What is the ruling on praying in a mosque that contains three graves, which are claimed to be those of the Companions Salman and Hudhayfah?
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The questioner : It is surrounded by a wall. Inside the wall, there is a large prayer area. Next to the prayer area, there are three graves. One is the grave of Salman, as they claim, and one is the grave of Hudhayfah, between the two is the grave of al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him), and I do not recall the name of the third. What is the ruling on praying in this mosque?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible
The questioner : Shaykh, can you clarify the picture for me?
The Shaykh : If you want me to clarify what I have clarified to you, I do not clarify what I have clarified to you in order to test whether you understood me or not. There is this mosque, which has an unshaded courtyard. I say that what you understood is that I did not use the phrase "unshaded courtyard." The mosque has a roof, and this courtyard is depicted in photos inside this wall. In the courtyard, and not in the same mosque that is shaded by the roof, are those three graves, including the grave of Salman, the grave of Hudhayfah, and the third one whose name you do not mention. So the answer is: I have not heard of it. The reason is that this description fits the case where praying in it means that this mosque was built over a grave in which people pray. The mass-transmitted hadiths that warn against praying in mosques built over graves, whether they narrate the practice of the Jews or the Christians or both, or are a direct warning from him (peace and blessings be upon him) to his Ummah, all these hadiths include this type of mosque, because it fits the description that they took their graves as mosques. This is different from if these graves were not built inside the wall, but rather outside the wall. In that case, the expression by al-Nawawi mentioned earlier does not fit this type of mosque. That is, we distinguish between the grave being outside the mosque and being inside the mosque. We do not distinguish between it being inside what they call the Haram, meaning the shaded part of the mosque, and it being in the open area and spacious part of the mosque, which is part of the mosque.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible
The questioner : Shaykh, can you clarify the picture for me?
The Shaykh : If you want me to clarify what I have clarified to you, I do not clarify what I have clarified to you in order to test whether you understood me or not. There is this mosque, which has an unshaded courtyard. I say that what you understood is that I did not use the phrase "unshaded courtyard." The mosque has a roof, and this courtyard is depicted in photos inside this wall. In the courtyard, and not in the same mosque that is shaded by the roof, are those three graves, including the grave of Salman, the grave of Hudhayfah, and the third one whose name you do not mention. So the answer is: I have not heard of it. The reason is that this description fits the case where praying in it means that this mosque was built over a grave in which people pray. The mass-transmitted hadiths that warn against praying in mosques built over graves, whether they narrate the practice of the Jews or the Christians or both, or are a direct warning from him (peace and blessings be upon him) to his Ummah, all these hadiths include this type of mosque, because it fits the description that they took their graves as mosques. This is different from if these graves were not built inside the wall, but rather outside the wall. In that case, the expression by al-Nawawi mentioned earlier does not fit this type of mosque. That is, we distinguish between the grave being outside the mosque and being inside the mosque. We do not distinguish between it being inside what they call the Haram, meaning the shaded part of the mosque, and it being in the open area and spacious part of the mosque, which is part of the mosque.