Imitation of some of this Ummah (Muslim community) of the Jews and Christians in exalting the relics of the prophets and the righteous

The questioner:
Benefits from the explanation of the book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim li-Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim* (Following the Straight Path in Opposing the People of the Hellfire) by Ibn Taymiyyah. Does seeing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or a righteous man in a dream at a specific spot grant that spot a virtue such that it is sought for that reason and made a place of prayer by the consensus of the Muslims?

The Shaykh:
Even if the vision were true, and he saw the Prophet in this place, or a righteous man, this does not imply that this place is to be exalted, nor that it is given a virtue over other places. Yes.

The presenter:
Only the People of the Book do this and the like of it.

The Shaykh:
Yes, those who venerate the traces of their prophets. In this Ummah, some have imitated the People of the Book by venerating the traces of the prophets and the righteous, and giving them a place in worship. This is one of the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah), as .

The presenter:
And sometimes an image of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or a righteous man, or one of his body parts, is depicted there, imitating the People of the Book.

The Shaykh:
The second type of their imitation is that they depict an image and say, "This is the image of so-and-so, the image of the Prophet, the image of Ibrahim, the image of Musa," or they depict the righteous ones there, just as the people of Noah depicted the righteous among them and worshipped them besides Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is part of Satan's plotting against the children of Adam. From this comes the severe prohibition against hanging images and exalting images. Yes.

The presenter:
It was said that in some of the mosques of Damascus, there was a mosque called the Mosque of the Hand, in which there was a statue of a hand, said to be the hand of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, until Allah destroyed that idol.

The Shaykh:
And likewise, this mosque in Damascus has an image of a hand, which they say is the image of the hand of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). 'Ali ibn Abi Talib did not come to the Levant; he was only in Iraq, between Makkah, al-Madinah, and Iraq. He did not come to the Levant at all. And what brought his hand to the Levant, if anything, but the deluded ones who mislead people?