A Response to Those Who Claim That the Prophet’s Grave Is Inside al-Masjid al-Nabawi

Question:
May Allah reward you. Your Eminence, the father, the questioner says: There are those who say that the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is inside al-Masjid al-Nabawi. So why is it not removed from the mosque, given that prayer in a mosque containing a grave is not permissible?

Answer:
This is a well-organized ignoramus who does not know that the grave of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not in the mosque. He was buried in his house, outside the mosque. He was buried in his house, outside the mosque, (peace and blessings be upon him), in order to preserve him from exaggeration. For if he had been buried in a prominent place, the ignorant people would have jostled one another and rushed to him. So it was a preservation for him that he was buried in his house, (peace and blessings be upon him).
Aisha said, “Were it not for that, his grave would have been made prominent, but it was feared that it would be taken as a mosque.” And only the room was brought into the mosque; the grave was not brought in. The room was brought into the mosque when it was expanded during the reign of al-Walid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik. The room and the grave were brought inside the room, and no one sees it and no one reaches it, just as it was when he was first buried, (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes.