The Answer to the Grave-Worshippers’ Argument Using the Prophet’s Dome

Question:
The Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, says: The grave-worshippers argue in promoting their religious innovation (bid'ah) of building over graves by citing the Prophet’s dome. How is this answered?

Answer:
The answer to that is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not have a structure built over his grave; rather, he was buried in his home to protect him from excess, as Aisha said. Had it not been for that, his grave would have been exposed, except that he feared it would be taken as a mosque. So he was buried in his home, which had been built previously, to protect him, to protect him from excess. Is it that he was buried and then a structure was built over him? No, the house existed; it was Aisha’s house, and he was buried in it (peace and blessings be upon him) to protect him. It was outside the mosque; it was outside the mosque. Then, when the time came, it remained outside the mosque during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, during the era of Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), and during the era of 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. When al-Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik came and wanted to expand the mosque—meaning, al-Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik, after 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan—wanted to expand the mosque, he included the chamber in it. This was an error, and it was not done with the advice of the scholars or by a fatwa from the scholars; rather, it was an opinion he held, may Allah forgive him, and he erred in this. It became clear to us that the mosque is one thing and the grave is separate. The inclusion of the chamber in the mosque was an action by some of the rulers, and it is not from the Shari'ah, nor was it done with the advice of the scholars. Yes.