Explanation of the author's statement: The chapter on what has come regarding the exaggeration in the graves of the righteous turning them into idols worshipped besides Allah. Malik narrated in al-Muwatta

The Shaykh : In the hadiths and athar, it is mentioned that exaggeration in the graves of the righteous—exaggeration meaning exceeding the limit in their graves—because the graves have a right upon us in two ways:
The first way: That we do not be excessive in what is obligatory for them by way of humiliation, sitting on them, and the like.
And the second way: That we do not exaggerate in them to the point of exceeding the limit.
And in Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said to Abu al-Hayyaj al-Asadi: The raised grave that is distinct from the other graves must be leveled with the graves. Why? So that it is not thought that there is a special status for the owner of this grave, even in the distant future, and that would be a means to exaggeration in it.
And his saying: "turning them into idols" Idols is the plural of idol, and an idol is what is set up for worship. Whatever is set up for worship is an idol, and it is also called a statue. However, the apparent meaning of the author's words is that whatever is worshipped is called an idol, even if it is not a statue set up, because graves may not have a statue set up on the grave to be worshipped.
Malik narrated in al-Muwatta: That the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
Malik is Ibn Anas, the famous imam, one of the four imams, and his book al-Muwatta is also famous. It is one of the most authentic books because, may Allah have mercy on him, he sought the authenticity of the chain in it, and due to its proximity and high chain, it is considered a high chain because he is among the shaykhs of al-Bukhari, so it is higher than his and closer to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), so its chain is high. The higher the chain, the closer it is to authenticity. It is famous, and in it, along with the marfu' hadiths, there are athar from the Companions, and also the words, research, and discussion of Imam Malik himself, may Allah have mercy on him. Many scholars have explained it, and the most extensive and best of its explanations, neither in terms of narration nor understanding, is "al-Tamhid" by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, and now, praise be to Allah, its printing has become easy. Yes.
And in it is much knowledge. This book, I mean "al-Tamhid"
That the Messenger of Allah said: .
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, this is a mursal report from 'Ata ibn Yasar.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the apparent meaning of the author's words is that it is connected.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : No, it is not from the route of Malik.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : ... . And the apparent meaning of the author's words, may Allah have mercy on him, is that it is connected, because when it is said "al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih" or "Malik narrated in al-Muwatta" or the like, such an expression is not known unless the hadith is connected through the route of this narrator. Perhaps there is a missing part in the copy, perhaps there is a missing part that the writer did not indicate.
He said:
Its original form is "Ya Allah," so the "Ya" of invocation was deleted - "Ya Ghanim" - why?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Now, why?
The student: For the sake of beginning with the name of Allah.

The Shaykh : Beginning with the name of Allah is correct. And the "mim" was substituted for it.
The student: Because it indicates gathering.

The Shaykh : Yes, so it is as if the supplicant gathered his heart upon Allah, and it was in the end for what I mentioned, for the sake of beginning with the name of Allah.
And he said: "La" is a negation, and his intention is not negation, because prohibition does not come from the created to the Creator, but the intention is supplication.
"Do not make" - its first object is "my grave," and its second object is "an idol."
And "worshipped" is a description of the idol, and it is a descriptive attribute because the idol is what is worshipped besides Allah.
And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited that because among those before us, some made the graves of their prophets mosques and worshipped their righteous ones. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked his Lord not to make his grave an idol to be worshipped, because, peace and blessings be upon him, his entire call was to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and fighting shirk (associating partners with Allah).