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.
Tenfold Mercy from Allah for Sending Salutations and Peace upon the Messenger of Allah
When a Muslim says salam during the prayer, although no verbal response is given, Allah sends mercy upon that person ten times. As the Mercy to the Worlds, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
من سلم على مرة سلم الله عليه عشرا
"Whoever sends salam upon me once, Allah sends mercy upon him ten times."
Reference: (Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book of Forgetfulness: Chapter on the Virtue of Sending Salam upon the Prophet, Hadith: 1284, similar meaning)
The reward for sending salam that comes from Allah is thousands of times superior and higher than the response from the deceased, because whoever sends salawat and salam once upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, Allah sends mercy upon him ten times.
One Should Immediately Return After Sending Salam at the Blessed Grave
It was the habit of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, that after offering salam, he would immediately leave. Keeping in mind this practice of Ibn Umar, Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, considered standing for a long time near the honored grave to be disliked, because standing for a long time is not proven from any companion. Therefore, it would be considered an innovation. Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, always emphasized the following corrective statement:
لن يصلح آخر هذه الأمة إلا ما أصلح أولها
"The reform of the people of the last era of the Ummah is possible in the same way as the reform of the Muslims of the early centuries was."
Except for a few individuals who imitated Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, the majority of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, did not practice this. Therefore, the practice of Ibn Umar can only serve as a proof of permissibility.
To declare the practice under consideration as recommended, permissible, or forbidden, a legal proof is necessary, because recommendation, permissibility, dislike, and prohibition cannot be established until the legal evidences are presented. And also remember that the reference for legal evidences is only the Book and the Sunnah.
● The Quran is what Allah Almighty has revealed.
● The Sunnah is what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, practiced and demonstrated.
● Qiyas (analogy) is applicable only when it is established that the branch is according to the origin and the cause in the origin is the same as in the branch.
It has been proven from the evidences that there is no contradiction in the instructions of the Mercy to the Worlds, peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not give two different rulings simultaneously on two identical matters. It is also proven that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, never gave a ruling based on one cause and then at another time forbade it considering a different cause; however, if one of the two cases involves specification or obligation, that is a different matter. So, the Shariah is what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has ordained, the Sunnah is what he practiced and explained. When the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is sought, no person's words or actions can be mixed with his practice, even if that person is superior to all others.
For this reason, all the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, especially Abu Bakr Siddiq, Umar Farooq, and Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with them, when they expressed something from their ijtihad, it was often in accordance with the Sunnah, but they would specifically inform people: "This is my personal opinion; if it is proven correct, it is from Allah, and if it is wrong, consider it from me and Satan, and the Messenger of Allah is free from it."
Any act that contradicts the Prophetic Sunnah will be abrogated or distorted, but if the learned mujtahids wrote something based on their opinion and it is not correct, their error is forgiven, though they will still receive reward for it.
When the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, intended to pray for themselves, they would face the Qiblah in the Prophet's Mosque and supplicate as they used to during the life of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and they would not try to go near or inside the honored chamber or near the honored grave.
