The ruling on praying in a mosque that contains a grave and reciting al-Fatihah for the deceased

Question:
He says: What is the ruling on praying in a mosque that contains a grave, and what is the ruling on reciting al-Fatihah for the soul of the deceased?

Answer:
Reciting al-Fatihah for the dead is a bid'ah (religious innovation) for which there is no evidence. What is prescribed for the dead is supplication, not recitation. It is prescribed to make du'a' (supplication) for them, seek forgiveness for them, and ask for mercy for them if they were Muslims; this is what is prescribed. As for reciting the Qur'an, al-Fatihah, or anything else, there is no evidence for it, so it is a bid'ah. As for praying in a mosque that contains a grave, it is not valid and is not permissible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying at graves, because this is a means to shirk (associating partners with Allah), and the prohibition implies invalidity and lack of validity.