The Ruling on Respecting Graveyards and Protecting Them from Disrespect

Question:
The last question we are presenting in this episode says: We have some old graveyards that have ended up in the middle of residential areas, and people use them as paths with their feet, cars, and animals. What is your guidance for the people? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
It is obligatory to respect graveyards by not trampling on them, throwing waste on them, or disgracing them. It is obligatory that graveyards be protected and secured in a way that shields them from the harm of people, animals, and others, because the dead have sanctity, and the sanctity of a Muslim after death is like his sanctity while alive. It is obligatory to protect graves and prevent trampling on them, sitting on them, and other forms of disgrace. It was reported in the hadith regarding the grave.
People are at two extremes and in the middle regarding the issue of graves. The first extreme, which has prevailed regarding graves, especially the graves of the righteous, is that they took them as means to invoke other than Allah, directing their needs to them. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) warned against exaggeration regarding graves, whether they are the graves of prophets or the graves of the righteous. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying at graves because that is a means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). He forbade building over graves because that is a means to shirk. He forbade writing on them, and he forbade plastering them, whitewashing them, and covering them. All of this is for the sake of protecting tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and avoiding shirk. But a group opposed the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in this matter and did everything he forbade around the graves, out of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and the work of Satan. The second extreme is the opposite: they desecrate the graves, do not see them as having sanctity, and use them as places to throw waste, or perhaps they build houses on them, or open roads through them, or do other such things. This is haram (forbidden); because the dead have acquired these places where they are, and it is not permissible to encroach upon them.
The middle path is that of the people of the Sunnah and the community, who protect the graves from harm and disgrace, respect them, and secure them with walls that prevent trampling on them. However, they do not exaggerate in them as the exaggerators do, but rather they follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in this regard. This is the Prophetic guidance, and this is the middle methodology, and the best of matters is the moderate one. May Allah reward you with good and do you well.