Walking with shoes in the mosque

Where
did you get this from? We tell you that this is a big lie.

Imaam
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him) was a man of
knowledge, a scholar. He did not say these things. What he urged people to
do, as is written in his books, is to turn to Allaah when they pray, and
to be focused in their prayer, in obedience to the words of Allaah
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Successful
indeed are the believers.

Those
who offer their Salaah (prayers) with all solemnity and full
submissiveness” [al-Mu’minoon 23:1-2]

–
because the person who is praying must acknowledge the greatness of the
One before Whom he is standing. So he should not move too much, as it says
in the report: “If the heart is focused then the limbs will be still.”
Some scholars attributed this to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), but al-Haafiz ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said: The
Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not say
this, and there is no saheeh isnaad reporting that he said, “If the
heart is focused then the limbs will be still”- even though the meaning
is sound. This is the saying of one of the salaf. And this is what
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said.

With
regard to walking with shoes in the mosque and his saying that this is
allowed in Islam, this is not correct. Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab did
not say that walking with shoes in the mosque is something which is
allowed in Islam. He said the same as was narrated in the ahaadeeth, which
is that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “When any one of you comes to the mosque, let him look at his
shoes, and if he sees anything dirty on them, let him wipe them, because
they may be purified by rubbing them with dust.” This refers to shoes
and to the mosque at that time [which was simple and unfurnished].
However, if the mosque is furnished [with carpets and the like], we should
keep it clean from shoes and not enter wearing shoes, lest we make the
place dirty by bringing in something unclean on our shoes. This was
indicated by some of the scholars and is part of what Shaykh Muhammad ibn
‘Abd al-Wahhaab said. He did not say that it is allowed in Islam to
enter the mosque with shoes.

With
regard to it being haraam to visit graves, he did not say this at all.
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab followed the ahaadeeth, and the
hadeeth says: “”I used to forbid you to visit graves, but now [you
should] visit them, for they are a reminder of the Hereafter.” (Narrated
by Muslim, no. 977). And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said to those
who visit graves that when they visit them, they must abide by the
etiquette of Islam and make du’aa’ as the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught his companions: when you enter the
graveyard, say: “Peace be upon you, dwellers of these abodes, believers
and Muslims. We will, whenever Allaah wills, join you. May Allaah have
mercy on those of you who were first (to die) and those who were last. I
beg of Allaah salvation for us and for you. O Allaah, deprive us not of
reward (similar to theirs) and lead us not astray after they are gone, and
forgive us and them.” (Saheeh Muslim,
no. 974, 975)

This
is what the ahaadeeth say, and Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab affirmed
this in his books. But what he said was: People should not travel
specifically to visit graves. This is the view of Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab,
in accordance with the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed in al-Saheehayn,
where it says that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said:

“Journeys
should not be undertaken to visit (any place) except three: al-Masjid
al-Haraam [in Makkah], this mosque of mine [in Madeenah] and al-Masjid
al-Aqsaa [in al-Quds/Jerusalem].” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2/50;Muslim,
827; al-Nasaa’i, 1/277-287). He said: This hadeeth indicates that
it is not permissible to travel specifically to visit graves, but if you
visit them in your own city, for example, or those that do not require
travel specifically to visit them, then this is OK. The Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to visit graves, such as
the graveyard of al-Baqee’, and he
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him)visited the
graves of the shuhadaa’ (martyrs) and made du’aa’ for them. This is
something which is well known. What is forbidden is travelling
specifically to visit graves. This is something which we should not do,
according to the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed. Hence al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad
al-Maaliki said: It is not permissible to travel specifically to visit
graves. This was also the view of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Ibn ‘Aqeel, Ibn
Battah and a group of scholars. All that was said to you is not correct,
as we have explained to you. And Allaah knows best.