The Ruling on Placing Markers on Graves
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
He asks about placing markers on graves. He says: A relative of mine has passed away, and I want to know the location of the grave. What should I do? Should I place a marker on the grave? And what is your opinion regarding the current practice of writing on walls?
Answer:
Writing on the grave, plastering it, and building upon it are all forbidden and not permissible. However, if one places a mark that only he knows, such as placing a stone on it, or placing a stake, or a stick, or something similar that only its owner knows, there is no harm in that. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed a stone on the grave of Uthman ibn Maz'un (may Allah be pleased with him) so that he could visit it and make du'a for him. Yes.
He asks about placing markers on graves. He says: A relative of mine has passed away, and I want to know the location of the grave. What should I do? Should I place a marker on the grave? And what is your opinion regarding the current practice of writing on walls?
Answer:
Writing on the grave, plastering it, and building upon it are all forbidden and not permissible. However, if one places a mark that only he knows, such as placing a stone on it, or placing a stake, or a stick, or something similar that only its owner knows, there is no harm in that. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed a stone on the grave of Uthman ibn Maz'un (may Allah be pleased with him) so that he could visit it and make du'a for him. Yes.
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 03/018 — archive.org (14:55)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.