There is a mosque in one of the villages surrounded by a cemetery on all sides, and the road leading to the mosque is between those graves. What is the ruling on praying in
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. The questioner says: There is a mosque.
The Shaykh : What? What?
The questioner : There is a mosque in one of the villages surrounded by a cemetery on all sides, and the road leading to the mosque is between those graves. What is the ruling on praying in that mosque?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory to move the mosque from this place. It is obligatory to move the mosque from this place because people will step over the graves and perhaps they will desecrate them. But if we assume that the grave is in the middle of the mosque, is the prayer in this mosque valid or not?
The answer involves a distinction: If the grave was before the mosque, meaning the mosque was built on the grave, then the prayer is not valid, and it is obligatory to demolish the mosque and move it to another place. And if the mosque was before the grave, meaning the one who built the mosque said to his family, "Bury me in my mosque," then here it is obligatory to dig up the grave first; it is not permissible to carry out the bequest, and the man is buried with the people. The second case: if we assume they did not know and they buried the owner of the mosque in his mosque, then it is obligatory to dig it up, even after a long time, and remove the trace of the grave, and bury what remains of his bones with the people. And at that time, the prayer becomes valid.
If someone asks, "Is not the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the middle of al-Masjid al-Nabawi?" We say: No, the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not in the middle of al-Masjid al-Nabawi. The grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is in his house, and his house, when the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) was buried in it, was outside the mosque. Everyone knows that. So the mosque was not built on the grave, and the grave was not buried in the mosque, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was buried in his house outside the mosque. When people were compelled to expand the mosque, they saw that they should include the houses of the wives of the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) in the mosque, and among them was the house of A'ishah. So the house in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was buried entered the mosque, and it remained a separate enclosure, not inside the mosque, and the mosque is not built on it. So there is no doubt in that at that time; there is no doubt in that. And no one can bring up this doubt except like those who follow what is ambiguous therein. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: What did Allah name them? There is deviation in their hearts. [Ali 'Imran 3:7] The grave-worshippers confuse people regarding the issue of the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). But, praise be to Allah, there is no confusion in it; the matter is clear. How is the answer? How is the answer, O people? The mosque was not built on the grave. The grave was not where the Messenger was buried in the mosque, but rather he was buried in his house, and his house was outside the mosque. So this confusion is removed, and this becomes from the category of following the ambiguous.
It remains to be said: Why was the grave brought into the mosque? I told you the answer to this: Those who expanded the mosque wanted to bring the houses of the Prophet (may Allah praise and bless him) into the mosque, and none of his houses had a grave in them, none of them had a grave except the house of A'ishah. So it was necessary that the house remain with the other houses entering the mosque. But even so, they kept it separate in a separate room. And know that the addition to al-Masjid al-Nabawi that led to the inclusion of the houses of the wives of the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) was not in the time of the majority of the Companions; it was not until the year 99 of the Hijrah, meaning after the death of most of the Companions. And those who objected also included some of the Tabi'un. They objected to bringing the houses of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) into the mosque, and they said, "We would like the houses to remain so that people know how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was ascetic in this world, and that his houses were in this state." But what Allah willed was good: that the houses be demolished and brought into the mosque. Perhaps there is good in that for the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) and his wives, that the place of their houses becomes a place of worship and prayer attached to al-Masjid al-Nabawi. This is the answer to this objection raised by the grave-worshippers who want to build mosques that are places of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and worship of Allah on graves, so that they become places of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and idols. And I tell you: Every mosque built on a grave, do not pray in it, for the prayer in it is invalid, because it is a forbidden mosque founded on other than taqwa (mindfulness of Allah). And Allah the Exalted said regarding al-Masjid al-Dirar:[At-Tawbah 9:108] And praise be to Allah, there are other mosques not built on graves. So beware of praying in mosques built on graves, for your prayer will be invalid and not accepted by Allah.
