man informed me about that person who admitted that he fabricated this dream story. Then the people blocked the path of travelers and turned this entire gate into a usurped mosque, making the path narrow for travelers.

May Allah double the punishment and torment of the person who caused the building of this mosque (on the way), and may He grant full rewards to the person who cooperates in demolishing it like Masjid Dhirar in following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as it was a stronghold of the enemies of Allah, the disbelievers. In this situation, the Shariah does not consider it a mosque and regards its construction as evil, especially when the intention behind it is to cause harm and trouble.

Similarly, outside Bab al-Jabiya, there is a mosque called Masjid Uwais Qarni. No one has stated that Uwais Qarni, may Allah have mercy on him, died in Damascus. Likewise, there is the grave near Bab Saghir which is said to be the grave of the Messenger of Allah’s, peace be upon him, wife, Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyida Umm Salama, may Allah be pleased with her, while it is undisputed that she passed away in Medina Munawwarah. Among these places is a shrine located in Cairo, Egypt, which is said to contain the blessed head of Sayyiduna Hussain, may Allah be pleased with him. This is not true; the reality is that there are many narrations on this matter which are not appropriate for this occasion. Similarly, many graves of well-known people are famous, while it is well-known that these are not their graves, and there is absolutely no virtue in them.

Illusions and Falsehoods:

Among them are places about which it is said that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or someone else’s footprint is present, such as what ignorant people say about the stone in Bayt al-Maqdis that it bears the blessed footprint of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Similarly, the mosque in Damascus called “Al-Qadam” is said to have the blessed footprint of Prophet Musa (Moses) عليه السلام. This is false and has no basis, as Prophet Musa عليه السلام did not come to Damascus or its surroundings. Likewise, the mosques attributed to the prophets عليه السلام and righteous people on the basis that they were seen in dreams at those places. Therefore, seeing the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or any pious person in a dream at a certain place does not necessarily confer virtue upon that place. Hence, intending to visit such a place and praying there on this basis is disliked. Such practices are done by the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), and such places are numerous in many cities. One should not hold any belief in the special status of these places, no matter what kind of place it is.

Because honoring a place that Allah Almighty has not bestowed any greatness upon (merely declaring it great on fabricated grounds) is a very bad matter. Such false pilgrimages are actually set up in opposition to the houses of Allah (mosques) and are established to honor things that Allah Almighty has not granted any greatness, and to engage and occupy people in things that can neither benefit nor harm them, and also to prevent creation from the path of Allah. The path of Allah Almighty is the worship of ’’وحده لا شريك له‘‘, the worship which He has legislated through the sacred tongue of His Messenger, peace be upon him. Similarly, these places were invented to be made into places of Eid. Making a place into an Eid means gathering crowds of people there and making them accustomed to intending to go towards them.

Then sometimes, at such places, (in the name of miracles) such (fabricated) stories are narrated that mention their effect. For example: “A man prayed at this place, his prayer was accepted,” or “They considered something as a vow for them, and their need was fulfilled,” or other similar fabricated tales are told. In fact, it was because of such matters that idol worship began, and through such doubts, polytheism appeared on earth.

Dislike of Making Vows:

It is authentically proven from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with a sound chain of narration that he forbade making vows. He said: (( إنه لا يأتي بخير و إنما يستخرج به من البخيل )) Making a vow does not bring any good; it only extracts something from a stingy person.

When obedience or acts of goodness are bound or conditional upon something, they have no benefit and do not bring any good; so what can be said about a vow that neither benefits nor harms?

Removal of Doubt:

As for the acceptance of prayers at these places, it has various causes. Sometimes the reason is the intense distress, helplessness, and compulsion of the one who prays (upon which Allah has mercy and accepts his prayer). Sometimes the reason is purely the mercy of Allah Almighty. And sometimes the reason is a matter that Allah has already decreed (i.e., divine decree), not that the prayer causes that thing to be granted. Sometimes there are other causes, although these are a punishment for the one who prays. (Then this doubt can also be easily removed and resolved by the fact that) disbelievers pray before their idols and through their idols, and their prayers are accepted, then rain is sent upon them, they are helped, and they are granted relief from diseases and hardships.

Allah Almighty says: ﴿ كلا نمد هؤلاء و هؤلاء من عطاء ربك ۖ وما كان عطاء ربك محظورا ﴾ We provide help to everyone, to them and to those from the bounty of your Lord, and the bounty of your Lord (forgiveness) is not withheld from anyone.

