The Ruling on Exalting Graves and Making Them Mosques

He also has questions, and we promised to answer them. The caller is from Hadramawt, asking about visiting graves and exalting the awliya (close friends of Allah). He says in this message: In Hadramawt, in the city of Say'un, people go at a specific time each year to visit the dome of Ali al-Habashi, who is said to be one of the awliya, and his grave is in this dome. The practice followed is: washing and dressing the grave, then the next day standing with a sermon by one of the scholars, and this is before the sunrise. We ask you to issue a ruling on this with evidence? And what is the ruling on visiting graves, rubbing against the grave, or rubbing against the scholar who is a wali?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: We do not know the origin of this grave about which you are asking. And even if it were known, building over graves, designating a specific day for visiting them, and making them festivals are all reprehensible. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Therefore, it is not permissible to exalt graves by building over them or making them mosques, nor by making them festivals where people gather once or twice a year. All of this is an innovation introduced by people. What is prescribed is that they be visited on whatever days Allah makes easy, without designating a specific day. They are visited, and one makes du'a' (supplication) for the deceased and seeks mercy for him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Therefore, one must remember death. The believer visits them; the man visits them. As for women, they are prohibited from visiting graves. But the man visits them, greets the deceased, and prays for them for forgiveness and mercy. This is what is prescribed, without traveling a long distance. As for traveling a long distance, it is not permissible to travel a long distance to graves. Rather, one only travels a long distance to the three mosques: the Sacred Mosque, the Prophet's Mosque (peace and blessings be upon him), and al-Aqsa Mosque. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified it, saying: As for traveling a long distance to a specific grave or to specific graves, this is reprehensible and contrary to the Sunnah.
Then, intending the graves for making du'a' at them, or praying at them, or reciting the Qur'an at them is also reprehensible and one of the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). So they should not be made a place for du'a', prayer, and recitation. Rather, this is of the type of making them mosques, so it is not permissible. It is not permissible to build over them, whether with a dome or a roof. A grave should not be made a place of prayer, nor should a dome be built over it, nor should it be carpeted or perfumed, because these are among the means to shirk and the means to exaggeration in it. So this action mentioned by the questioner—intending the grave, washing it, exalting it, gathering at it, and seeking blessing from it—is all among the reprehensible things that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has forbidden. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he said: .
So it is not permissible to make them mosques, nor to build over them, nor to pray at them. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) also said in the authentic hadith: This indicates that graves are not a place for mosques, nor a place for recitation.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) also said, as narrated by Jabir... Jabir narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . Muslim narrated it in his Sahih.
So graves should not be built over, neither with a dome nor anything else, nor should a mosque be built over them. Nor should they be made a place for du'a', prayer, and recitation. But they are visited from within the town without traveling a long distance. The people of the town or those passing by visit them, greet them, make du'a' for them, and seek forgiveness for them. In them is a lesson and a reminder. By visiting them, one remembers death, remembers the Hereafter, and remembers what these deceased have become, so one prepares to meet Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
This is what is prescribed. One should beware of what the ignorant have innovated and what the ignorant do of exaggeration regarding graves, making du'a' to their inhabitants, calling for aid from them, making vows to them, and seeking their help. For this is major shirk. When one says: "O my master so-and-so, help, help, aid, aid, cure my sick one, help us against our enemies," this is major disbelief, from disbelief and major shirk. Only Allah is sought; He is the One who helps the servants, He is the One who helps them, He is the One who cures the sick, (Glorified and Exalted is He). As for the dead, he has no power; he does not cure himself, nor does he cure another. So making du'a' to him, calling for aid from him, making vows to him, slaughtering for him, and seeking his help—all of this is among the actions of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and major shirk. One must beware of that, and Allah is the One to be sought for help. Yes.