Prostrating on graves and slaughtering on them

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta

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Fatwa number ( 189 )
Q: What is the ruling on prostrating on graves and slaughtering on them?

A: Prostrating on graves and slaughtering on them is a pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah) polytheism, and major shirk (associating partners with Allah), for each of them is worship, and worship is not for anyone but Allah alone. So whoever directs it to other than Allah is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). Allah the Exalted said:

⁽¹⁶²⁾ Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. ⁽¹⁶³⁾ No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims."

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (162) لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

[Al-An'am 6:162-163]

And Allah the Exalted said:

⁽¹⁾ Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar. ⁽²⁾ So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone].

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ (1) فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ

[Al-Kawthar 108:1-2]

... to other verses indicating that prostration and slaughter are worship, and that directing them to other than Allah is major shirk. There is no doubt that a person’s intention to go to graves to prostrate on them or slaughter near them is only to revere and honor them through prostration and the offerings that are slaughtered or sacrificed near them. And Muslim narrated in a long hadith in the chapter on the prohibition of slaughtering for other than Allah the Exalted and the cursing of its doer, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who said in it: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told me four words:

May Allah curse whoever slaughters for other than Allah, may Allah curse whoever curses his parents, may Allah curse whoever shelters an innovator, may Allah curse whoever changes the landmarks of the earth

لعن الله من ذبح لغير الله، لعن الله من لعن والديه، لعن الله من آوى محدثًا، لعن الله من غيّر منار الأرض

, and Abu Dawud narrated in his Sunan from the route of Thabit ibn al-Dahhak (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

A man vowed to sacrifice camels at Bawānah, so he asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: Was there an idol among the idols of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah) that was worshipped there? They said: No. He said: Was there a festival among their festivals there? They said: No. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Fulfill your vow, for there is no fulfillment of a vow in disobedience to Allah or in what the son of Adam does not own.

نذر رجل أن ينحر إبلاً ببوانة، فسأل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: هل كان فيها وثن من أوثان الجاهلية يعبد؟، قالوا: لا، قال: فهل كان فيها عيد من أعيادهم؟ قالوا: لا، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أوف بنذرك فإنه لا وفاء لنذر في معصية الله ولا في ما لا يملك ابن آدم

Sunan al-Bayhaqi 17:1048

. So what has been mentioned indicates the cursing of whoever slaughters for other than Allah, and the prohibition of slaughtering in a place where other than Allah is revered, whether it is an idol, a grave, or a place where the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah) used to gather, even if one intends the face of Allah by it. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and peace 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.

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