The Ruling on Praying Behind One Who Holds Beliefs About the Inhabitants of Graves

The first message in this episode is from one of our brother listeners. At the end of it, he says: The sender is Abdulmun'im from Sudan. Our brother asks several questions, one of which is: Is it permissible to pray behind one who holds beliefs about graves?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: This question is general in nature, for beliefs regarding graves are of different types. If one believes that they are suitable to be worshipped other than Allah, that aid is sought from their inhabitants, that vows are made to them, that sacrifices are slaughtered for them, and that their graves are circumambulated, then this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). One does not pray behind him, for he is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), and prayer is not valid except behind a Muslim. If one believes that the inhabitants of graves are called upon other than Allah, that aid is sought from them, that vows are made to them, that sacrifices are slaughtered for them, and the like, as some ignorant people do at the grave of al-Badawi, al-Husayn, Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, or others, then this is major shirk. Those who hold these beliefs about the inhabitants of graves are not Muslims; rather, they are disbelievers who have done what the disbelievers of Quraysh and their like from the ignorant Arabs and the polytheists of the Arabs did. For the Arabs used to worship the inhabitants of graves, such as al-Lat, and they worshipped idols, trees, and stones, sought aid from them, made vows to them, and slaughtered for them. So Allah ruled that they were polytheists. He, Glorified and Exalted is He, said in His great Book: [Surah Yunus: 18], and He, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [Surah al-Tawbah: 17].
Therefore, one who worships idols, trees, stones, or the inhabitants of graves is considered a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) in the ruling of Islam, and one does not pray behind him. However, if one believes that it is recommended (mustahabb) to visit the inhabitants of graves and to make du'a (supplication) for them, as Allah has prescribed, then this is a prescribed (mashru') matter. It is recommended to visit the graves of Muslim inhabitants and to make du'a for them with mercy and forgiveness; there is no harm in this.
There is a third type: one who believes that the inhabitants of graves are such that one prays at their graves, recites the Qur'an at them, and that there is blessing in this, but they are not worshipped, not called upon, not prayed to, and not circumambulated. Rather, he sees that one prays at their graves for the sake of blessing, because it is a blessed spot, or he sees that one recites at them or seeks to make du'a there—meaning du'a to Allah, not du'a to them. This is a bid'ah (religious innovation), and one does not become a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) by it, but it is a bid'ah (religious innovation). It is to be denounced, and it is to be made clear to him that this is an error, and that Allah has not prescribed for us to pray at graves, nor to recite at them, nor to make du'a at them—making du'a to Allah at them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So the mosques are where prayer is performed, where du'a is made, and where recitation takes place. As for graves, no; they are visited to make du'a for their inhabitants. The graves of Muslims are visited and du'a is made for them with mercy and forgiveness, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . And he taught his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that when they visited graves, they should say: . And in a hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) in Muslim, he used to say: , . And in a hadith of Ibn Abbas, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) visited the graves of the people of Madinah and said: .
This is a lawful visit for a Muslim to visit the graves of Muslims in his land without traveling a long distance. He visits them without traveling a long distance, greets them, and makes du'a for them with mercy, forgiveness, and well-being. This visit contains much good; it benefits the deceased and the living. The living person remembers the Hereafter, prepares for the Hereafter, and makes du'a for his deceased brothers, and the deceased benefit from this du'a. However, if the deceased is not a Muslim, then the grave is visited only for the sake of taking a lesson, and no du'a is made for him. As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited the grave of his mother. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) asked his Lord to seek forgiveness for her, but he was not permitted to do so. So he visited her for the sake of taking a lesson. And if one visits the graves of disbelievers for the sake of taking a lesson and remembering the Hereafter, there is no harm, but one does not make du'a for them, for one does not seek forgiveness for a disbeliever, nor make du'a for him.
And likewise, one who dies upon the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), in the state of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), in the disbelief of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), like the mother of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who died upon the religion of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), was forbidden from seeking forgiveness for her, peace and blessings be upon him.
So the conclusion is that visiting graves is as detailed above, and beliefs about graves are as detailed above. One who believes that they are called upon other than Allah, and that it is suitable to take them as gods to be worshipped other than Allah, called upon other than Allah, that aid is sought from them, that they are circumambulated as the Ka'bah is circumambulated to draw near to the inhabitants of graves, and that sacrifices are slaughtered for their people, this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is the practice of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance) and the religion of the jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance) of Quraysh and others. One does not pray behind its adherent, nor is his slaughtered meat eaten, for he is not a Muslim.
The second type: One believes that the people of graves are to be visited, and that du'a is made for them and mercy is sought for them without traveling a long distance. This is a lawful visit, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): , as mentioned earlier. The deceased are in need of this visit; du'a is made for them, forgiveness is sought for them, and mercy is sought for them. This is a prescribed (mashru') matter, which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did and commanded.
The third type: One believes that prayer at graves is a beneficial act of drawing near to Allah, or that recitation at graves or du'a at graves is such. This has no basis. This is a bid'ah (religious innovation) with no basis. One does not visit for the sake of making du'a there, or praying there, or reciting there. No, this has no basis. Rather, this is done in mosques and homes. One prays in the mosque, recites in the mosque or in his home, and makes du'a in the home or in the mosque. This is not the affair of graves. Graves are not visited for this purpose; they are not visited for the sake of sitting there for du'a, or praying there, or reciting there. This is not prescribed; rather, it is a bid'ah (religious innovation) and one of the means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). We ask Allah for success and guidance for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.