The Ruling on Decorating Graves and Building on Them

Question:
This questioner from Algeria asks: What is the ruling on decorating graves?

Answer:
Decoration varies. If the intention is to gather earth over them and place markers on them, there is nothing wrong with that. This is what is called decoration, and it is the prescribed practice. When a deceased person is buried, his grave is raised by the width of a hand, and the remaining earth is distributed over his grave so that it is known to be a grave. Markers are placed on its sides made of bricks so that it is known to be a grave, so that it is not trampled upon or desecrated.
As for decorating them with plaster, or applying perfume to them, or building on them, this is an abomination and is not permissible. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade plastering graves, forbade sitting on them, and forbade building on them. Muslim narrated this in his Sahih. He also forbade writing on them, so nothing should be written on them, they should not be plastered, and nothing should be built on them, whether a mosque or anything else, or a dome. All of this is a religious innovation.
What is done in some countries, building on graves, and making domes over them, and mosques, is among the innovations, among the means of associating partners with Allah. This is not permissible. It is obligatory for the Muslims to leave that alone, and it is obligatory for the rulers of the Muslims to prevent this and to remove these things. It is obligatory for all Islamic states to prevent this, to prevent building on graves, and to remove the mosques that are on graves, or the buildings that are on them. The domes must be removed. If they are old mosques, but a deceased person was buried in them, he is exhumed. If the mosques are the old ones, but someone was buried in them, he is exhumed and taken out to the cemeteries. He is placed in a grave in the cemeteries, and the earth is leveled over him like the other graves. It is not permissible for graves to remain in mosques.
As for if they are old graves, but something was built on them, it is obligatory to demolish the building. A dome or a mosque is demolished and removed, and it is not permissible, because this is among the means of associating partners with Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Some of his wives said to him: O Messenger of Allah! We saw a church in the land of Abyssinia, and in it are images. He said, (peace and blessings be upon him): Inform them that they are the worst of creation by their building on graves, and making mosques on them, and images. And he said (peace and blessings be upon him): And Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) he said: .
So it is obligatory for the scholars of the Muslims in every place, and for the rulers of the Muslims in every place, to remove this thing, to preach to the people, to remind them and warn them. And it is upon the rulers to remove it by force, to demolish the mosque that is on the grave, and to demolish the dome that is on the grave. The graves should be exposed, with no domes on them, and no mosques, as they were in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in al-Baqi'.
And so it is now in the time of the Saudi state, in al-Baqi', and in places other than al-Baqi', they are exposed, with no buildings on them, and no mosques. And so was the case in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); the graves were in al-Baqi', and in places other than al-Baqi', in Makkah and al-Madinah and elsewhere, they were exposed. And so it was in the time of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them and grant them satisfaction) until the Rafidah came and became extreme regarding the graves, and so did those who resemble them from among the non-Rafidah.
So it is obligatory to be cautious, it is obligatory to demolish the mosques that are on graves, and to demolish the buildings and domes that are on graves, and for the graves to be exposed, with nothing on them. People visit them to greet them, the Muslims visit them to greet them only. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he (peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions when they visited the graves to say: This is the Sunnah.
