The Difference Between Praying Toward a Grave and Praying on Stolen Land

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is it permissible to pray toward the cemetery or toward a grave, just as it is permissible to pray toward stolen land or grass?

Answer:
It is not permissible. Regarding stolen land, there is no explicit prohibition from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) against praying on it, and therefore the scholars differed on the validity of prayer on stolen land. This is different from praying at a grave or toward a grave, for which there is an explicit prohibition from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So there is a difference between the two. Also, praying at graves is a means of shirk (associating partners with Allah), whereas praying on stolen land is not a means of shirk; rather, it involves only using another person’s property without his permission.