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: Regarding 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 them public parks?
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 upon them, because that is among the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah). For this reason, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade the people from doing so and said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2679Sahih (Darussalam), and he cut down the tree at al-Hudaybiyah 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 of shirk and to warn the ummah (the Muslim community) of bid'ah (religious innovation). And he (may Allah be pleased with him) was wise in his actions and conduct, and was zealous in blocking the means to shirk and cutting off its causes.
May Allah reward him for the Ummah of Muhammad with the best reward. For this reason, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not build mosques on his (peace and blessings be upon him) traces on the road to Makkah, Tabuk, and elsewhere; because they knew that that contradicts his Shari'ah and leads to falling into major shirk. And because it is among the bid'ah (religious innovations) from which he (peace and blessings be upon him) warned, in his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1718a, 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 1718b, narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in the Friday sermon: Sahih Muslim 867a, narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. And the hadiths in this meaning are many.
And Allah is the One to be 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 upon them, because that is among the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah). For this reason, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade the people from doing so and said:
The people before you were only destroyed by their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their Prophets.
إنما هلك من كان قبلكم بتتبعهم آثار أنبيائهمMay Allah reward him for the Ummah of Muhammad with the best reward. For this reason, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not build mosques on his (peace and blessings be upon him) traces on the road to Makkah, Tabuk, and elsewhere; because they knew that that contradicts his Shari'ah and leads to falling into major shirk. And because it is among the bid'ah (religious innovations) from which he (peace and blessings be upon him) warned, in his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
'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 عملًا 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 the One to be 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.