The ruling on praying in a mosque surrounded by graves
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
A Sudanese resident of al-Qaw'iyyah sent a question to your Eminence, indicating his name by the initials (F. A. S). In his first question, he says: We have a mosque in the village, and around it on the northern side are five graves. Whenever one of their shaykhs dies, he is buried inside the enclosure. And when I am present in the village, I do not go to pray with them—not even the Friday prayer—because of the belief they hold regarding the shaykhs.
The Shaykh: Repeat.
The presenter: He says: We have a mosque in the village, and around it on the northern side are five graves. Whenever one of their shaykhs dies, he is buried inside the enclosure. And when I am present in the village, I do not go to pray with them—not even the Friday prayer—because of the belief they hold regarding the shaykhs. Is what I am doing regarding prayer—and also the Friday prayer—correct, or is it otherwise?
I ask your Eminence for guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
If the graves are inside the mosque, then it is not permissible to pray in it: neither the Friday prayer nor any other. And you are doing well in not praying with them.
As for if the graves are outside the mosque, under the town's wall, and not in the mosque, but outside the mosque; then it is obligatory for you to pray the Friday prayer and others with them.
The point is that it is not permissible to build over graves, nor to make mosques over them, and it is not permissible to bury anyone in a mosque. So if there are graves in the mosque, it is not permissible to pray in it: neither the Friday prayer nor any other, and you should not pray with them either.
As for if the graves are outside; north of the mosque, or south of it, or otherwise, meaning: they are not inside the mosque; then you pray with them, and it is obligatory for you to do so: the Friday prayer and others.
It is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih Muslim 529, and he said—(peace and blessings be upon him)—in the authentic hadith: Sahih Muslim 532 He prohibited making graves into mosques: one does not pray at graves, and no one is buried in a mosque. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A Sudanese resident of al-Qaw'iyyah sent a question to your Eminence, indicating his name by the initials (F. A. S). In his first question, he says: We have a mosque in the village, and around it on the northern side are five graves. Whenever one of their shaykhs dies, he is buried inside the enclosure. And when I am present in the village, I do not go to pray with them—not even the Friday prayer—because of the belief they hold regarding the shaykhs.
The Shaykh: Repeat.
The presenter: He says: We have a mosque in the village, and around it on the northern side are five graves. Whenever one of their shaykhs dies, he is buried inside the enclosure. And when I am present in the village, I do not go to pray with them—not even the Friday prayer—because of the belief they hold regarding the shaykhs. Is what I am doing regarding prayer—and also the Friday prayer—correct, or is it otherwise?
I ask your Eminence for guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
If the graves are inside the mosque, then it is not permissible to pray in it: neither the Friday prayer nor any other. And you are doing well in not praying with them.
As for if the graves are outside the mosque, under the town's wall, and not in the mosque, but outside the mosque; then it is obligatory for you to pray the Friday prayer and others with them.
The point is that it is not permissible to build over graves, nor to make mosques over them, and it is not permissible to bury anyone in a mosque. So if there are graves in the mosque, it is not permissible to pray in it: neither the Friday prayer nor any other, and you should not pray with them either.
As for if the graves are outside; north of the mosque, or south of it, or otherwise, meaning: they are not inside the mosque; then you pray with them, and it is obligatory for you to do so: the Friday prayer and others.
It is authentic from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he 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 مساجدBeware 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 مَن كان قبلكم كانوا يتخذون قبور أنبيائهم وصالحيهم مساجد، ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد، فإني أنهاكم عن ذلكThe presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.