Explanation of the author's statement: He prohibited it in the last of his life, and then he cursed—within the context of the narration—those who did it.
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The Shaykh : He said: "He prohibited it in the last of his life". This is the statement of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him).
"He prohibited it": The pronoun refers to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the last of his life. What does it mean? It means the prohibition of taking graves as mosques.
"And then he cursed—within the context of the narration—those who did it". The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed, while in the context of death, in this state at the parting from this world, those who did it, namely those who took graves as mosques. In any place? Yes?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : We have previously mentioned the hadith of Aisha in her statement:Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 37:317 etc. This occurred from him while he was in a context warning against what they had done.
"And praying at the graves is part of that", meaning at the graves, it is part of taking them as mosques, even if a mosque is not built. Accordingly, it is not permissible for a person to pray at the graves. For this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited praying toward the graves in Sahih Muslim, in the hadith of Abu Mirdad al-Ghunawi. He said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 760Sahih (Darussalam). Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Shaykh al-Islam ... .
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : That is, one who transmits from the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Hm?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is not permissible...
Well, he says: "And praying at the graves is part of that" ... deriving benefits. No one should ask a question ... because among your students, some are following the teacher, and if you interrupt them with questions, you cut off their thinking. Also, I may have mental preparations of the meanings, and with the question, they are lost for me.
He said: "And praying at the graves is part of that, even if a mosque is not built". Praying at the graves is part of what is referred to, which is taking them as mosques. "And this is the meaning of her statement:Sahih al-Bukhari 1390". Her statement is the correct one, because his statement: "Except that he feared" is from the words of Aisha.
Her statement (may Allah be pleased with her):Sahih al-Bukhari 1390 was mentioned in the second hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 1390.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : In "feared" there are two narrations: khushi and khashi, and I said it with both words. Yes?
He says: "Except that he feared it would be taken as a mosque". The point is that this is the meaning of her statement, because it could be said: The meaning of her statement is that it could be said: The meaning of her statement:Sahih al-Bukhari 1390, meaning he feared a mosque would be built on it ... meaning someone could say this, but he argued that the intended meaning is broader and includes building mosques on graves and praying at graves.
He said: "For the Companions would not have built a mosque around his grave". This means that the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) feared it would be taken as a mosque is something the Companions could not do, i.e., build a mosque around his grave. Why? Because his mosque was next to his house, so how would they build another mosque on this grave? This is impossible according to custom. Therefore, the meaning of her statement:Sahih al-Bukhari 1390 is that a mosque is a place where prayer is performed, even if a mosque is not built. There is no doubt that the original prohibition of building on graves is building mosques, i.e., places of prayer, and people will come to this place and pray. If people pray in a mosque built on a grave, it is as if they prayed at the grave. The danger that exists in building mosques also exists when this place is taken for prayer, even if a mosque is not built. It is thus clear that taking graves as mosques has two forms:
The first form: Mosques are built on them.
The second form: They are taken as a place for prayer at them, even if a mosque is not built. If these people go to this grave and pray at it and take it as a place of prayer, then this is equivalent to building mosques on them, and it is also taking them as mosques. Yes, mosques.
Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Every place intended for prayer has been taken as a mosque". Custom bears witness to this. For example, people who take mosques in their workplaces, such as ministries and administrations, if you asked one of them where the mosque is, he would point to the place they took as a mosque where they pray, even though it was not built as a mosque. But because prayer is intended there, every place intended for prayer is called a mosque. Yes. But it is either a permanent mosque or a temporary mosque ... As long as it has been taken as a mosque, it has the rulings of a mosque. And when people leave it, the rulings of the mosque cease from it. The ruling revolves with its cause.
He said: "Rather, every place where prayer is performed" is more emphatic. "Every place where prayer is performed", meaning where prayer is valid, is called a mosque. Or do we say: ... in its literal sense, meaning every place where you pray is a mosque. Yes, and he argued with the statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 567Sahih (Darussalam). , meaning a place for prostration. It is known that the entire earth is a mosque, but it is a place for prostration and prayer in it. This is a third meaning added to the first meaning, but it is not like the previous two meanings. It is that we say: Everything that is taken, everything you pray in, is a mosque. But of course, it is a mosque as long as you pray in it ... A place where a person prays is called a musalla or a mosque, even though the common term for it is musalla.
The summary now: It is not permissible to build mosques on graves. What is the cause?
The student: It is a means to shirk (associating partners with Allah).
The Shaykh : Because it is a means to shirk, which is worshipping the owner of the grave. It is also not permissible to intend the graves for praying at them, and this is part of taking them as mosques, because the cause for building mosques exists in praying at this grave. If we suppose a man goes to the cemetery every day and prays at the grave of one of the awliya (close friends of Allah), as they claim, we say: "You have taken this grave as a mosque, and you are deserving of what the Jews and Christians were deserving of. From where? From the curse. The Messenger cursed the Jews and Christians for this cause, and you are in fact exposing yourself to this matter. Well.
