What is meant by the prohibition of praying in graveyards?

The questioner : You mentioned in your book "Rulings on Funerals" that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited praying in graveyards. The question is: What is meant by praying in graveyards? Is it meant to be between the graves? Or is it for the grave to be in the direction of the prayer of the one praying? Because we find that many graveyards have a prayer area for praying over the deceased?

The Shaykh : The intended meaning is broader than praying toward a grave; because there is an explicit prohibition against praying toward a grave, namely his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . As for the prohibition of praying in graveyards or in a graveyard; this is a ruling that is broader and more comprehensive than the first ruling that came in the hadith we mentioned. And what confirms this are the many authentic hadiths that came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his companions), some of which may reach the level of mass transmission, regarding the prohibition of praying in mosques built over graves. So if there is a mosque with one grave in it; then prayer in this mosque is not valid. Why? Because that place, with the presence of that grave, has the ruling of a graveyard. This is contrary to what is mentioned in some books of the Hanbalis and others; that a place is not called a graveyard unless there are three graves in it. If this opinion does not apply or does not align with the meaning of "graveyard" linguistically or religiously, as the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) clarified in some of his books.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good. The place designated for praying over the funeral, if it is separated from the graveyard; then it is permissible. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray over the funeral in the prayer area, and the prayer area was next to the grave. So the prayer area being next to the grave or graves is one thing, and it being fenced off and separated from the graveyard is another thing. It is necessary to look at the reality of the prayer area that exists in some countries; is it separated from the graveyard, or are those who pray in this prayer area praying either between the graves, or between the graveyards, or toward the graveyards? This detail must be taken into consideration.