and at other times, he said: "Do not make my grave an idol." and at other times, he said: "Do not make my grave a place of celebration," meaning a season where people gather, as many of those who worship at graves now do. They designate specific times to gather at the graves of those they revere among the dead, performing rituals and devoting themselves to them, as is well known to everyone about the actions of these misguided people. They have abandoned the worship of Allāh, who created them, provided for them, then causes them to die and brings them to life, and they worship a servant of Allāh who is now beneath the layers of earth, unable to bring any benefit to himself or ward off any harm. How often did the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) say, as Allāh commanded him to say: "I do not possess for myself any benefit or harm" (Sūrah al-Aʿrāf, verse 188). So look at how the master of humanity and the chosen one of Allāh among His creation, by the command of his Lord, said that he does not possess harm or benefit for himself. Likewise, he said in what is authentically reported from him: "O Fāṭimah, daughter of Muḥammad, I cannot avail you anything against Allāh." So if this is what the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said about himself and his closest relatives and those most beloved to him, what do you think about the rest of the dead who were neither infallible prophets nor sent messengers? Rather, the most that can be said about any of them is that he is an individual of this Muḥammadan nation and one of the people of this Islamic faith. He is even more incapable of bringing benefit or warding off harm. And how can he not be incapable of something that the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) was incapable of and informed his nation about, just as Allāh informed about him and commanded him to say to the people