Does Islam allow visiting darbaars of pious people or is it shirk? Please provide an authentic source for the given.

Kindly refer below our standard reply to similar query%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai%0D%0AFATWA DEPT.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou were unfortunate to come into contact with members of the Barelwi sect.%0D%0AThis corruption is rife in the Indo-pak subcontinent where it originated%0D%0Afrom and has no adherents outside the Indian community. This group holds%0D%0Amany un-Islamic beliefs and have incorporated many Hindu and Shirk customs%0D%0Aand practices into their doctrine. Many Ulama have written detailed%0D%0Arefutations of these evils in the Urdu language, among them, Moulana%0D%0AMuhammad Yusuf Ludyanwi Shaheed (RA) whose outstanding book, 'Differences in%0D%0Athe Ummah and the Straight Path' has been translated into English and is%0D%0Aavailable from the Madrasah Arabia Islamia, Azaadville, South Africa.%0D%0A%0D%0ATo help clear your confusion, we will briefly address the issues raised in%0D%0Ayour correspondence.%0D%0A%0D%0AAllah Ta'ala commands in the Qur'aan, 'O you who believe! Fear Allah and be%0D%0Awith the Saadiqeen (truthful ones).' (Tawbah). Here, it is inferred that%0D%0Acompany of the pious is instrumental in assisting one towards the goal of%0D%0ATaqwa (fear of Allah). It is therefore, imperative that such a pious one be%0D%0A'Muttabi us Sunnah' (a strict adherent of the Sunnha) so as to advise and%0D%0Aassist others in attaining this goal. Such a person is indeed worthy of%0D%0Arespect within the limits prescribed by the Shari'ah. It also follows that%0D%0Aone who is himself involved and encourages practices and customs contrary to%0D%0Athe Sunnah can never assist others except in Dhalaal (misguidance).%0D%0A%0D%0AMany great and worthy personages and staunch upholders of the Sunnah have%0D%0Acontributed tremendously to the service of Deen and have since left this%0D%0Aworld. They were indeed great 'Awliyaa' (friends) of Allah. Sadly, after%0D%0Atheir demise, some ignorant members of society fell into a great mischief.%0D%0AWith hollow claims of Ta'zeem (according honour) and Muhabbat (love), they%0D%0Ahave began perpetrating such heinous evils that shake the very foundations%0D%0Aof Deen. Were the Awliyaa, in whose names these are carried out, alive, they%0D%0Awould have been the first to outlaw them. Among these evil practices,%0D%0Ahereunder are some of them:%0D%0A%0D%0AKissing or Bowing before Graves%0D%0AAmong all the evils perpetrated by these persons, these are surely the most%0D%0Aheinous. Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) had expressly forbade that any%0D%0Aperson prostrate before him. He said, 'Were I to command anyone to prostrate%0D%0Abefore another, I would have commanded the wife to do so before her husband.%0D%0A' (Targheeb).%0D%0A%0D%0AThe learned scholars of Islam have clearly stated that such innovations are%0D%0Aabsolutely Haraam and in some situations, even Kufr. This can be understood%0D%0Afrom the following text (extracted from authoritative works):%0D%0A%0D%0A'Whoever bows to the king with the intention of Ibaadat, becomes a Kaafir%0D%0A(disbeliever). It appears in Khulasa that, 'whoever prostrates before them%0D%0Awith the intention of Ta'zeem (showing honour) like the Ta'zeem of Allah Ta'%0D%0Aala, he will become Kaafir. If his intention is just a greeting, some Ulama%0D%0Ahave accepted the view that he will not become a Kaafir (but such an act is%0D%0AHaraam). This is the most apparent view. Some Ulama, however, hold the view%0D%0Athat he will become Kaafir in all cases. Concerning kissing of the ground,%0D%0Athis is very close to bowing, except that placing the forehead or the cheek%0D%0Aon the ground is worse than the cheek.' (Fataawa Mahmoodiya vol.10 pg.60%0D%0Aquoting Fiqh Sharhul Akbar).%0D%0A%0D%0A"Bowing to any besides Allah is Haraam." (Ibid)%0D%0A%0D%0A"The best method when visiting the graveyard is to place one's back towards%0D%0Athe Qibla while facing the Mayyit (deceased) and make Salaam. The hands%0D%0Ashould not be passed over the grave, nor should it be kissed or touched, for%0D%0Asuch is the custom of the Christians." (Ibid from Tahtaawi)%0D%0A%0D%0A"One should not cling to a grave nor touch it . one who is learned should%0D%0Ainform and warn others against those innovations perpetrated by the%0D%0Aignorant, that Tawaaf (circumambulation) of the holy grave of Nabi%0D%0A(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) takes place as around the Ka'bah and that the%0D%0Ahands be passed over it or that it be kissed." (Ibid from Mudkhal)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe above quotations should be sufficient to portray the magnitude of%0D%0Aperpetrating these acts of Shirk.%0D%0A%0D%0AStrewing of Flowers Upon Graves%0D%0AMufti Mahmoodul-Hasan Gangohi (RA) has aptly replied to this question. He%0D%0Awrites, 'Stewing flowers or Chadars (shawls) upon graves is incorrect.%0D%0AAlthough it has been narrated that Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) had%0D%0Aplanted branches upon two graves, this was only because the occupants of%0D%0Athose graves were suffering punishments. Then too the blessed hands of Nabi%0D%0A(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) were used (which is not insignificant). When%0D%0Ausing this as substantiation for the practise of strewing flowers upon the%0D%0Aresting places of the pious servants of Allah Ta'ala, is it then done out of%0D%0Athe belief that these great personages, Allah forbid, are suffering divine%0D%0Apunishments? Also, aside from those two graves, it is not established that%0D%0ANabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) planted branches on any other occasions."%0D%0A(Fataawa Mahmoodiyya vol.1 pg.195; Mazhari)%0D%0A%0D%0AWe wish to add that should one sincerely wish to practise upon the Hadith,%0D%0Awhich cannot in any case, be a basis for establishing Sunniyyaat (a practise%0D%0Abeing Sunnah), why adhere to flowers, an item according great importance by%0D%0Athe Hindu religion?