There is only one mosque in our area, and in the qiblah of this mosque there are graves with no barrier between them and the mosque; is it permissible to pray in it?

The questioner : The mosque, as I mentioned to you, is close to the mosque of Shaykh Abu Malik, but now, because there is no mosque for the area, the children go to pray in the mosque, and some people do not know about the issue and will pray in the mosque. We have become criticized for why we do not want to pray in the mosque, given that the situation has become a reality and the mosque has been built, and it is impossible to build a wall between the wall of the mosque and the qiblah.

The Shaykh : Why is this impossible? What is the impossibility?

The questioner : The impossibility is that the graves are still in the qiblah of the mosque, covered over.

The Shaykh : Are you saying: they built a pavement?

The questioner : Over the graves.

The Shaykh : We do not disagree.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : How is it not impossible to build a pavement, which takes one or two meters?

The questioner : Yes, for example, this pavement has graves underneath it, and this is the qiblah of the mosque, which is the wall; so where will the wall be built?

The Shaykh : Do you mean that there are graves next to the wall of the mosque?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Do you mean this is the wall?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And here the grave becomes in the ...?

The questioner : Yes, there are ... graves that have not been dug up, and they built this passage over them.

The Shaykh : The passage is not our problem, the wall, the wall!!

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : The wall takes a width, for example, of thirty in blocks, for example, in bricks, this takes thirty or forty at most.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : So it does not take a distance such that it encroaches on the graves; the grave, whatever it is, must not be less than a meter in width, so next to it, to separate the mosque from the cemetery, as Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) says, this precautionary wall is necessary. I do not think this is impossible.

The questioner : Well, Shaykh, did they refuse to build the wall now?

The Shaykh : I do not know; this is a matter that concerns the Shari'ah court, but the fatwa is known.

The questioner : Do you mean we do not pray in it?

The Shaykh : Do you not have another mosque?

The questioner : We do not have another mosque.

The Shaykh : If you do not have another mosque, prayer is permissible with the understanding that this situation is not a prescribed one.

The questioner : We do our best to pray in another mosque by car.

The Shaykh : That is it.

The questioner : But we are caught at some times, like the Maghrib prayer, when we cannot go.

The Shaykh : I have answered you, I have answered you. If there is no other mosque, and the matter comes down to whether you pray in your homes or you pray in this mosque, and you know its ruling; then prayer in this mosque is permissible for you, if Allah wills, with these conditions. And now, relax [everyone laughs!].

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : Relax, relax.

The questioner : Shaykh, can I ask a small question?

The Shaykh : What is the difference between it and a big one?

The questioner : Short, short!!

The Shaykh: Yes.