After burying the deceased, if it is a man, two stone markers are placed on the grave, called a shahid; if it is a woman, three consecutive stones are placed on the grave.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : After burying the deceased, if it is...
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : The questioner says: After burying the deceased, if it is a man, two stone markers are placed on the grave, called a shahid; if it is a woman, three consecutive stones are placed on the grave. What is the ruling on placing these stones?
The Shaykh : Placing stones on the grave is intended only as a marker.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One is sufficient, and there is no difference between a male and a female. However, people have become accustomed to placing two stones, one at the head of the deceased and the other at the feet, to make it clear that the grave extends from here to here, so that no one comes and digs on an existing grave, especially over a long period, because over time the grave disappears and only the markers remain. Therefore, people, from ancient times, have placed two markers, one at the head of the deceased, meaning at the head of the grave, and the other at the feet of the grave. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is not permissible to distinguish between a male and a female by placing three markers on a female, claiming that one is at her waist and two at her head and feet. This has no basis and is not known to us in our land.
Similarly, the markers should not be raised in a way that makes the grave prominent, as some people do, for I fear that this may be from making it elevated. Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu al-Hayyaj:Riyad as-Salihin 1687 meaning elevated above others. Rather, the markers should be placed in the cemetery on the same level. Also, nothing from the Qur'an, or from the Sunnah, or from dhikr should be written on the marker, which is the stone that is placed; rather, it should be a marker only. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. From the questions of this questioner, he says.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : The questioner says: After burying the deceased, if it is a man, two stone markers are placed on the grave, called a shahid; if it is a woman, three consecutive stones are placed on the grave. What is the ruling on placing these stones?
The Shaykh : Placing stones on the grave is intended only as a marker.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One is sufficient, and there is no difference between a male and a female. However, people have become accustomed to placing two stones, one at the head of the deceased and the other at the feet, to make it clear that the grave extends from here to here, so that no one comes and digs on an existing grave, especially over a long period, because over time the grave disappears and only the markers remain. Therefore, people, from ancient times, have placed two markers, one at the head of the deceased, meaning at the head of the grave, and the other at the feet of the grave. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is not permissible to distinguish between a male and a female by placing three markers on a female, claiming that one is at her waist and two at her head and feet. This has no basis and is not known to us in our land.
Similarly, the markers should not be raised in a way that makes the grave prominent, as some people do, for I fear that this may be from making it elevated. Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu al-Hayyaj:
"Shall I not send you to do a task that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had assigned to me? Spare no portrait unwiped out, and leave not a high grave unlevelled."
ألا أبعثك على ما بعثني عليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وعلى ءاله وسلم؟ أن لا تدع صورةً إلا طمستها، ولا قبراً مشرفاً إلا سوّيتهThe questioner : May Allah reward you. From the questions of this questioner, he says.