What is the ruling in Islamic law regarding praying in a mosque that contains a shrine (grave)?
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The questioner : He has another point, Your Eminence. He asks what is the ruling in your view regarding praying in a mosque that has a shrine?
The Shaykh : Yes. A shrine means a grave.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : A mosque that contains a shrine is not free from two cases.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Either the mosque is built on top of the shrine, meaning on top of the grave. In this case, prayer in it is not valid, because it is a mosque that is not permissible to maintain according to the Shari'ah. Rather, it must be demolished and the place cleared of it and of prayer around the grave, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his familySunan an-Nasa'i 760Sahih (Darussalam).
The second case is that the mosque existed before the grave, but the deceased is buried in it for one reason or another. In this case, prayer in the mosque is valid, provided that the grave is not in the direction of the qiblah. However, it is obligatory to dig up this grave and bury the deceased with the people in the cemetery. It is not permissible to leave it in the mosque, because mosques are built for prayer in them, not for burial in them. Furthermore, the deceased does not benefit from being buried in the mosque. If the deceased is among the people of happiness, he is in happiness even if buried in the farthest part of the earth.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he is among the people of misery, he is among the people of misery even if buried in the mosque.
And on this occasion, we advise our brothers who have been afflicted with this to demand either the demolition of the mosque if it was built on top of the grave, meaning the grave existed first and then the mosque was built on it; or the removal of the deceased from his grave to the cemetery with the people so that it is safe; yes; or the removal of the deceased from his grave to be buried with the people if the mosque existed before the grave, because the family of the deceased has no right to bury him in a mosque that was prepared for prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Yes. A shrine means a grave.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : A mosque that contains a shrine is not free from two cases.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Either the mosque is built on top of the shrine, meaning on top of the grave. In this case, prayer in it is not valid, because it is a mosque that is not permissible to maintain according to the Shari'ah. Rather, it must be demolished and the place cleared of it and of prayer around the grave, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his family
Do not pray toward graves
لا تصلوا إلى القبورThe second case is that the mosque existed before the grave, but the deceased is buried in it for one reason or another. In this case, prayer in the mosque is valid, provided that the grave is not in the direction of the qiblah. However, it is obligatory to dig up this grave and bury the deceased with the people in the cemetery. It is not permissible to leave it in the mosque, because mosques are built for prayer in them, not for burial in them. Furthermore, the deceased does not benefit from being buried in the mosque. If the deceased is among the people of happiness, he is in happiness even if buried in the farthest part of the earth.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And if he is among the people of misery, he is among the people of misery even if buried in the mosque.
And on this occasion, we advise our brothers who have been afflicted with this to demand either the demolition of the mosque if it was built on top of the grave, meaning the grave existed first and then the mosque was built on it; or the removal of the deceased from his grave to the cemetery with the people so that it is safe; yes; or the removal of the deceased from his grave to be buried with the people if the mosque existed before the grave, because the family of the deceased has no right to bury him in a mosque that was prepared for prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.