What is the ruling on praying in mosques that have graves in the external courtyard, not connected to them?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings:
His EminenceThe Shaykh : A discussion arose among students of knowledge from Pakistan regarding praying in a mosque where there is a grave, but it is not connected to the mosque, rather it is in the external courtyard. This brother mentioned that the scholars of Pakistan have permitted this on the grounds that they are unable to remove them, and that the Pakistani government itself is unable to remove these graves due to the people's attachment to them. One of the brothers present mentioned that Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab used to pass by people who were around the grave of Zayd and say: "Allah is better than Zayd." What is the criterion in these matters?
The Shaykh : We say: May Allah reward you. If the mosque was built on the grave, then praying in it is not permissible, and this mosque must be demolished. Allah said to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the Mosque of Harm:[At-Tawbah 9:108] Because the Mosque of Harm must be demolished, so likewise every mosque must be demolished, for praying in it is forbidden by analogy to the Mosque of Harm.
As for if the mosque was prior and this man was buried in it after the mosque was built, if the grave is in the direction of the qiblah, then it is not permissible to pray in it, because if one prays in it, he faces the grave. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Abu Mirdad al-Ghunawi (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 760Sahih (Darussalam) Meaning: Do not make it your qiblah. And if the grave is to the right or left or behind the back, there is no harm in praying in it.
The questioner : And if it is in the external courtyard?
The Shaykh : Outside the mosque?
The questioner : In the courtyard?
The Shaykh : The courtyard is part of the mosque, and the ruling in it is as I told you: look at which one is first. It appears that if the grave is in the courtyard, the mosque is prior, so the prayer in it is valid.
The questioner : And if there is a distance between the grave and the qiblah which is the courtyard of this mosque, does he repeat the prayer or pray alone?
The Shaykh : He does not pray in this mosque at all as long as the grave is in a place attributed to the mosque and it is in the direction of the qiblah, so he does not pray in it.
The questioner : And what is the criterion in this matter, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The criterion is this: If the grave is in front of you, do not pray. If the grave is behind your back or to your right or to your left, look at whether the grave is prior to the mosque, or if the mosque was built on it; in this case, you do not pray either. And if the mosque is prior to the grave, then pray.
So you pray in one case and do not pray in two cases: you do not pray if the grave is in front of you, and you do not pray if the mosque was built on the grave, and you pray if the mosque is prior to the grave and the grave is not in the direction of the qiblah.
The questioner : But if the grave is circled around?
The Shaykh : This makes no difference, no difference, the three previous conditions.
His EminenceThe Shaykh : A discussion arose among students of knowledge from Pakistan regarding praying in a mosque where there is a grave, but it is not connected to the mosque, rather it is in the external courtyard. This brother mentioned that the scholars of Pakistan have permitted this on the grounds that they are unable to remove them, and that the Pakistani government itself is unable to remove these graves due to the people's attachment to them. One of the brothers present mentioned that Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab used to pass by people who were around the grave of Zayd and say: "Allah is better than Zayd." What is the criterion in these matters?
The Shaykh : We say: May Allah reward you. If the mosque was built on the grave, then praying in it is not permissible, and this mosque must be demolished. Allah said to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the Mosque of Harm:
Do not stand [for prayer] within it - ever
لا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَداًAs for if the mosque was prior and this man was buried in it after the mosque was built, if the grave is in the direction of the qiblah, then it is not permissible to pray in it, because if one prays in it, he faces the grave. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Abu Mirdad al-Ghunawi (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
Do not pray toward graves
لا تصلوا إلى القبورThe questioner : And if it is in the external courtyard?
The Shaykh : Outside the mosque?
The questioner : In the courtyard?
The Shaykh : The courtyard is part of the mosque, and the ruling in it is as I told you: look at which one is first. It appears that if the grave is in the courtyard, the mosque is prior, so the prayer in it is valid.
The questioner : And if there is a distance between the grave and the qiblah which is the courtyard of this mosque, does he repeat the prayer or pray alone?
The Shaykh : He does not pray in this mosque at all as long as the grave is in a place attributed to the mosque and it is in the direction of the qiblah, so he does not pray in it.
The questioner : And what is the criterion in this matter, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The criterion is this: If the grave is in front of you, do not pray. If the grave is behind your back or to your right or to your left, look at whether the grave is prior to the mosque, or if the mosque was built on it; in this case, you do not pray either. And if the mosque is prior to the grave, then pray.
So you pray in one case and do not pray in two cases: you do not pray if the grave is in front of you, and you do not pray if the mosque was built on the grave, and you pray if the mosque is prior to the grave and the grave is not in the direction of the qiblah.
The questioner : But if the grave is circled around?
The Shaykh : This makes no difference, no difference, the three previous conditions.