Distinguishing Graves with Stones and Markers
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Many of them.
Another questioner:
May Allah bless you. There are graves placed in the desert, and they place stones, raising them at the head of the deceased. They say, "This is the brave one; may Allah brighten his face." They place these stones as a sign of his whiteness and bravery, meaning that he killed so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, and they are placed at his head, just like for a human being.
The Shaykh:
That is wrong. Graves are not distinguished by things of their kind, whether the person was brave or cowardly. You do not distinguish them. Graves should be level.
Another questioner:
It comes.
The Shaykh:
Some people place a large stone for one person and not for another. No, leave them level. There is no harm in sprinkling pebbles on them and watering them to settle the soil so that it does not erode. One may place a few stones or two stones at the head to indicate that they are graves. However, distinguishing the brave one is a matter of distinction. Perhaps after that, in days to come, when no one distinguishes by anything—neither by writing, nor by special stones for the brave, the scholar, the leader, or the like—no, rather, the graves should be close together or level, with no preference for anyone. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, made them this way. This is a lesson and a reminder. Over the great palaces, the servants, the wealth, and the guards, these graves are reduced to this state. This is from the manifestation of the slave of Allah and His wisdom toward His servants. And because in this is the blocking of the means that may lower one to shirk (associating partners with Allah) or bring one close to shirk. The graves should be in the utmost humility, with nothing in them that incites fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), such as raising them, building on them, making graves with doors on them, or mosques, or writings, or anything else. And so with the stones I mentioned that they should not be made
Another questioner:
by one who sees them.
The Shaykh:
Well, Abdul Aziz.
Another questioner:
In reality.
The Shaykh:
He has a reward. If it is fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), no. If it is fitnah, he should mediate between them with good words and good actions so that it does not become fitnah. He teaches them, saying, "I heard so-and-so say such and such. I heard that student of knowledge say such and such. That scholar said such and such. This is not appropriate." He resolves the problem by good means, not by fitnah.
Many of them.
Another questioner:
May Allah bless you. There are graves placed in the desert, and they place stones, raising them at the head of the deceased. They say, "This is the brave one; may Allah brighten his face." They place these stones as a sign of his whiteness and bravery, meaning that he killed so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, and they are placed at his head, just like for a human being.
The Shaykh:
That is wrong. Graves are not distinguished by things of their kind, whether the person was brave or cowardly. You do not distinguish them. Graves should be level.
Another questioner:
It comes.
The Shaykh:
Some people place a large stone for one person and not for another. No, leave them level. There is no harm in sprinkling pebbles on them and watering them to settle the soil so that it does not erode. One may place a few stones or two stones at the head to indicate that they are graves. However, distinguishing the brave one is a matter of distinction. Perhaps after that, in days to come, when no one distinguishes by anything—neither by writing, nor by special stones for the brave, the scholar, the leader, or the like—no, rather, the graves should be close together or level, with no preference for anyone. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, made them this way. This is a lesson and a reminder. Over the great palaces, the servants, the wealth, and the guards, these graves are reduced to this state. This is from the manifestation of the slave of Allah and His wisdom toward His servants. And because in this is the blocking of the means that may lower one to shirk (associating partners with Allah) or bring one close to shirk. The graves should be in the utmost humility, with nothing in them that incites fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), such as raising them, building on them, making graves with doors on them, or mosques, or writings, or anything else. And so with the stones I mentioned that they should not be made
Another questioner:
by one who sees them.
The Shaykh:
Well, Abdul Aziz.
Another questioner:
In reality.
The Shaykh:
He has a reward. If it is fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), no. If it is fitnah, he should mediate between them with good words and good actions so that it does not become fitnah. He teaches them, saying, "I heard so-and-so say such and such. I heard that student of knowledge say such and such. That scholar said such and such. This is not appropriate." He resolves the problem by good means, not by fitnah.
Source
ندوات الجامع الكبير مع الأسئلة - 26 — archive.org (35:50)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.