Is visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recommended upon arrival from a journey?
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The questioner : Is it recommended to visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? What is the Sunnah in this regard? And was the action of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar an exercise of independent reasoning, or is it based on the Sunnah?
The Shaykh : The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) holds that it is not prescribed for a person to come to the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he arrives from a journey, or to bid him farewell when he departs, or to come to him after every prayer. He says that the action of Ibn 'Umar was an exercise of independent reasoning and that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not do it. But we say that we take a middle path. We say that frequenting the visit while you are in Madinah is an error, and there is no doubt that it is closer to religious innovation than to safety. However, if you arrive and go to his grave to visit it, it falls under the general meaning of his saying: But the one who disagrees says that he did not visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) because the grave of the Prophet is screened by three walls. So even if he went and stood before it, he was not a visitor to it, and this action would be futile. As for me, I see, and this is what I do, that we go and greet him and pray for him upon arrival and upon returning from a journey. As for going and greeting him and praying for him every time we pray, that is closer to religious innovation than to safety; it is not in accordance with the Sunnah or safety, because there is a fear that this person is an innovator, as it was not the way of the righteous Salaf.
The questioner : I work as a teacher and I have young students whom I address with the phrase "O brother so-and-so." Is there any harm in that?
The Shaykh : The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) holds that it is not prescribed for a person to come to the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he arrives from a journey, or to bid him farewell when he departs, or to come to him after every prayer. He says that the action of Ibn 'Umar was an exercise of independent reasoning and that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not do it. But we say that we take a middle path. We say that frequenting the visit while you are in Madinah is an error, and there is no doubt that it is closer to religious innovation than to safety. However, if you arrive and go to his grave to visit it, it falls under the general meaning of his saying:
Visit the graves
زوروا القبورThe questioner : I work as a teacher and I have young students whom I address with the phrase "O brother so-and-so." Is there any harm in that?