Dear Sirs, Assalam O Aleikum My wife has a framed photograph of the grave of the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) and she displays this in our bedroom. Every now and then, she takes the framed photograph and kisses it. Now is this correct to do? Please reply as soon as possible.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

One should not directly kiss the grave of the Prophet . An-Nawawi said: 'It is disliked to wipe over or kiss the grave of the Prophet .' So, kissing the picture of his grave is even more disliked.

Similarly, a group of scholars from the Maaliki School of jurisprudence stated that it is disliked to kiss the Mus-haf (i.e. the Arabic text of the Quran) which is of greater value and excellence than the picture of the grave. Al-Kharshi from the Maaliki School, said: 'It is disliked to kiss the Mus-haf.'

Therefore, your wife should not continue kissing the picture of the grave and there is no benefit for her in hanging that picture in her room. What is worse is that it is feared that this act could lead her to the act of Shirk (associating partners with Allaah).

Undoubtedly, loving the Prophet is a part of one’s faith and it is something which every single Muslim should do. Nonetheless, the real love of the Prophet is in following his example, exalting his mention as much as possible, and reading his biography and his merits.

Allaah Knows best.