The Muslims visit the graves and greet them only. They do not ask them, they do not call upon them, and they do not rub against the graves. All of this is an abomination, it is associating partners with Allah. Calling upon the deceased, and seeking aid from the deceased, this is major shirk. You say: O so-and-so, intercede for me, or help me, or heal my sick person. Whether this is at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or at the grave of al-Badawi, or at the grave of al-Husayn, or at the grave of so-and-so, all of this is major shirk. So this is never permissible among all the Muslims. It is not permissible to come to the grave and say: Help me, or heal my sick person, or I am under your protection, or I am under your patronage. Not the graves of the prophets, nor any others. And it is not permissible to call upon them and say: O my master so-and-so! Or O father of so-and-so, or O Messenger of Allah! Help me, or heal my sick person. This is major shirk, whether that is with the prophets, or with the people of the House, or with others. And it is not permissible to rub against the graves, or to seek blessing from them. They are only visited. One visits them, greets them only, and says: . Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions. He used to teach them when they visited the graves to say: . Thus Muslim narrated in the Sahih. Thus the scholars mentioned in Bulugh al-Maram, and in Muntakha al-Akhbar, and thus the people of knowledge mentioned in the books of hadith, and the books of jurisprudence, they clarified this.
So it is obligatory for the scholars of the Muslims to spread that, and to clarify that to the people. It is obligatory for the scholars to clarify in the mosques, and in the Friday sermons, and in other places, and in the lectures, and in the schools. They teach the people, they teach them these matters so that they are upon clear knowledge, so that they leave the extremism regarding the graves, so that they do not build on them, so that they do not make mosques on them, so that they do not call upon them besides Allah. They do not seek aid from them or from their people. The calamity is great now with this issue. In many Islamic countries, mosques and domes are built on the graves, and their people are called upon besides Allah, and aid is sought from them, and vows are made to them. This is shirk. Calling upon them besides Allah, and seeking aid from them, and making vows to them, this is major shirk. And making mosques a means for that, and making domes a means for that.
So it is obligatory for the rulers, the rulers of the Muslims in every place, it is obligatory upon them to remove these domes, and these mosques that are on the graves. And it is obligatory for the scholars to warn them, and advise them, and remind them. If they are Muslims, then it is upon them to remove what Allah has forbidden. If the ruler is a Muslim, then let him fear Allah, and let him remove what Allah has forbidden of the domes and mosques that are on the graves. And let him prevent the people from calling upon the dead, and seeking aid from them, and making vows to them. This is for Allah alone. He is the one who is called upon. He is the one to whom vows are made. He is the one from whom aid is sought. One says: O my Lord! Forgive me. O my Lord! Help me. O my Lord! Heal my sick person. O my Lord! Have mercy on my weakness. O my Lord! Provide for me. He calls upon his Lord.
As for the deceased, he is not called upon. Not the deceased, nor the idol, nor the star, nor the jinn. They are not called upon besides Allah. So Allah is the one who is called upon . So it is not permissible to call upon the prophets, nor to call upon the believers, nor to call upon others, nor to call upon the stars and planets, nor to call upon the idols, nor to call upon the jinn. All of this is not permissible. Rather, it is obligatory to make worship sincere for Allah alone. One says: O my Lord! Forgive me. O my Lord! Have mercy on me. O my Lord! Help me. O Allah. O You who possess majesty and honor! Forgive me and have mercy on me. Heal my sick person. Provide for me from Your bounty.
As for coming to the deceased and saying: Provide for me, or heal my sick person! Even if it is the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), whoever comes to his grave, or far from it, and says: Provide for me, O Muhammad, or help me, this is major shirk. Or he says: O my master! 'Abd al-Qadir, or O my master al-Husayn, or O my master al-Badawi, or O my master so-and-so! Help me, or heal my sick person, or I am under your protection, or I am under your patronage. This is major shirk.
It is obligatory to be cautious of these matters, and it is obligatory for the scholars to clarify to the people, and to advise them. And it is obligatory for the rulers, the rulers of the Muslims, to prevent this, and to remove the buildings that are on the graves, and for them to be exposed, with no mosques on them, and no domes. This is the obligation of the Muslim, to protect the sanctity of the oneness of Allah, and to be concerned for the soundness of the belief of the Muslims, and to call them to the truth, and to fulfill the obligation of calling to Islam.
We ask Allah to guide the rulers of the Muslims to what pleases Him, and we ask Allah to help the scholars with conveying and clarifying, and we ask Allah to support the truth with everyone, and to protect everyone from the misguiding trials. And there is no power and no strength except with Allah!

The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh, for this good and blessed guidance.