The ruling on following the traces of the prophets in order to pray in them or to build mosques on them
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Q: The places where the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed: is it better to build mosques on them, or to leave them as they are? Or to make public parks in them?
A: It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow the traces of the prophets in order to pray in them or to build mosques on them; because that is one of the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). For this reason, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)would forbid the people from doing that and say:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2679Sahih (Darussalam), and he cut downthe tree at al-Hudaybiyyah under which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was pledged allegiance, when he saw some people going to it and praying under it; to cut off the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah) and to warn the Ummah (the Muslim community) from bid'ah (religious innovation). And he was wise in his actions and his conduct, eager to block the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah) and cut off its causes. So may Allah reward him for the Ummah of Muhammad with the best. For this reason, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not buildmosques on his traces (peace and blessings be upon him) on the road to Makkah, Tabuk, and elsewhere; because they knew that that contradicts his Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) and leads to falling into major shirk (associating partners with Allah). And because it is among the bid'ah (religious innovation) from which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) warned, as he said (peace and blessings be upon him):agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim from the hadith of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1718a narrated by Muslim in his Sahih, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his sermons:Sahih Muslim 1718b Muslim narrated it in his Sahih, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in his sermons:Sahih Muslim 867a Muslim narrated it in his Sahih. There are many hadiths to this effect.
And Allah is sought for help, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah.
A: It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow the traces of the prophets in order to pray in them or to build mosques on them; because that is one of the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). For this reason, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)would forbid the people from doing that and say:
The people before you were only destroyed by their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their Prophets.
إنما هلك من كان قبلكم بتتبعهم آثار أنبيائهم'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردHe who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردThe best of the speech is embodied in the Book of Allah, and the best of the guidance is the guidance given by Muhammad. And the most evil affairs are their innovations; and every innovation is error.
أما بعد، فإن خير الحديث كتاب الله، وخير الهدي هدي محمد ﷺ، وشر الأمور محدثاتها، وكل بدعة ضلالةAnd Allah is sought for help, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.