What is the ruling on praying in a mosque where there is a tomb in the direction of its qiblah for the founder of this mosque? Is the prayer in it considered valid or invalid?
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The questioner : The last question asks: What is the ruling on praying in a mosque where there is a tomb in the direction of its qiblah for a person who may be the founder and builder of the mosque? Is the prayer considered valid or invalid?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible to place a grave in a mosque, neither in front of the qiblah, nor behind the worshippers, nor to their right, nor to their left. If someone is buried in a mosque, even if he is its founder or builder, it is obligatory to exhume this grave and bury him with the people. However, if the grave predates the mosque, the mosque should be demolished and moved away from the grave, because the fitnah (trial) of graves in mosques is very great. It may lead to the worship of the buried person, even after a long time, or to exaggeration regarding him and seeking blessing from him. This is a great danger for the Muslims, so they must stay away from all mosques that contain graves, whether the grave predates the mosque or not. But if the grave predates the mosque, it is obligatory to demolish the mosque and change its location. If the mosque was built first, it is obligatory to remove this deceased person from his grave and bury him with the Muslims.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible to place a grave in a mosque, neither in front of the qiblah, nor behind the worshippers, nor to their right, nor to their left. If someone is buried in a mosque, even if he is its founder or builder, it is obligatory to exhume this grave and bury him with the people. However, if the grave predates the mosque, the mosque should be demolished and moved away from the grave, because the fitnah (trial) of graves in mosques is very great. It may lead to the worship of the buried person, even after a long time, or to exaggeration regarding him and seeking blessing from him. This is a great danger for the Muslims, so they must stay away from all mosques that contain graves, whether the grave predates the mosque or not. But if the grave predates the mosque, it is obligatory to demolish the mosque and change its location. If the mosque was built first, it is obligatory to remove this deceased person from his grave and bury him with the Muslims.