Is it forbidden to pray in a mosque that contains a grave?
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Question:
Is it forbidden to pray in a mosque that contains a grave, such as the Mosque of al-Husayn and the Mosque of Lady Zaynab? And if the time for the iqamah (second call to prayer) arrives and there is no nearby mosque, is it permissible to pray in it or not?
Answer:
One does not pray in mosques that contain graves. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the people of mosques that contain gravesSahih Muslim 529, and he said: Sahih Muslim 532.
If one finds no mosque except one that contains a grave, he should pray in his home. He should look for a mosque that does not contain a grave. Even if they all contain graves, he should pray in his home... with his good brothers until they find a sound mosque, or until they establish a sound mosque for the people of the Sunnah. As for mosques that contain graves, one does not pray in them, whether in Egypt or elsewhere, in any place.
Q: Some people say he should pray in it and convey the message?
The Shaykh: No, he does not pray in it. He conveys the message to them without praying with them. He does not pray with them; he comes to them after the prayer, or he waits until they have prayed and informs them that one does not pray in this mosque. This is a major evil; do not pray in this mosque. He informs them. As for following them in falsehood, he does not follow them in falsehood.
Q: What if he says: this approach drives people away?
The Shaykh: No, what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did does not drive people away. What drives people away is contradicting the Sunnah. That is what drives them away. As for conforming to the Sunnah, it does not drive people away.
Is it forbidden to pray in a mosque that contains a grave, such as the Mosque of al-Husayn and the Mosque of Lady Zaynab? And if the time for the iqamah (second call to prayer) arrives and there is no nearby mosque, is it permissible to pray in it or not?
Answer:
One does not pray in mosques that contain graves. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the people of mosques that contain graves
Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians that they took the graves of their prophets as mosques
لعن الله اليهود والنصارى اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجدBeware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that.
ألا وإن من كان قبلكم كانوا يتخذون قبور أنبيائهم وصالحيهم مساجد، ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد فإني أنهاكم عن ذلكIf one finds no mosque except one that contains a grave, he should pray in his home. He should look for a mosque that does not contain a grave. Even if they all contain graves, he should pray in his home... with his good brothers until they find a sound mosque, or until they establish a sound mosque for the people of the Sunnah. As for mosques that contain graves, one does not pray in them, whether in Egypt or elsewhere, in any place.
Q: Some people say he should pray in it and convey the message?
The Shaykh: No, he does not pray in it. He conveys the message to them without praying with them. He does not pray with them; he comes to them after the prayer, or he waits until they have prayed and informs them that one does not pray in this mosque. This is a major evil; do not pray in this mosque. He informs them. As for following them in falsehood, he does not follow them in falsehood.
Q: What if he says: this approach drives people away?
The Shaykh: No, what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did does not drive people away. What drives people away is contradicting the Sunnah. That is what drives them away. As for conforming to the Sunnah, it does not drive people away.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.