Is the shape of the grave a devotional matter in which alteration is not permissible, such as writing on it?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you, O Shaykh. Khalid Ibrahim Abd al-Muhsin is greeting you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and upon him.
The questioner : Shaykh, is the shape of the grave a devotional matter in which alteration is not permissible?
The Shaykh : Its shape?
The questioner : The shape of the grave.
The Shaykh : What do you mean?
The questioner : I mean, now some graves there in Kuwait have pieces of marble placed on them, raised slightly, and some people write on them:[Al-Fajr 89:27] then they write the name, this is the grave of so-and-so or so-and-so. Are we commanded to worship in the form of the grave such that it is only to be of sand and nothing is added to it?
The Shaykh : I mean, what you mentioned about placing marble on the grave.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And writing on it:[Al-Fajr 89:27-30] as well as the name of the man.
The questioner : Or the woman.
The Shaykh : Or the woman, and perhaps the date of his death. This is reprehensible and forbidden, and it is obligatory to remove it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):, meaning: he made it like the other graves. So these people must remove the marble they placed. Convey to them from me, and say that the scholars say: the deceased is harmed by the reprehensible if it is done at his grave, and this is reprehensible. The implication of the scholars' statement is that the owner of the grave, the owner of the grave now, is harmed by what was placed on it. So hasten with this, and say: it is obligatory to remove it. If they do it, it is a favor from Allah upon them and upon their deceased. If they do not do it, it is obligatory upon the person responsible for the cemetery to remove it. Report this to the person responsible for the cemeteries and he will remove this. Then, what makes them know that it is a tranquil soul for which it is said: "Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing"?
How do they know? Does everyone know that this man died upon the oneness of Allah and faith?
We know the apparent fact that he died, but we do not know about the matters of the Hereafter. A question about the oath.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. He knows that the source of his father's wealth is from the forbidden. Is it permissible for him to eat from his food? And if he does not eat, would that be undutifulness to parents?
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and upon him.
The questioner : Shaykh, is the shape of the grave a devotional matter in which alteration is not permissible?
The Shaykh : Its shape?
The questioner : The shape of the grave.
The Shaykh : What do you mean?
The questioner : I mean, now some graves there in Kuwait have pieces of marble placed on them, raised slightly, and some people write on them:
[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul,
يا أيّتها النّفس المطمئنةThe Shaykh : I mean, what you mentioned about placing marble on the grave.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And writing on it:
(27) [To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul, (28) Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], (29) And enter among My [righteous] servants (30) And enter My Paradise."
يا أيّتها النّفس المطمئنّة ارجعي إلى ربّك راضية مرضيّة فادخلي في عبادي وادخلي جنّتيThe questioner : Or the woman.
The Shaykh : Or the woman, and perhaps the date of his death. This is reprehensible and forbidden, and it is obligatory to remove it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
He forbade building on the grave, or writing on it, or sitting on it, or plastering it
نهى أن يبنى على القبر، أو يكتب عليه، أو يجلس عليه، أو يجصّصAnd he sent Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him): that he should not leave a raised grave without leveling it
وبعث عليّ بن أبي طالب رضى الله عنه: ألاّ يدع قبرا مشرفاً إلاّ سوّاهHow do they know? Does everyone know that this man died upon the oneness of Allah and faith?
We know the apparent fact that he died, but we do not know about the matters of the Hereafter. A question about the oath.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. He knows that the source of his father's wealth is from the forbidden. Is it permissible for him to eat from his food? And if he does not eat, would that be undutifulness to parents?