The Ruling on Visiting Historical Sites Such as Mada'in Saleh, the Cave of Hira, and Mount Uhud

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: What is the ruling on visiting some historical sites, such as Mada'in Saleh, the grave of Aminah bint Wahb, the Cave of Hira, Mount Uhud, and others? Is there any reward in doing so?

Answer:
No. Intending to go there and traveling to it is a sin, and there is no reward in it. However, if you pass by them while on your way to Sham or to the direction you are heading, and you pass by them on your way without intending to, because they are on the road, you do not turn off the road to go to them. No. If they are on the road, you just pass by them, like passing by the dwellings of Thamud, which are on the road to Sham between Madinah and Sham. This is permissible because it is not intended. The going there for display, or to boast about them, or because they indicate civilization, or... this is not permissible. These are the dwellings of the punished, and may Allah protect us. Do not be pleased with them, but weep. Passing by them without intending to, without arranging visits for them, without preparing for them, without turning to them, without setting a budget for them, and without doing this, is not permissible. Yes.