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.
Travel for Visiting Graves and Shortened Prayer:
Among those who deny the sanctity, there is also disagreement on whether a person who travels solely to visit the grave of a prophet or a saint should shorten the prayer or perform it in full. Two opinions are famous on this issue, which we have separately and independently quoted in response to a question.
Some people have differentiated between the graves of prophets and ordinary people and said that traveling with the intention of visiting graves is forbidden. Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) and his companions, as well as Imam Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) and the earlier companions of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), hold this view. They say that if the journey itself is based on sin, how can one shorten the prayer? Therefore, such a person should not shorten the prayer.
As for those who are unaware of the prohibition of such travel, if they shorten the prayer, their prayer will be valid and there is no need to repeat the prayer after gaining knowledge. For example, if a student travels to listen to hadith and upon arrival finds that the person he came to is a liar or ignorant, shortening the prayer in such a journey is permissible. And a person who knows that such travel is forbidden will not undertake it because a true Muslim does not seek to draw near to Allah through forbidden acts.
Regarding the shortening of prayer during travel to visit the graves of prophets and righteous people, four opinions are famous among the companions of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him):
1: Absolutely no shortening.
2: Absolutely shortening is allowed.
3: Only in travel for visiting the honored grave can one shorten the prayer.
4: Shortening is permissible in travel for visiting the honored grave and other prophets' graves. They have quoted two reasons for this.
The first reason, which is correct, is that traveling to visit the honored grave is essentially traveling towards the Prophet's Mosque, and shortening the prayer during travel to the Prophet's Mosque is unanimously permitted by the Ummah. These scholars considered general travel and did not differentiate between the intention of visiting the honored grave and the Prophet's Mosque. Because a Muslim who travels to Madinah Munawwarah to visit the honored grave will definitely pray in the Prophet's Mosque. So, a person who travels to visit the honored grave has, in effect, also traveled to perform prayer in the Prophet's Mosque. Therefore, some Shafi'i scholars say that a person who vows to visit the honored grave should fulfill his vow, and if he vows to visit another grave, there are two cases. Most scholars consider travel towards the honored grave as general travel. According to them, the intention of travel towards the honored grave includes the intention of travel towards the Prophet's Mosque because a Muslim who comes near the blessed chamber will definitely pray in the Prophet's Mosque. So these two matters are inseparable.
Among these scholars, those who say that it is obligatory for a Muslim to have the intention of praying in the Prophet's Mosque from the beginning of the journey hold that completing this journey is obligatory. None of them have permitted traveling solely with the intention of visiting the honored grave.
Some scholars believe that it is permissible to have the intention of visiting only the honored grave. According to them, the exceptional status of the honored grave is solely because it is the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore, according to them, shortening the prayer is permissible in travel to visit all the graves of the prophets, but not in travel to the graves of the righteous.
In fact, in travel to visit the honored grave, it is essential that a person intends to pray in the Prophet's Mosque. So, a person who travels to visit the honored grave will necessarily pray in the Prophet's Mosque, thus earning the reward of obedience, worship, and nearness to Allah. As for the journey itself, those knowledgeable of hadith intend to travel towards the Prophet's Mosque. If someone ever intended only to visit the honored grave, which is forbidden, it happened only because he was unaware. And a person who travels with the intention of visiting the honored grave out of ignorance will also pray in the Prophet's Mosque and receive reward, but he will not be punished due to his ignorance.
As for a person who travels with the intention of visiting any grave other than the honored grave, although this is absolutely not permitted in Shariah, such a person will receive reward due to ignorance and will be forgiven due to his ignorance.
