How do we reconcile his prohibition (peace and blessings be upon him) of praying in the cemetery with his prayer for the woman who used to sweep the mosque?

The questioner : In *Sahih al-Jami'*, there is a mention of a hadith in which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited praying over a funeral in the cemetery. There is another hadith in which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he came and learned that the woman who used to sweep the mosque had passed away, went and prayed in the cemetery. How do we reconcile these two hadiths?

The Shaykh : There is no contradiction between the two hadiths, and praise be to Allah. The first hadith, which prohibits praying in the cemetery, is like his saying (peace be upon him) in *Sahih Muslim*: . So, the prohibition of praying in the cemetery means praying toward the graves. This is because prayer must be pure for the face of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), with nothing of exalting other than Allah mixed into it. For that is a type of shirk (associating partners with Allah). If a Muslim stands to pray to Allah while facing the grave, there is an apparent doubt. Because this person intends, at least as many ignorant people do in this time, to seek blessing from this deceased person through his prayer and his drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through his prayer. He may have fallen into something of shirk, in which he may exaggerate, and his affair may reach a point that takes him out of the circle of Islam, may Allah protect us from that!
This is the meaning that should be noted in the prohibition of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) of praying in the cemetery or praying toward the grave. As for praying for the deceased while he is in his grave, that is another matter that has no relation to praying to Allah alone, who has no partner, and toward the grave of the deceased. It is not intended for this deceased person, nor is this prayer intended to ask Allah to forgive him and have mercy on him, as is the meaning included in supplicating for the deceased. So, praying for the deceased while he is in his grave is one thing, and praying to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) while facing the grave is another. This is what is prohibited, and that is what is permissible. So, there is no problem between this and that.
Yes.