There are many matters among the causes written in destiny, whose number is very long. For the creation, only following and adhering to the Shariah with which Allah Almighty sent the Messengers is obligatory, and knowing that in it lies the goodness and well-being of this world and the Hereafter.

Prohibition of praying in graves and turning them into fairgrounds:

And among these places, there are some that have certain characteristics, but those characteristics do not necessitate making them Eid locations or performing prayers there. Nor should other acts of worship such as supplications be performed there. Among these places are the graves of the Prophets (peace be upon them).

It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he said:

(( لا تـجـعـلـوا بـيـوتـكـم قبـورا ولا تجعلوا قبري عيدا وصلوا علي، فإن صلاتكم تبلغني حيث كنتم ))

Do not make your homes into graveyards, and do not make my grave an Eid place, and send blessings upon me; indeed, your blessings reach me wherever you send them from.

It is narrated from Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah have mercy on him) that he saw a person who came towards the empty space of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) grave, entered there, and began supplicating. Ali ibn al-Husayn said to him: Shall I not tell you a hadith? My father narrated from my grandfather, who narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), that he said:

((لا تتخذوا قبري عيدا ولا بيوتكم قبورا وصلوا علي فإن صلاتكم علي تبلغني حيث كنتم))

Do not make my grave a place of celebration, nor turn your homes into graveyards, and send blessings upon me, for your blessings reach me wherever you are.
This was narrated by Hafiz Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Abdul Wahid Al-Maqrami (Al-Dhiya Al-Maqdisi) in this book

, in which he selected those excellent hadiths that are additional to the two Sahihs.

In this book, his condition is better than the condition of Al-Hakim, and this narration was narrated by Saeed bin Mansoor in his Sunan from the chain of Abu Saeed Mawla Al-Mahri.

And it was also narrated through the chain of Sahl ibn Abi Sahl. He said: Hasan ibn Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) saw me near the grave, then he called me while he was having dinner at the house of Lady Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) (?), and said: Come, have dinner. I said: I greeted the Prophet (peace be upon him) at the blessed grave, so he said: When you enter the mosque, greet (say salam). Then he said: Indeed, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

((لا تتخذوا قبري عيدا ، ولا تتخذوا بيوتكم مقابر ، لعن الله اليهود اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجد ، وصلوا علي ، فإن صلاتكم تبلغنى حيث ما کنتم))

Do not make my grave a place of celebration, and do not turn your homes into graveyards. May Allah curse the Jews; they made the graves of their Prophets (peace be upon them) places of worship. Send blessings upon me; surely your blessings reach me wherever you are.

Reason for the Argument:

The grave of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is the most superior grave on the earth, and he, peace be upon him, forbade making it a place of celebration. The word “Eid” comes from “Mu’awadah,” meaning to repeatedly visit or return to it. So, except for the grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him, no other grave, no matter whose it is, is subject to this prohibition. Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, also explained that “Do not make your homes like graveyards,” meaning do not abandon praying, supplicating, and reciting in them so that they become like graveyards. Avoid resembling the polytheists and Christians and act contrary to them.

Then, after forbidding making my grave a place of celebration, you (the Prophet ﷺ) said, “Send blessings upon me; wherever you are, your blessings reach me.” You are indicating that whatever blessings and salutations reach me (whether from me or from my grave), they reach you despite the distance and proximity. You just do not need to make it a place of celebration (to repeatedly visit it as a festival).

Then the most virtuous of the followers from the Ahl al-Bayt, Ali ibn al-Husayn, prevented that person from choosing to supplicate at the Prophet’s ﷺ grave and clearly stated: Intending the Prophet’s grave for supplication, etc., is to make it an “Eid.” Similarly, the elder of their household, their cousin Hasan ibn Hasan, did not approve of a person intending to visit the Prophet’s ﷺ grave to send salutations upon him and going there. See how the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet ﷺ revealed this practice (of sending salutations and peace), those household members who had kinship and close relation to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, because they had more need and necessity for it than others, and they were the most protective of it.

Etiquettes of Visiting Graves:

It is recommended for a person visiting graves to remember the Hereafter and to send greetings upon the inhabitants of the graves, and to supplicate for them with the Sunnah prayers that the Noble Prophet ﷺ used to teach his companions when they visited graves, to say in front of them:

’’السلام عليكـم أهـل الـديـار مـن الـمـؤمـنـيـن، والمسلمين ، و إنا إن شاء الله بكم لا حقون، فنسأل الله لنا ولكم العافية‘‘

Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the faithful and Muslim homes! And indeed, we, God willing, are going to meet you. We ask Allah Almighty for well-being for ourselves and for you.

