The wisdom behind including the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque?
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Q: It is known that it is not permissible to bury the dead in mosques, and in any mosque that contains a grave, prayer is not permissible. So what is the wisdom behind including the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and some of his Companions in the Prophet’s Mosque?
A: It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih Muslim 529 It is agreed upon that it is authentic. It is also established from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that Umm Salama and Umm Habiba mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a church they had seen in the land of Abyssinia and the images in it, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 434 It is agreed upon.
Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Jundub ibn Abdullah al-Bajali that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:Sahih Muslim 532.
Muslim also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 970a These authentic hadiths and what came in their meaning all indicate the prohibition of making mosques over graves and the cursing of whoever does so. They also indicate the prohibition of building over graves, making domes over them, and plastering them; because that is among the causes of associating partners with Allah through them and worshipping their inhabitants instead of Allah, as has occurred in the past and the present.
Therefore, it is obligatory for Muslims wherever they are to beware of what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, and not to be deceived by what many people have done. Indeed, the truth is the lost property of the believer; when he finds it, he takes it. The truth is known by evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, not by the opinions and actions of people. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his two companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were not buried in the mosque, but rather in the house of Aisha. However, when the mosque was expanded in the era of al-Walid ibn Abdul-Malik, the chamber was included in the mosque at the end of the first century. His action here is not considered a ruling on burying in the mosque; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his two companions were not moved to the land of the mosque, but rather the chamber in which they were was included in the mosque for the sake of expansion. Therefore, this does not serve as a proof for anyone regarding the permissibility of building over graves, making mosques over them, or burying in them, due to the authentic hadiths I mentioned earlier that prevent that. The action of al-Walid is not a proof for what contradicts the established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And success is from Allah.
A: It is established 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 مساجدIf any righteous pious man dies amongst them, they would build a place of worship at his grave and make these pictures in it; they are the worst creatures in the sight of Allah.
أولئك إذا مات فيهم الرجل الصالح بنوا على قبره مسجدا وصوروا فيه تلك الصور، أولئك شرار الخلق عند اللهMuslim narrated in his Sahih from Jundub ibn Abdullah al-Bajali that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:
for Allah has taken me as His friend, as he took Ibrahim as His friend. Had I taken any one of my Ummah as a friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a friend. Beware 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.
إن الله قد اتخذني خليلا كما اتخذ إبراهيم خليلا، ولو كنت متخذا من أمتي خليلا لاتخذت أبا بكر خليلا، ألا وإن من كان قبلكم كانوا يتخذون قبور أنبيائهم وصالحيهم مساجد، ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد فإني أنهاكم عن ذلكMuslim also narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade that the graves should be plastered or they be used as sitting places (for the people), or a building should be built over them.
أنه نهى أن يجصص القبر وأن يقعد عليه وأن يبنى عليهTherefore, it is obligatory for Muslims wherever they are to beware of what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, and not to be deceived by what many people have done. Indeed, the truth is the lost property of the believer; when he finds it, he takes it. The truth is known by evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, not by the opinions and actions of people. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his two companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were not buried in the mosque, but rather in the house of Aisha. However, when the mosque was expanded in the era of al-Walid ibn Abdul-Malik, the chamber was included in the mosque at the end of the first century. His action here is not considered a ruling on burying in the mosque; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his two companions were not moved to the land of the mosque, but rather the chamber in which they were was included in the mosque for the sake of expansion. Therefore, this does not serve as a proof for anyone regarding the permissibility of building over graves, making mosques over them, or burying in them, due to the authentic hadiths I mentioned earlier that prevent that. The action of al-Walid is not a proof for what contradicts the established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And success is from Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.