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 Golden Principle to Avoid Innovations: Following the Practice of the Companions
Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, considered every act to be recommended which all the scholars of the Ummah have deemed recommended, such as traveling to Madinah Munawwarah with the purpose of offering prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque and then sending salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his two companions (Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them), as Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to do. In the matter under discussion, Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, had more knowledge than other Imams because he observed the practices of the Tabi‘in who directly benefited from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. For this reason, Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, considered following the pious predecessors of the Ummah to be recommended. The Imam strongly disapproved of innovations near the honored grave, and for this reason, he considered it disliked to stand for a long time near the honored grave offering supplications and salutations, because this practice was not present among the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. If a person residing in Madinah Munawwarah came to the Prophet’s Mosque and then also went near the honored grave, Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, considered this disliked because this practice was not found among the pious predecessors of the Ummah. Imam Malik’s statement is truly worthy of being written in golden letters:
لن يصلح آخر هذه الأمة إلا ما أصلح أولها
“The reformation of this Ummah will be in the same way as the reformation of the Muslims of the early generations.”
The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, continued to offer prayers in the Prophet’s Mosque behind Abu Bakr, Umar Farooq, Uthman Ghani, and Ali, may Allah be pleased with them, and during their prayers they would say:
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
“O Prophet! Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.”
Just as they used to say behind the Prophet, peace be upon him, during his lifetime when praying behind him. After completing the prayer, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, would engage in remembrance and supplications or go about their business. They would never come to the honored grave after prayer to send salutations because they knew that the salutations recited within the prayer are complete, superior, and the prescribed Sunnah. Entering the blessed chamber and going near the honored grave to send salutations is not lawful.
The Will of the Messenger of Allah
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade this in the following words:
لا تتخذوا قبرى عيدا وصلوا على حيثما كنتم فإن صلاتكم تبلغنى
"Do not turn my grave into a place of festivity, and wherever you are, send blessings upon me, for your blessings will reach me."
Reference: (Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Pilgrimage: Chapter on Visiting Graves, Hadith: 2042)
In this noble statement, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) clarified that blessings and salutations are conveyed to him from afar. Some hadiths report that whoever sends blessings and salutations upon him once, Allah sends mercy upon that person ten times.
Reference: (Sahih Muslim, Book of Prayer: Chapter on Sending Blessings on the Prophet after Tashahhud, Hadith: 418)
Designating the blessed chamber exclusively for sending blessings and salutations means turning it into a festival, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) strictly forbade. Not only was making the honored grave or any other grave a place of worship prohibited, but it was also cursed so that your Ummah would not fall into the curse that previous nations had fallen into.
The era of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) was the best era; these noble souls were fully aware of the Sunnah of the best of creation and followed his teachings. When they came to the Prophet’s Mosque, not a single one of them would go near the honored grave, neither inside the chamber nor outside.
Among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), during their time, and as long as Umm al-Mu'minin Aisha Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) was alive, and for a long time after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), until the second wall was built, there was a door to enter the blessed chamber. Nevertheless, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not attempt to go near the honored grave, neither to send blessings and salutations, nor to pray for themselves, nor to ask any question, nor did Satan get the opportunity to plant any wrong whisper in the hearts of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them); for example, that someone heard some speech near the honored grave which might cause suspicion that it was the speech of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), or that the Prophet (peace be upon him) responded to the greeting, as happened near common graves where Satan got this opportunity and many people were misled. Because when they went near some grave, they heard some unseen voice which made them think that the owner of the grave was speaking to them, giving them some ruling or forbidding them from something. In the case of the deceased, such whispers were also planted that the person would come out of the grave to meet them, leading these people to believe that the deceased had personally come out of the grave and spoken to them, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw many deceased on the night of Mi'raj and spoke with them.
