What is the ruling on intentionally visiting the grave of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and are the hadiths reported in this regard authentic?

No authentic hadith (definition) exists regarding the virtue of visiting the Prophet's grave, such as "Whoever visits my grave, my intercession becomes obligatory for him." Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah declared these hadiths weak, affirming that there is no hadith, neither hasan (definition) nor sahih (definition), concerning this matter. Visiting his grave (peace and blessings be upon him) is permissible for one who passes by it or is in his mosque. However, traveling specifically to visit the grave is not permissible, as setting out on a journey (shaddu al-rihal) is exclusively for the three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram (definition), al-Masjid al-Nabawi, and al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Traveling to visit the Prophet's grave or the graves of righteous individuals is an innovation (bid'ah) that was not practiced by the Companions or the Tabi'un, and it contradicts the Sunnah (definition) and the consensus of the imams. Authentic hadiths have been reported prohibiting the taking of graves as places of worship, such as "O Allah, do not make my grave an idol to be worshipped. Allah's wrath intensified upon a people who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship." This serves as proof of the impermissibility of intending the grave for worship, supplication, or seeking assistance, which many ignorant people do today.