What is the ruling on praying in a mosque that contains a grave, and is the ruling the same if the grave is not within the mosque, for example in the courtyard? We have heard a fatwa stating
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The questioner : What is the ruling on praying in a mosque that contains a grave? And is the ruling the same if the grave is not within the mosque, for example in the courtyard? We have heard a fatwa stating: that it is permissible to pray if one is not facing the grave and his intention is for Allah. I hope for your guidance on this?
The Shaykh : What we see in this matter is that the situation does not escape two cases:
The first case: that the mosque existed before the grave. If it existed before the grave, then the prayer is valid in it, except if the grave is in the direction of the qiblah, in which case it is not permissible to face graves during prayer, for what is established in Sahih Muslim from Abu Mirdad al-Ghunawi that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1050Sahih (Darussalam).
As for if the grave existed before the mosque but the mosque was built over it, then the prayer in the mosque is not valid, whether the grave is inside the mosque or in the courtyard of the mosque, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade building over graves and making them into mosques. If a person makes them a mosque, he has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger and done what Allah and His Messenger did not command. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1718b This is the detail in the matter of praying in a mosque that contains a grave.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : What we see in this matter is that the situation does not escape two cases:
The first case: that the mosque existed before the grave. If it existed before the grave, then the prayer is valid in it, except if the grave is in the direction of the qiblah, in which case it is not permissible to face graves during prayer, for what is established in Sahih Muslim from Abu Mirdad al-Ghunawi that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Do not sit on the graves nor perform Salat towards them.
لا تجلسوا على القبور ولا تصلوا عليهاAs for if the grave existed before the mosque but the mosque was built over it, then the prayer in the mosque is not valid, whether the grave is inside the mosque or in the courtyard of the mosque, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade building over graves and making them into mosques. If a person makes them a mosque, he has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger and done what Allah and His Messenger did not command. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردThe questioner : May Allah bless you.