| Touching and kissing graves to seek benefit and removal of harm is Shirk |
Imam bn Hajr Al Asqalani said:
"..And the story of the righteous first began when the people of Prophet Nuh worshipped these idols, then the people who came after them followed them in that, and it is mentioned that they used to seek blessing by praying to Sawwa and to others from the righteous, when one of them died from them they would build a statue in his image and wipe themselves by it, until shaytan gradually made them worship it (the idol)." (Fath al Bari 8/668)
Imam Al Mirdawi (Hanbali) said: "And it is not liked to wipe the grave upon the correct stance of the Madhab." (Al Insaaf 4/53)
Ibn Qudamah (Hanbali) said: "It is not liked to wipe the walls of the Prophets grave not to kiss it. Imam Ahmed said: I don’t know that (anyone did this). Ibn Al Athrim said: I saw the scholars of Medina, they didn’t touch the Prophets grave. They stood from a distance and gave salaam." (Al Mugni 3/559, Al Furu 2/573, Wafa Al Wafa 4/1403)
Imam Al Ghazali said: "And do not touch the grave and nor the chamber, for it is the habit of the Christians. Al Ghazzali also said: To touch and kiss the graves/tombs is the habit of the Jews & Christians." (Ihya Uloom Ud Deen 1/259, 4/491)
Imam An Nawawi said: "And this is the Madhab of Imam Shaafiee and the consensus of scholars." (Al Mahdhib 1/139, Rawdat Taalibeen 1/652, Al Majmu 5/266 & 8/257, Siraaj al Wahaaj 1/114, Sharh Sahih Muslim 7/41-42 & 5/11-14, Aqd al Thameen 186, Zawajir 1/194-5)