Explaining Some Forms of Burial That Contradict the Sunnah

The questioner : The Shaykh :

The Shaykh: Go ahead.

The questioner : Regarding burial and the dead and similar matters... today about burial in what is called... it would be good if you could give a general indication about the topic.

The Shaykh : Naturally, first of all, this contradicts the Sunnah, and indeed it contradicts the Prophetic commands, because the Sunnah is to bury the deceased in the ground, not to bury him on the surface of the ground and then build over his grave. So, suppose a deceased person is in a square house, a niche, or a dome, yes.

The questioner : A cave.

The Shaykh : A cave or anything called a building; it is not permissible to build over it. You mean the cave, what is it?

The questioner : A cave dug under the ground and it has...

The Shaykh : That is fine, under the ground, this is a natural ceiling, and the ground is also a ceiling. The important thing is that it is dug in the ground and buried. So if there is a natural pit, lower him into it and then cover it with earth, and the objective is achieved. But on the surface of the ground, it is not permissible.

The questioner : It is... the cave has a door and they bury them in it by the dozens.

The Shaykh : It is not permissible, my brother, it is not permissible. He says it is in the interior of the ground.

The questioner : And it is in the interior of the ground.

The Shaykh : How do you mean?

The questioner : I mean a cave.

The Shaykh : In the interior of the ground and earth is thrown over it.

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : No, so do not take half the speech, do not take half the speech. If we suppose that there is a pit in a mountain and the deceased is buried and then earth is thrown over him, the matter is finished. But the first thing that comes to mind regarding "building" is the building intended by the builder, so no type is permissible except that the grave is raised by a shibr or two shibr at most. Therefore, the method that the Egyptians innovated, following the Pharaohs in building... over the graves of the dead, this undoubtedly contradicts the Sunnah and contradicts the noble Prophetic commands. Then this matter spread to some other countries, and perhaps these calamities have seeped into here.
The student : Shaykh, there is something worse than this.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : Now, the one who goes to the Umm al-Hiran cemetery sees that the graves are in three layers, yes.

The Shaykh : This is also a very old method.
The student : It exists, but Shaykh, now the graves are prominent and visible, meaning they are built as rooms in layers that come under the earth.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : And two layers above the earth, yes, meaning three layers. The first layer comes, then the door is dug as a deep rectangular pit, then the earth is raised, and after the deceased is put in.

The Shaykh : Earth is thrown over it.
The student : Earth is thrown over it, but in the second and third floors, there is a door that opens.

The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah.
The student : Yes, a door that opens, made of iron, and then it is plastered over after the deceased is put in, plastered over and closed, but.

The Shaykh : So there is a room in this process.
The student : Yes, I tell you, I tell you, layers, Shaykh, meaning a building, a building of cement.
Another student : This is to save on the piece of land, meaning to save land.
Another student : Because of their stubbornness.
Another student : Then the grave is opened several times.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The student: Yes, of course.

The Shaykh : It is opened?
The student : It is opened.

The Shaykh : Okay, and after the iron door is closed and plastered.
The student : Yes, exactly.

The Shaykh : It is opened later?
The student : It is opened.

The Shaykh : And buried?
The student : Naturally, a second, third, and fourth person is buried in it.
Another student : Meaning...
Another student : The worst graves I have seen; I have not seen worse than these graves among the people of shirk or the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. We have a family here in the Umm al-Hiran cemetery.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : When I saw this, I did not know it before, actually. So when I found it in this state, I fled from it. When my father passed away (may Allah have mercy on him), we buried him in al-Rusayfah.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student : We made a lahd for him, and praise be to Allah.