The Ruling on Building over Graves and Establishing Cemeteries
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Question:
At the end of this episode, we return to the message from the listener: Hassan Asmout from Lebanon. He asks in this episode, saying: Graves are built for us out of marble and granite, and cemeteries are built in the shape of houses underground where the dead are placed? Is this action permissible?
Answer:
As for building over graves, constructing buildings on them, and plastering them, this is an abomination and is not permissible. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade building over a grave, plastering it, or sitting on it; because this is among the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and exaggeration. No mosque is to be built over them, nor a dome either.
As for making a hole in the ground and placing the dead in it, this is contrary to the Sunnah. The Sunnah is that every grave is separate, every deceased person is alone in a grave for himself. A niche is dug for him, and he is placed in his grave separately. This is the Sunnah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did in Madinah, and as the Muslims did. Each person has one hole dug for him, and a niche is made for him on the qibla side of the grave, and he is placed in the niche. This is what is prescribed. However, if necessity calls for it due to the large number of dead and the hardship of burying each person separately, there is no harm in gathering two or three in one grave, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did on the day of Uhud when the dead were numerous.
So the conclusion is: The Sunnah is that each person is buried alone, as is feasible in the ground and as people are able to do, and two are not buried together, nor three together, nor more. But if there is tightness and hardship, then there is no harm in burying two or three together in one grave, and the best of them is placed closest to the qibla. The one who recites the most of the Qur'an is placed closest to the qibla, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, placing the one with the most Qur'an recitation closest to the qibla. Yes.
At the end of this episode, we return to the message from the listener: Hassan Asmout from Lebanon. He asks in this episode, saying: Graves are built for us out of marble and granite, and cemeteries are built in the shape of houses underground where the dead are placed? Is this action permissible?
Answer:
As for building over graves, constructing buildings on them, and plastering them, this is an abomination and is not permissible. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade building over a grave, plastering it, or sitting on it; because this is among the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and exaggeration. No mosque is to be built over them, nor a dome either.
As for making a hole in the ground and placing the dead in it, this is contrary to the Sunnah. The Sunnah is that every grave is separate, every deceased person is alone in a grave for himself. A niche is dug for him, and he is placed in his grave separately. This is the Sunnah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did in Madinah, and as the Muslims did. Each person has one hole dug for him, and a niche is made for him on the qibla side of the grave, and he is placed in the niche. This is what is prescribed. However, if necessity calls for it due to the large number of dead and the hardship of burying each person separately, there is no harm in gathering two or three in one grave, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did on the day of Uhud when the dead were numerous.
So the conclusion is: The Sunnah is that each person is buried alone, as is feasible in the ground and as people are able to do, and two are not buried together, nor three together, nor more. But if there is tightness and hardship, then there is no harm in burying two or three together in one grave, and the best of them is placed closest to the qibla. The one who recites the most of the Qur'an is placed closest to the qibla, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, placing the one with the most Qur'an recitation closest to the qibla. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.