Making Tawaf Around The Prophet's Grave

What is the ruling regarding making Tawaf around the Prophet's chamber?

Some visitors to the Al-Masjid An-Nabawi make Tawaf around the grave of the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) and touch the caging of the chamber and its walls and, quite possibly, they kiss it with their lips and place their cheeks upon it.

All of this is a detestable innovation! Certainly, making Tawaf around other than the Ka'bah is impermissible; also, touching, kissing and placing the cheeks has been legislated for a specific place on the Ka'bah between Al-Hajar Al-Aswad and the door of the Ka'bah.

So, worshipping Allah in this way, on the walls of the chamber, does not increase a person in anything except distancing himself from Allah.

Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen