Burying in a distant cemetery that costs nothing.
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The questioner : ... In this session, there was a question regarding the cemetery. He said: There is a nearby cemetery with no grave available, and the price of a grave is three thousand pounds. There is a distant cemetery with a grave available, and I would not have to pay anything. Is this an excuse for burying in the distant one?
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that it is an excuse; because the issue of nearness and distance is among the recommended matters. As for this calamity that befalls Muslims, which is one of the most astonishing calamities; it is reasonable that the living person cares to find a shelter and a house to take refuge in. But to care about a house for the dead, when one may be poor and forced to pay hundreds, if not thousands; this is among the calamities. Then these moneys are paid as illicit gain, and I do not know how the state remains silent about this matter? If the state were not the first to rule by what Allah has revealed, but as they say, out of concern for the rights of the people, where is this right? All the cemeteries are endowments for Muslims since hundreds of years, so they are not the property of anyone. So this cemetery keeper who takes the price of a grave, one thousand or two thousand or three thousand or a hundred, what is he taking the price of? Is this land where the dead of Muslims are buried his father’s or his grandfather’s land? It is not any of that at all. So why is there silence about those who exploit the need of the living when they are struck by the death of one of their own? It was not long ago that we, the poor, would bury the dead and pay three Syrian pounds or five pounds at most, just to satisfy the digger. But now we, the poor, must pay five hundred or a thousand pounds and other amounts, as you have heard! So this payment, if a person can avoid it, he should not pay it, because it actually helps in consuming the wealth of people by right. Therefore, I see in the previous question a large cemetery where the price of a grave is such and such, and a distant cemetery where perhaps it is free, or is it not free?
The questioner : He is saying it is free.
The Shaykh : If that is the case, then I prefer to bury her there in the distant cemetery, avoiding helping these oppressors who consume the wealth of people by right.
Perhaps this amount is sufficient; because I am a little tired tonight, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that it is an excuse; because the issue of nearness and distance is among the recommended matters. As for this calamity that befalls Muslims, which is one of the most astonishing calamities; it is reasonable that the living person cares to find a shelter and a house to take refuge in. But to care about a house for the dead, when one may be poor and forced to pay hundreds, if not thousands; this is among the calamities. Then these moneys are paid as illicit gain, and I do not know how the state remains silent about this matter? If the state were not the first to rule by what Allah has revealed, but as they say, out of concern for the rights of the people, where is this right? All the cemeteries are endowments for Muslims since hundreds of years, so they are not the property of anyone. So this cemetery keeper who takes the price of a grave, one thousand or two thousand or three thousand or a hundred, what is he taking the price of? Is this land where the dead of Muslims are buried his father’s or his grandfather’s land? It is not any of that at all. So why is there silence about those who exploit the need of the living when they are struck by the death of one of their own? It was not long ago that we, the poor, would bury the dead and pay three Syrian pounds or five pounds at most, just to satisfy the digger. But now we, the poor, must pay five hundred or a thousand pounds and other amounts, as you have heard! So this payment, if a person can avoid it, he should not pay it, because it actually helps in consuming the wealth of people by right. Therefore, I see in the previous question a large cemetery where the price of a grave is such and such, and a distant cemetery where perhaps it is free, or is it not free?
The questioner : He is saying it is free.
The Shaykh : If that is the case, then I prefer to bury her there in the distant cemetery, avoiding helping these oppressors who consume the wealth of people by right.
Perhaps this amount is sufficient; because I am a little tired tonight, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Source
www.al-albany.com
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