The Manner of Burial
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Fatwa No. ( 1666 )
All praise is due to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon His Messenger, his family, and his Companions. And after that: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed the inquiry submitted by His Excellency, the Director of the Islamic Cultural Center in Italy , through His Eminence, the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, to His Eminence, the President , and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat with number 853/2 and date 17/5/1397 AH. The inquiry states: The Muslims there are keen to ensure that their deceased are buried in accordance with the noble Islamic Shari'ah, regarding the shape of the graves, their direction, the method of burying the deceased, and the orientation of the body. They request the issuance of a legal ruling on this matter, with clarification in the form of a diagram or image, to serve as a reference for the Center's administration, so that anyone who wishes to know the opinion of the pure Islamic religion in this regard may consult it.
The Committee responded as follows:
It is a Sunnah to make a niche (lafd) in the grave in which the deceased is buried, as the Companions did for the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This means that the digger digs a rectangular trench, and when he reaches a sufficient depth, he digs a space in the side facing the qiblah where the deceased is placed; this is the lafd. Muslim narrated in his Sahih from 'Amir ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas :Mishkat al-Masabih 1693. If the ground is soft, a structure resembling a lafd is made for him from stones. The grave should not be made in the form of a trench (shaqq); that is, digging a rectangular trench in the ground where the deceased is placed and a roof is built over him to protect the body; this is based on what Abu Dawud , al-Nasa'i , and al-Tirmidhi narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sunan Ibn Majah 1554Da’if (Darussalam), except if making a lafd is not possible, in which case a trench is permissible; based on the saying of the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:286] and His saying: [Al-Hajj 22:78]
And His saying:[At-Taghabun 64:16] and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih al-Bukhari 7288. It is recommended that the grave be wide and deep, approximately the height of a standing person; based on what Abu Dawud narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . No specific depth was defined, so the matter is broad in this regard, taking into account the condition of the ground, whether hard or soft, and protecting the deceased from being dug up by wild animals or the like. As for the method of burying the deceased and his orientation in the grave, the recommended practice is to insert his head from the side of the grave where his feet will be, if that is feasible, then lower him gently until he is placed in the lafd made for him in the side facing the qiblah, on his right side. This was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar , Anas , 'Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Ansari , al-Nakha'i , and al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with them). This is indicated by what Imam Ahmad narrated in his chain from . This implies the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas narrated: . If it is easier for those handling the burial to insert him into the grave from the side facing the qiblah, lying across, or from the side where his head will be, there is no harm; because the recommendation to insert him from the side of the grave where his feet will be is only for
the ease of those handling the burial, and for gentleness toward him and toward them. If something else is easier, that is recommended, and the matter is broad in this regard. The objective is to observe what was practiced during the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), seeking the Sunnah, and achieving ease and gentleness. If something prevents this and makes another method easier and gentler, that should be done. The deceased is placed in the lafd on his right side, facing the qiblah with his face. Something raised, such as a brick, a stone, or earth, is placed under his head, as is done for the living. He is brought close to the front wall of the grave so that he does not roll onto his face, and he is supported by something behind his back so that he does not roll onto his back. A brick is erected behind him, and the gaps between the bricks are sealed with clay so that earth does not reach him; based on the statement of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas : "And erect bricks over me, as was done for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." If bricks are not possible, a stone, reed, grass, or the like is placed, whatever is available, and then earth is thrown over him. The one handling the burial says when placing him in the lafd: "In the name of Allah and upon the religion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)," based on what al-Tirmidhi narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both):Mishkat al-Masabih 1707. And al-Tirmidhi said: "This is a good, strange hadith."
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
All praise is due to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon His Messenger, his family, and his Companions. And after that: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed the inquiry submitted by His Excellency, the Director of the Islamic Cultural Center in Italy , through His Eminence, the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, to His Eminence, the President , and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat with number 853/2 and date 17/5/1397 AH. The inquiry states: The Muslims there are keen to ensure that their deceased are buried in accordance with the noble Islamic Shari'ah, regarding the shape of the graves, their direction, the method of burying the deceased, and the orientation of the body. They request the issuance of a legal ruling on this matter, with clarification in the form of a diagram or image, to serve as a reference for the Center's administration, so that anyone who wishes to know the opinion of the pure Islamic religion in this regard may consult it.
The Committee responded as follows:
It is a Sunnah to make a niche (lafd) in the grave in which the deceased is buried, as the Companions did for the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This means that the digger digs a rectangular trench, and when he reaches a sufficient depth, he digs a space in the side facing the qiblah where the deceased is placed; this is the lafd. Muslim narrated in his Sahih from 'Amir ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas :
Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas said during his illness of which he died, “Make a niche for me in the side of the grave, and set up bricks over me as was done with God’s messenger.”
أن سعد بن أبي وقاص رضي الله عنهما قال في مرضه الذي هلك فيه: الحدوا لي لحدًا، وانصبوا علي اللبن نصبًا، كما صنع برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلمThe niche-grave is for us and the ditch-grave is for others.
اللحد لنا، والشق لغيرناAllah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلا وُسْعَهَاand has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty
وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍAnd His saying:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْAnd if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can.
إذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتمDig and make it wide, and make it deep
احفروا وأوسعوا، وأعمقوا'Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Ansari, that al-Harith instructed him to attend to him when he died, so he prayed over him, then entered the grave, and inserted him from the feet of the grave and said: "This is the Sunnah"
عبد الله بن يزيد الأنصاري، أن الحارث أوصاه أن يليه عند موته، فصلى عليه ثم دخل القبر، فأدخله من رجلي القبر وقال: (هذه السنة)That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was lowered gently from the head side
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم سل من قبل رأسه سلاthe ease of those handling the burial, and for gentleness toward him and toward them. If something else is easier, that is recommended, and the matter is broad in this regard. The objective is to observe what was practiced during the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), seeking the Sunnah, and achieving ease and gentleness. If something prevents this and makes another method easier and gentler, that should be done. The deceased is placed in the lafd on his right side, facing the qiblah with his face. Something raised, such as a brick, a stone, or earth, is placed under his head, as is done for the living. He is brought close to the front wall of the grave so that he does not roll onto his face, and he is supported by something behind his back so that he does not roll onto his back. A brick is erected behind him, and the gaps between the bricks are sealed with clay so that earth does not reach him; based on the statement of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas : "And erect bricks over me, as was done for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." If bricks are not possible, a stone, reed, grass, or the like is placed, whatever is available, and then earth is thrown over him. The one handling the burial says when placing him in the lafd: "In the name of Allah and upon the religion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)," based on what al-Tirmidhi narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both):
that when the dead was placed in the grave the Prophet said, “In the name of God, by God’s grace, and following the religion of God’s messenger.”
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا أدخل الميت القبر قال: بسم الله وعلى ملة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلمAnd success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.