The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah and Amr al-Naqid narrated to us. They said: Hashim ibn al-Qasim narrated to us: Shayban narrated to us, from Hilal ibn Abi Humayd, from Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, from A'ishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said during the illness from which he did not recover: ‘May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians; they took the graves of their prophets as mosques.’ A'ishah said: Were it not for that, his grave would have been left exposed, but it was feared that it might be taken as a mosque. In the narration of Ibn Abi Shaybah it says: ‘Were it not for that, he would not have mentioned [it],’ she said.

Harun ibn Sa'id al-Ayli and Harmalah ibn Yahya narrated to me. Harmalah said, ‘He informed us,’ while Harun said, ‘He narrated to us’: Ibn Wahb narrated to us: Yunus informed me, from Ibn Shihab. Ubayd Allah ibn Abdullah informed me that A'ishah and Abdullah ibn Abbas said: As death came upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he began placing his wrap over his face. When he felt distress, he uncovered his face. In that state he said: ‘May Allah's curse be upon the Jews and the Christians; they took the graves of their prophets as mosques.’ He was warning against what they had done.

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah and Ishaq ibn Ibrahim narrated to us—the wording is Abu Bakr's. Ishaq said, ‘He informed us,’ while Abu Bakr said, ‘He narrated to us’: Zakariyya ibn Adi narrated to us, from Ubayd Allah ibn Amr, from Zayd ibn Abi Unaysah, from Amr ibn Murrah, from Abdullah ibn al-Harith al-Najri. He said: Jundub narrated to me. Jundub said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), five days before he died, say: ‘I declare before Allah that I take none of you as a close friend, for Allah has taken me as a close friend, just as He took Ibrahim as a close friend. If I were to take anyone from my community as a close friend, I would take Abu Bakr as a close friend. Beware: those before you used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous people as mosques. Do not take graves as mosques. I forbid you to do that.’

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us: Muhammad ibn Bakr informed us. (A transmission) H. Hasan al-Hulwani reported to us: Abd al-Razzaq reported to us—and their wording was close. They both said: Ibn Jurayj informed us: Abu al-Zubayr informed me that he heard Tawus say: We asked Ibn Abbas about sitting on one's heels. He said, 'That is the Sunnah.' We said to him, 'We find it hard on the foot.' Ibn Abbas said, 'Rather, it is the Sunnah of your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).'