What is the ruling on praying voluntary prayers in a mosque that contains a grave?
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The questioner : The mosque contains a grave, he said thatThe Shaykh : He issues a fatwa that praying in a mosque that contains a grave is an error... a fortiori...
The Shaykh : Yes, in any case, it is not our concern that your son-in-law be exposed before the public... The important thing, my brother, is that first, we advise against praying at all in a mosque that contains a grave, absolutely, neither obligatory nor voluntary. Rather, we obligate the Muslim to choose what was built upon obedience to Allah, not upon disobedience to Allah. Of this category are mosques built upon graves, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has narrations transmitted by mass transmission regarding the cursing of those who take the graves of their prophets and righteous people as mosques. So, if there is no mosque free of a grave around this person who is obligated to pray, in this case, the matter revolves around saying to him: pray in your house alone and leave the congregation of the Muslims, or pray in this mosque so that you do not miss the congregational prayer? If the matter revolves between this and that, it is said to him: the lesser of two evils is to pray in the mosque with the congregation, especially since it is presumed that such a person is not like those heedless people with whom prayer in a mosque containing a grave, or in a mosque not containing a grave, does not differ, because they have no knowledge. So, the one who prays in the mosque that contains a grave because he does not find around him a mosque that does not contain a grave, this means that what is imagined for the others is not imagined for him, that prayer in a mosque containing, for example, a wali (close friend of Allah) is better than the mosque that does not have this wali. So, his excuse is stronger with Allah if he prays in such a mosque than that of the one who does not hold this correct creed. But starting from the rule "Necessities permit the prohibited," we said he prays in this mosque and not in his house alone. And starting from the completion of the previous rule "Necessity is measured by its extent," he does not pray the sunnahs in this mosque because there is no congregation here. We permitted him prayer in the mosque here so that we do not cause him to miss what? The congregational prayer. As for the sunnah, first, there is no congregation; and second, if one is in Makkah or in al-Madinah, where prayer in Makkah is a hundred thousand times and prayer in the Prophet's Mosque is a thousand times, his prayer in his house in Makkah and al-Madinah is better than prayer in the Prophet's Mosque or the Makkah mosque for the sunnahs. That is, the principle for the sunnahs is that you pray in the houses, so what about a mosque that contains a grave? So, here he prays in the house, which is what we say.
The questioner : Well, what about the greeting of the mosque when he enters?
The Shaykh : No, the greeting of the mosque is tied to the mosque, it must be done, there is...
The Shaykh : Yes, in any case, it is not our concern that your son-in-law be exposed before the public... The important thing, my brother, is that first, we advise against praying at all in a mosque that contains a grave, absolutely, neither obligatory nor voluntary. Rather, we obligate the Muslim to choose what was built upon obedience to Allah, not upon disobedience to Allah. Of this category are mosques built upon graves, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has narrations transmitted by mass transmission regarding the cursing of those who take the graves of their prophets and righteous people as mosques. So, if there is no mosque free of a grave around this person who is obligated to pray, in this case, the matter revolves around saying to him: pray in your house alone and leave the congregation of the Muslims, or pray in this mosque so that you do not miss the congregational prayer? If the matter revolves between this and that, it is said to him: the lesser of two evils is to pray in the mosque with the congregation, especially since it is presumed that such a person is not like those heedless people with whom prayer in a mosque containing a grave, or in a mosque not containing a grave, does not differ, because they have no knowledge. So, the one who prays in the mosque that contains a grave because he does not find around him a mosque that does not contain a grave, this means that what is imagined for the others is not imagined for him, that prayer in a mosque containing, for example, a wali (close friend of Allah) is better than the mosque that does not have this wali. So, his excuse is stronger with Allah if he prays in such a mosque than that of the one who does not hold this correct creed. But starting from the rule "Necessities permit the prohibited," we said he prays in this mosque and not in his house alone. And starting from the completion of the previous rule "Necessity is measured by its extent," he does not pray the sunnahs in this mosque because there is no congregation here. We permitted him prayer in the mosque here so that we do not cause him to miss what? The congregational prayer. As for the sunnah, first, there is no congregation; and second, if one is in Makkah or in al-Madinah, where prayer in Makkah is a hundred thousand times and prayer in the Prophet's Mosque is a thousand times, his prayer in his house in Makkah and al-Madinah is better than prayer in the Prophet's Mosque or the Makkah mosque for the sunnahs. That is, the principle for the sunnahs is that you pray in the houses, so what about a mosque that contains a grave? So, here he prays in the house, which is what we say.
The questioner : Well, what about the greeting of the mosque when he enters?
The Shaykh : No, the greeting of the mosque is tied to the mosque, it must be done, there is...
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