’’أنتم لنا سلف‘‘ You have passed before us.

’’و نحن بالأثر‘‘ We are those who will come after you.

Besides this, innovations such as praying there, making them places of worship, building mosques on them, there are numerous texts (narrations) from the Prophet ﷺ forbidding this and warning severely against those who do so.

Prohibition of building mosques on graves:

Building mosques over graves and lighting lanterns, candles, or lamps thereupon—those who engage in these acts have been cursed, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

((لعن رسولُ اللهِ زائرات القبور والمتخذين عليها المساجد والسرج))

The Messenger of Allah cursed the women who visit graves, those who build mosques over them, and those who light lamps there.

The general scholars of various groups, following the prohibitive hadiths related to this matter, have explicitly forbidden these acts. There is no doubt or hesitation about their absolute prohibition. Due to this hadith in Sahih Muslim narrated from Sayyidna Jundub ibn Abdullah al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say this five days before his death:

((إني أبرأ إلى الله أن يكون لي منكم خليل، فإن الله قد اتخذني خليلا كما اتخذ إبراهيم خليلا، ولو كنت متخذا من أمتي خليلا لا تخذت أبا بكر خليلا ، ألا و إن من كان قبلكم كانوا يتخذون قبور أنبيائهم و صالحيهم مساجد، ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد ، إني أنها كم عن ذلك))

I declare before Allah that none of you is my close friend (Khalil). Indeed, Allah has made me His close friend just as He made Ibrahim (peace be upon him) His close friend. If I were to choose anyone from my Ummah as my close friend, it would have been Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Beware, those who came before you used to make the graves of their prophets and righteous people places of worship. Be aware that you should not make graves places of worship. Indeed, I forbid you from doing so.

And in Sahihain, it is narrated from Sayyida Aisha Siddiqah and Sayyidna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that he said:

When the time of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) death approached, he repeatedly covered his blessed face with his cloak. When the intensity increased and he felt suffocated, he would remove it. In this state, he said: May Allah curse the Jews and Christians; they have made the graves of their prophets places of prostration. He was fearful of their practice.

And in Sahihayn, there is also a narration from Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

((قاتل الله اليهود ، اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجد))

May Allah destroy the Jews; they have made the graves of their prophets places of prostration.

It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) that during the days of the illness in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, he said:

((لعن الله اليهود والنصارى اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجد))

May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for making the graves of their prophets places of prostration.

Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: If there was no fear, the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have been made visible, but the fear was that it might also be made a place of prostration.

Imam Ahmad narrated (in his Musnad) from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

((إن من شرار الناس من تدركهم الساعة وهم أحياء))

Indeed, the worst people will be those who will be present at the Hour while they are alive.

((والذين يتخذون قبور هم مساجد))

And those people who make graves places of worship.

Ruling on Mosques Built Over Graves:

In this chapter, there are many hadiths and reports stating that it is obligatory to demolish those mosques built over graves. This is among the matters on which there is no disagreement among the well-known scholars. Also, it is unanimously disliked to offer prayers in them. Due to the prohibition and the curse involved in this matter, it is not correct according to the apparent school of Imam Ahmad.

Some other innovations related to graves:

Similarly, lighting lamps, candles, lanterns, or chandeliers at these places and graves is also among the innovations. There is no disagreement on this issue due to the prohibition involved. The one who does this is, according to the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, accursed (cursed). When he ﷺ said: “May Allah curse the women who frequently visit graves.”

And also those who build mosques over them and illuminate them.

And it is not permissible to offer oil or candles, etc., as a vow or fulfillment of a vow at these places; rather, such vows lead to sin. Similarly, it is disliked to perform prayer at these places, even if no mosque has been built there, because every place where prayer is performed is literally a mosque, even if there is no building or structure there. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade this in his saying:

((لا تجلسوا على القبور ولا تصلوا عليها))

Do not sit on graves, nor pray towards them.

(This prohibition applies both to sitting casually and sitting as a visitor. And Allah knows best.)
And he said:

(( اجعلوا من صلاتكم في بيوتكم ولا تتخذوها قبوراً .))