In this hadith, or in this statement mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) and transmitted from him by Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him), there is evidence that it is valid in the general sense to call everything in which prayer is performed a mosque.
"He prohibited it": The pronoun refers to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the last of his life. What does it mean? It means the prohibition of taking graves as mosques.
"And then he cursed—within the context of the narration—those who did it". The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed, while in the context of death, in this state at the parting from this world, those who did it, namely those who took graves as mosques. In any place? Yes?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : We have previously mentioned the hadith of Aisha in her statement:
When the illness came upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ...
لما نزل برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ..."And praying at the graves is part of that", meaning at the graves, it is part of taking them as mosques, even if a mosque is not built. Accordingly, it is not permissible for a person to pray at the graves. For this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited praying toward the graves in Sahih Muslim, in the hadith of Abu Mirdad al-Ghunawi. He said:
Do not pray toward graves
لا تصلوا إلى القبورThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : Shaykh al-Islam ... .
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : That is, one who transmits from the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Hm?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is not permissible...
Well, he says: "And praying at the graves is part of that" ... deriving benefits. No one should ask a question ... because among your students, some are following the teacher, and if you interrupt them with questions, you cut off their thinking. Also, I may have mental preparations of the meanings, and with the question, they are lost for me.
He said: "And praying at the graves is part of that, even if a mosque is not built". Praying at the graves is part of what is referred to, which is taking them as mosques. "And this is the meaning of her statement:
was afraid, or the people were afraid that his grave might be taken as a place for worship.
خَشي أو خُشي أن يتخذ مسجداHer statement (may Allah be pleased with her):
was afraid, or the people were afraid that his grave might be taken as a place for worship
خشي أن يتخذ مسجداAnd if that had not been the case, then the Prophet's grave would have been made prominent before the people. So (the Prophet (ﷺ) ) was afraid, or the people were afraid that his grave might be taken as a place for worship.
يحذر ما صنعوا ولولا ذلك أبرز قبره غير أنه خُشي أو خشي أن يتخذ مسجداThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : In "feared" there are two narrations: khushi and khashi, and I said it with both words. Yes?
He says: "Except that he feared it would be taken as a mosque". The point is that this is the meaning of her statement, because it could be said: The meaning of her statement is that it could be said: The meaning of her statement:
was afraid, or the people were afraid that his grave might be taken as a place for worship
خشي أن يتخذ مسجداHe said: "For the Companions would not have built a mosque around his grave". This means that the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) feared it would be taken as a mosque is something the Companions could not do, i.e., build a mosque around his grave. Why? Because his mosque was next to his house, so how would they build another mosque on this grave? This is impossible according to custom. Therefore, the meaning of her statement:
was afraid, or the people were afraid that his grave might be taken as a place for worship
خُشي أن يتخذ مسجداThe first form: Mosques are built on them.
The second form: They are taken as a place for prayer at them, even if a mosque is not built. If these people go to this grave and pray at it and take it as a place of prayer, then this is equivalent to building mosques on them, and it is also taking them as mosques. Yes, mosques.
Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Every place intended for prayer has been taken as a mosque". Custom bears witness to this. For example, people who take mosques in their workplaces, such as ministries and administrations, if you asked one of them where the mosque is, he would point to the place they took as a mosque where they pray, even though it was not built as a mosque. But because prayer is intended there, every place intended for prayer is called a mosque. Yes. But it is either a permanent mosque or a temporary mosque ... As long as it has been taken as a mosque, it has the rulings of a mosque. And when people leave it, the rulings of the mosque cease from it. The ruling revolves with its cause.
He said: "Rather, every place where prayer is performed" is more emphatic. "Every place where prayer is performed", meaning where prayer is valid, is called a mosque. Or do we say: ... in its literal sense, meaning every place where you pray is a mosque. Yes, and he argued with the statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as he said:
the earth has been made for me a place of worship and a means of purification.
جعلت لي الأرض مسجداً وطهوراًa mosque
مسجداThe summary now: It is not permissible to build mosques on graves. What is the cause?
The student: It is a means to shirk (associating partners with Allah).
The Shaykh : Because it is a means to shirk, which is worshipping the owner of the grave. It is also not permissible to intend the graves for praying at them, and this is part of taking them as mosques, because the cause for building mosques exists in praying at this grave. If we suppose a man goes to the cemetery every day and prays at the grave of one of the awliya (close friends of Allah), as they claim, we say: "You have taken this grave as a mosque, and you are deserving of what the Jews and Christians were deserving of. From where? From the curse. The Messenger cursed the Jews and Christians for this cause, and you are in fact exposing yourself to this matter. Well.
In this hadith, or in this statement mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) and transmitted from him by Shaykh Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on him), there is evidence that it is valid in the general sense to call everything in which prayer is performed a mosque.