What is the ruling on writing the name of the deceased on the grave, and what is the meaning of the prohibition against plastering the grave?
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Question:
What is the ruling on writing the name of the deceased on the grave? And what is the meaning of the prohibition against plastering the grave?
Answer:
Yes. Anything that involves exaggeration regarding the deceased and directing people’s attention to him is prohibited, because this is one of the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah). Therefore, nothing is to be written on graves. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited writing on graves because if something is written on them, the hearts of the common people and the ignorant become attached to them, and they say, “This is a wali (close friend of Allah) among the awliya (close friends of Allah),” and they gather around it. This is especially the case if the scholar is famous for his knowledge and for righteous deeds, and they find his grave and recognize it; then they become attached to it. For this reason, graves are not distinguished from one another so that some are not known from others, thereby preventing the common people and the callers to misguidance from becoming attached to graves. Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited writing on graves, whether the name of the deceased or anything else.
He also prohibited plastering the grave, which means coloring it with plaster, or coloring it with lime, or with paint, because this directs people’s attention to it. This directs people’s attention to it, and it is a cause for exaggeration regarding it and for the attachment of the ignorant and common people to it. They say, “These colors were not applied to it except because it has a secret and a status,” and they become attached to it. Graves are to be on an equal footing, with none distinguished from another, so that the ignorant, the common people, and the superstitious do not become attached to them. Yes. They do not know the grave of this one from the grave of that one, so that the path to exaggeration is cut off for them. Yes.
What is the ruling on writing the name of the deceased on the grave? And what is the meaning of the prohibition against plastering the grave?
Answer:
Yes. Anything that involves exaggeration regarding the deceased and directing people’s attention to him is prohibited, because this is one of the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah). Therefore, nothing is to be written on graves. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited writing on graves because if something is written on them, the hearts of the common people and the ignorant become attached to them, and they say, “This is a wali (close friend of Allah) among the awliya (close friends of Allah),” and they gather around it. This is especially the case if the scholar is famous for his knowledge and for righteous deeds, and they find his grave and recognize it; then they become attached to it. For this reason, graves are not distinguished from one another so that some are not known from others, thereby preventing the common people and the callers to misguidance from becoming attached to graves. Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited writing on graves, whether the name of the deceased or anything else.
He also prohibited plastering the grave, which means coloring it with plaster, or coloring it with lime, or with paint, because this directs people’s attention to it. This directs people’s attention to it, and it is a cause for exaggeration regarding it and for the attachment of the ignorant and common people to it. They say, “These colors were not applied to it except because it has a secret and a status,” and they become attached to it. Graves are to be on an equal footing, with none distinguished from another, so that the ignorant, the common people, and the superstitious do not become attached to them. Yes. They do not know the grave of this one from the grave of that one, so that the path to exaggeration is cut off for them. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 346 - ما حكم كتابة اسم الميت على القبر وما معنى النهي عن تجسيس القبر؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.