Was the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) buried inside al-Masjid al-Nabawi?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: Some people say that the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is now inside the mosque. Is this statement correct?

Answer:
It is now inside the mosque. It is not the grave itself, but the Prophet’s chamber, which contains the grave, that is inside the mosque. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not buried in the mosque; rather, he was buried in his house, which was outside the mosque. The Companions expanded the mosque from the west, the north, and the south, but they did not expand it from the east, so that the Prophet’s house, which contains the grave, would remain outside the mosque. When al-Walid came (may Allah forgive him) and wanted to expand the mosque, he expanded it from the east and included the chamber in it. This was not done with the approval of the scholars; rather, they condemned this action. But, praise be to Allah, the grave is now protected and guarded, and no one is able to do anything in it that is prohibited, so it remains as it is. However, we know that the original state is that the grave is not in the mosque, but outside the mosque. The grave of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not built upon a mosque, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not buried in the mosque. Yes.