The Ruling on Praying at Graves, and the Ruling on the Funeral Prayer at a Grave

Question:
A listener from Riyadh, whose name is indicated by the initials (M. A. H), says in one of his questions: What is the ruling on praying at graves? And is what some people do, namely performing the funeral prayer at the grave of the deceased after they have missed the prayer in the mosque, is this action prescribed or not?

Answer:
The prayer involving bowing and prostration at graves is not permissible.

The presenter: The prayer involving bowing and prostration?
The Shaykh: This is not permissible. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and every grave at which one prays has been made a mosque, even if no mosque is built around it. And he said (peace and blessings be upon him): meaning: prayer places. It was narrated by Muslim in the Sahih. And this is only because praying at them is a means to worshipping them and supplicating to them. Therefore, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who does that (peace and blessings be upon him) and warned against it, blocking the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah) so that the prayer does not become for them after a time. One may pray for Allah, then Satan leads him to pray to them, or to supplicate to them instead of Allah. So praying at graves is not permissible, neither obligatory nor voluntary, nor sitting at them for supplication, or reciting the Qur'an, or giving charity. They are not to be made a place for this. They are only visited for remembrance and admonition, for remembering death and admonition, and for supplicating for the buried.
As for visiting them for another purpose, to sit at them and supplicate because he thinks they are more likely to be answered, or to sit at them and read, or to sit at them and pray, this has no basis. And the prayer is more severe if he prays at them; the prayer is invalid.
As for the funeral prayer, if the funeral prayer is performed, if one prays over the funeral at the graves, there is no harm, or if he prays over the grave because he did not attend the prayer in the mosque—for example—and they prayed over the grave, there is no blame in this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did it, for he prayed over a grave after it was buried (peace and blessings be upon him). So there is no blame in that. The funeral prayer has no blame in it. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah bless you. The discussion, as you have mentioned, is about the prayer involving bowing and prostration?

The Shaykh: It is the one that is prohibited in the graveyards. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah bless you and benefit us with your knowledge.