Do not turn your houses like graves, and do not take my grave a place for celebration, and invoke (Allah's) blessings upon me, for your invoking of Allah's blessings upon me will reach me wherever you may be

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that houses be free from prayers and thus become like graves, where prayer is not offered. He forbade frequently visiting his grave and gathering there in an usual manner, for this is a means leading to polytheism. He commanded that we invoke Allah's blessings upon him from any place on earth, for this will reach him from the near and the distant places alike; so, there is no need to frequent his grave.

Lessons

• The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that houses be free from the worship of Allah Almighty.
• It is forbidden to travel to pay a visit to the Prophet's grave, as he commanded that when we invoke Allah's blessings upon him, they reach him. We may only travel to go to the mosque and pray there.
• It is prohibited to make visiting the Prophet's grave a form of celebration by repeating it in a specific way and at a specific time. This also applies to visiting any other grave.
• This points out the Prophet's high status in the sight of his Lord, as Allah Almighty made the invocation of His blessings upon him permissible from any place and at any time.
• As it was well established among the Companions that prayer must not be offered at graves, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade to make houses like graves where prayer is not performed.