Perform some of your prayers (such as Sunnah prayers) in your homes; do not turn your homes into graveyards.

That is, just as prayers are not performed in a graveyard, do not make your homes in such a way that you do not pray in them. According to Imam Ahmad, praying between graves is not correct, and according to others, it is disliked.

The Basis of Idolatry:

Know that some jurists have stated that the reason for the dislike of praying in a graveyard or mausoleum is merely the suspicion of impurity there, and the impurity of the ground prevents praying on it, whether it is a mausoleum or not.

(It should be noted that) this is not the only reason for prohibition; the greatest purpose of prohibition is the fear that they might be turned into “idols,” as narrated from Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, who said: I dislike or I know that the creation is given so much reverence that even their graves are made into mosques, so that this becomes a trial for the later generations. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, clarified the real reason for this in his statement when he said:

((اللهم لا تجعل قبري و ثنا يعبد))

O Allah! Do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped.

And the Prophet, peace be upon him, also used to say:

“People before you used to make graves into mosques; do not make graves into mosques.” (Earlier reference)

And the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) informed that the disbelievers were such that “when a righteous person among them died, they would build a mosque over his grave, and among them, they would make images; on the Day of Judgment, they will be the worst creatures in the sight of Allah.”

In these ahadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned idols and graves together, or mentioned them simultaneously (from which their original cause becomes apparent).

Similarly, the reason for the worship of “Lat” was also the veneration of the grave of a righteous man. Among them was a person who used to mix ghee and other things in water and feed the pilgrims. When he passed away, people performed i’tikaf (spiritual retreat) at his grave. (The commentators) also mentioned that Wadd, Suwa’, Yaghuth, Ya’uq, and Nasr were righteous people. These were people from the period between the time of Adam and Noah (peace be upon them). Some people followed them, and when they died, their followers said: What if we make their pictures? (and they made pictures). Then when these followers died, their next generation came, and Satan came to them and said: Those people used to worship them and used to ask for rain through them. So they began to worship them. Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari has narrated this with his chain of transmission. This is the very reason why the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade making mosques at graves, and this is the thing that caused many nations either to fall into major polytheism or other forms of misguidance. Therefore, you will find many misguided peoples who prostrate before the graves of righteous people, adopting humility, reverence, and submission, and they seem to worship them from the depths of their hearts in a way that they do not worship in the houses of Allah, the mosques. Rather, not even during the blessed pre-dawn hours before Allah, and they hold such hopes and expectations for the acceptance of prayers and supplications at these shrines and graves that they do not even have for the mosques to which journeys are undertaken, namely Masjid al-Haram, Masjid an-Nabawi, and Masjid al-Aqsa.

This is the very corruption, all causes and means of which the Prophet ﷺ eliminated, to the extent that he absolutely forbade praying in graves merely to prevent the corruption that leads to idol worship, even if the worshipper did not specifically intend that place or its blessing.

And if a person intends to pray there or seeks blessings and acceptance of prayers at these places for his needs and desires, then this is outright disobedience and enmity towards Allah and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. It is opposition to His religion and Shariah, and an invention of a religion which neither Allah nor His Messenger ﷺ permitted, nor did the Imams of the Muslims who follow the Sunnah and footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ allow it.

Certainly, going to pray at graves with the expectation of acceptance is a forbidden act and is closer to something prohibited. After the passing of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) faced many difficulties and hardships; there was a time of famine. They were surrounded by calamities and afflictions. So why did they not come to the Prophet’s ﷺ grave and ask for rain? Why did they not make requests and supplications at his grave? The Prophet ﷺ is the most honored and esteemed among creation in the sight of Allah. In fact, during the time of famine, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Eidgah with Sayyiduna Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, and had him pray for rain.

They did not pray for rain at the grave of the Noble Prophet ﷺ.

O Muslim! If you want to worship Allah like your righteous predecessors, then follow their way, establish pure monotheism, do not worship anyone besides Allah, and do not associate anyone with your Lord. As Allah Almighty has commanded in His statement:

((فإياي فاعبدون))

So worship only Me.

And Allah Almighty said:

((فمن كان يرجوا لقاء ربه فليعمل عملا صالحا ولا يشرك بعبادة ربة أحدا))

Whoever among you believes in the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.

So worship only Allah, ask only Him for help, seek help only from Him, because no one can withhold blessings and mercy, no one can give, no one can harm, no one can benefit except Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. There is no deity besides Him. I trust in Him and turn to Him.