A mosque with a grave inside it: should we demolish the mosque or remove the grave?
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This questioner, Ali Muhammad, says: Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings. There is a mosque in our village in my country, and this mosque has a grave inside it. So, do we abolish the mosque or remove the grave from inside it? And is the prayer in a mosque that contains a grave valid? The questioner is from Yemen and resides in al-Qasim.
Answer: Prayer in mosques that contain graves is not permissible, and it is not valid. It is not permissible to build over graves; building mosques over graves is not permissible. It is not permissible to build domes over them or hang curtains over them. All of this is not permissible; rather, it is among the causes of shirk (associating partners with Allah). So, one does not pray in a mosque that contains a grave, and the prayer in it is not valid. However, if the mosque is the older structure and there are graves inside it, the graves should be dug up and moved to the cemetery, and it is permissible to pray in the mosque. But if the graves are the older ones and the mosque was built over them, it should be demolished, and it is not permissible for it to remain; rather, it must be demolished. In any case, a Muslim does not pray in mosques that contain graves; rather, his prayer is not valid. This is because building mosques over graves and praying at graves is a means to shirk. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 529 And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 760Sahih (Darussalam) And he said: Sahih Muslim 532 So, the intent of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is that he prohibited taking graves as mosques, and praying at graves, and sitting on them. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to step on them, sit on them, pray toward them, or build anything over them, whether a mosque or a dome. Plastering them is also prohibited. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited plastering them, sitting on them, and building over them. All of this is the practice of the people of shirk. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence.
Answer: Prayer in mosques that contain graves is not permissible, and it is not valid. It is not permissible to build over graves; building mosques over graves is not permissible. It is not permissible to build domes over them or hang curtains over them. All of this is not permissible; rather, it is among the causes of shirk (associating partners with Allah). So, one does not pray in a mosque that contains a grave, and the prayer in it is not valid. However, if the mosque is the older structure and there are graves inside it, the graves should be dug up and moved to the cemetery, and it is permissible to pray in the mosque. But if the graves are the older ones and the mosque was built over them, it should be demolished, and it is not permissible for it to remain; rather, it must be demolished. In any case, a Muslim does not pray in mosques that contain graves; rather, his prayer is not valid. This is because building mosques over graves and praying at graves is a means to shirk. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians that they took the graves of their prophets as mosques
لعن الله اليهود والنصارى اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجدDo not pray toward graves and do not sit on them.
لا تصلوا إلى القبور ولا تجلسوا عليهاBeware 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 قبورر أنبيائهم وصالحيهم مساجد ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد فإني أنهاكم عن ذلكThe presenter: May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.