As for if a person is buried in the mosque after the mosque has been established, it is obligatory to dig him up and remove him from the mosque, because the mosques are for Allah, and he is buried with the people, even if nothing remains of him but dust. He is moved and buried with the people, and the grave is completely filled in and leveled with the ground of the mosque. Yes.
The Shaykh : What? What?
The questioner : There is a mosque in one of the villages surrounded by a cemetery on all sides, and the road leading to the mosque is between those graves. What is the ruling on praying in that mosque?
The Shaykh : It is obligatory to move the mosque from this place. It is obligatory to move the mosque from this place because people will step over the graves and perhaps they will desecrate them. But if we assume that the grave is in the middle of the mosque, is the prayer in this mosque valid or not?
The answer involves a distinction: If the grave was before the mosque, meaning the mosque was built on the grave, then the prayer is not valid, and it is obligatory to demolish the mosque and move it to another place. And if the mosque was before the grave, meaning the one who built the mosque said to his family, "Bury me in my mosque," then here it is obligatory to dig up the grave first; it is not permissible to carry out the bequest, and the man is buried with the people. The second case: if we assume they did not know and they buried the owner of the mosque in his mosque, then it is obligatory to dig it up, even after a long time, and remove the trace of the grave, and bury what remains of his bones with the people. And at that time, the prayer becomes valid.
If someone asks, "Is not the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the middle of al-Masjid al-Nabawi?" We say: No, the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not in the middle of al-Masjid al-Nabawi. The grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is in his house, and his house, when the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) was buried in it, was outside the mosque. Everyone knows that. So the mosque was not built on the grave, and the grave was not buried in the mosque, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was buried in his house outside the mosque. When people were compelled to expand the mosque, they saw that they should include the houses of the wives of the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) in the mosque, and among them was the house of A'ishah. So the house in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was buried entered the mosque, and it remained a separate enclosure, not inside the mosque, and the mosque is not built on it. So there is no doubt in that at that time; there is no doubt in that. And no one can bring up this doubt except like those who follow what is ambiguous therein. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
If you see those who follow what is ambiguous therein, then these are the ones whom Allah named, so beware of them.
إذا رأيتم الذين يتبعون ما تشابه منه فإن هؤلاء هم الذين سمى الله فاحذروهمAs for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific
فأما الذين في قلوبهم زيغ فيتبعون ما تشابه منهIt remains to be said: Why was the grave brought into the mosque? I told you the answer to this: Those who expanded the mosque wanted to bring the houses of the Prophet (may Allah praise and bless him) into the mosque, and none of his houses had a grave in them, none of them had a grave except the house of A'ishah. So it was necessary that the house remain with the other houses entering the mosque. But even so, they kept it separate in a separate room. And know that the addition to al-Masjid al-Nabawi that led to the inclusion of the houses of the wives of the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) was not in the time of the majority of the Companions; it was not until the year 99 of the Hijrah, meaning after the death of most of the Companions. And those who objected also included some of the Tabi'un. They objected to bringing the houses of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) into the mosque, and they said, "We would like the houses to remain so that people know how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was ascetic in this world, and that his houses were in this state." But what Allah willed was good: that the houses be demolished and brought into the mosque. Perhaps there is good in that for the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) and his wives, that the place of their houses becomes a place of worship and prayer attached to al-Masjid al-Nabawi. This is the answer to this objection raised by the grave-worshippers who want to build mosques that are places of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and worship of Allah on graves, so that they become places of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and idols. And I tell you: Every mosque built on a grave, do not pray in it, for the prayer in it is invalid, because it is a forbidden mosque founded on other than taqwa (mindfulness of Allah). And Allah the Exalted said regarding al-Masjid al-Dirar:
Do not stand [for prayer] within it - ever. A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in
لا تقم فيه أبدا لمسجد أسس على التقوى أحق أن تقوم فيهAs for if a person is buried in the mosque after the mosque has been established, it is obligatory to dig him up and remove him from the mosque, because the mosques are for Allah, and he is buried with the people, even if nothing remains of him but dust. He is moved and buried with the people, and the grave is completely filled in and leveled with the ground of the mosque. Yes.