Response to those who argue for the permissibility of praying in mosques containing graves by citing the grave of the Prophet

He also asks and says: There are those who say that the ruling on prayer differs in a mosque that contains one grave, a mosque that contains two graves, and a mosque that contains three or more. We ask for clarification on this, and what is the ruling? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . He also asks and says: Many of those who return from al-Madinah al-Munawwarah to their countries after Hajj argue for the permissibility of praying in mosques that contain graves, saying that the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the graves of his two companions (may Allah be pleased with them) are in the mosque and people pray facing them. We ask for clarification on this point?
Answer: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who take mosques as graves and warned against that. (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , narrated by Muslim in the Sahih, and the first one was narrated by the two Shaykhs. The two Shaykhs also narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): . Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made clear that those who build mosques over graves are the worst of creation in the sight of Allah, and he warned against their action. This indicates that one does not pray in a mosque built over one grave, two graves, or three, and there is no difference between one and a number. Rather, it is obligatory to leave that. If the mosque is the one that was built last, it is obligatory to demolish it and leave the graves exposed without any building over them, as the graves in al-Madinah were exposed in his time (peace and blessings be upon him) and the time of his Companions, and so it is today in the time of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, exposed without any building over them. This is what is prescribed and this is what is obligatory.
As for if the mosque is old, the mosque was old but a grave occurred in it, then the grave must be dug up. It is obligatory upon the rulers and the people of authority and decision to dig it up and remove the remains in it, transferring them to the public cemeteries, and the mosque remains intact with nothing in it so that it can be prayed in. This is what is obligatory.
As for the argument of some ignorant people regarding the presence of the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companion in the mosque, this is an error because the Messenger was buried in his house (peace and blessings be upon him), not in the mosque. He was buried in his house, the house of Aisha, and his two companions Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) were buried with him in the house. But when al-Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan expanded the mosque at the end of the first century, he included the house in the mosque due to the expansion, and he erred in this. It was obligatory that he not include it in the mosque so that these ignorant people and their like would not argue with this. But he erred in this, so it is not permissible to imitate him or follow him in that. And let no one think that this is of the kind of building over graves or of the kind of taking graves as mosques. No, because this is an independent house that was included in the mosque due to the need for expansion and was separated from the mosque by walls. So this is of the kind of the cemetery in front of the mosque, separated from the mosque; it does not harm the mosque if it is separated from it by a wall, it does not harm it. So this is the case with the Prophet's Mosque; it is separated and protected by mesh and walls, so it is not part of the mosque in any way. It should be known that this is the case, and it should be conveyed by the believer to his brothers so that they do not err in these matters. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you, meaning that the land containing the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not included in the mosque?
The Shaykh: It is not in the mosque, no, rather it is separated from the mosque, and it is the house of Aisha. Then it is separated by the walls that took the house out of the mosque. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.