This excerpt is taken from Sheikh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah's book Al-Jawab al-Bahir fi Zuwar al-Maqabir, translated by Sheikh Ataullah Saqib.
The Prophet's Prayer for One's Own Grave:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, advised the Ummah and warned them not to fall into shirk like the polytheists and the People of the Book. Accordingly, he forbade making graves places of worship, prohibited praying facing the graves, and also forbade praying at sunrise and sunset times to avoid resembling the disbelievers. Thus, during the caliphate of Walid bin Abdul Malik, when the Blessed Chamber was incorporated into the Prophet's Mosque, a wall was built around the chamber so that no one could reach the honored grave. According to the narration in Muwatta Imam Malik, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, supplicated:
اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلْ قَبْرِي وَثَنًا يُعْبَدُ، اشْتَدَّ غَضَبُ اللَّهِ عَلَى قَوْمٍ اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ مَسَاجِدَ
"O Allah! Do not let my grave become an idol that is worshipped, for severe wrath descends upon the nation that makes the graves of their prophets places of worship."
Reference: (Muwatta Imam Malik (172/1) Book of Shortening Prayer on Travel, Musnad Ahmad (2/236)
Praise be to Allah, the Merciful Lord accepted his prayer and protected his grave from becoming an idol, as has happened with common graves. It would not be an exaggeration to say that since the enclosure was built around the chamber, it has become impossible for anyone to enter it. Even before the enclosure, it was not possible to enter and send salutations in the manner that innovations have spread over common graves. Similarly, ignorant people pray facing the Blessed Chamber, raise their voices, and utter unlawful and forbidden words, but all this happens outside the chamber, not near the honored grave, because Allah, the Exalted, has honored the supplication of the Noble Messenger, peace be upon him, so that no one can reach the honored grave to send salutations or perform acts of shirk, as has happened with the graves of other prophets and saints.
During the life of the Mother of the Believers, no one dared to enter except for scholarly benefit, nor was it possible for anyone to go near the honored grave and perform unlawful acts. After her passing, the door of the Blessed Chamber was closed, and a wall was built around it so that her house would not become a fairground or the grave an idol, i.e., a place of worship.
It should also be known that the people of Medina were Muslims, and non-Muslims could not enter Medina, and all of them respected and honored the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. Prayer, supplication, and salutations near the honored grave were prohibited not to disrespect the grave but rather to protect the honored grave from becoming an idol and the Blessed Chamber from becoming a place of festivity, as the People of the Book, Jews and Christians, had done with the graves of their prophets. Thick layers of sand have been placed over the honored grave; there is neither stone nor wood nor is it covered with soil or anything else, as ignorant devotees do with other common graves. Since the Noble Messenger, peace be upon him, prayed to Allah not to let his grave become an idol (a deity and place of worship), Allah accepted his prayer in such a way that reaching his honored grave has become impossible, and the honored grave is not like those graves that have been or can be made places of worship.
The Importance and Necessity of the Above Supplication:
If any of the earlier nations had fallen into innovation and misguidance, Allah Almighty would have sent a new prophet to bring them back to the right path. But the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is the Seal of the Prophets; no prophet can come after him. Therefore, Allah has protected the Ummah of Muhammad collectively from going astray, and similarly, the honored grave is protected from becoming a place of worship. If Allah forbid, your grave were to become an object of worship, then after you there would be no prophet to prevent the Ummah from that. In earlier nations, generally their own people who followed polytheistic customs and rituals prevailed, so the Prophet, peace be upon him, foretold that a group from his Ummah would always remain steadfast on the truth, and whoever intends to oppose or insult them will not be able to harm them.
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Virtues: Chapter (28) (Hadith: 3641) Sahih Muslim, Book of Leadership: Chapter on the saying "A group of my Ummah will always remain victorious" (Hadith: 1920-1942)
Thus, it is not possible for the people of innovation to perform such innovations at the honored grave that are practiced at the graves of other prophets.
