The Ruling on Caskets and Shrines for the Dead in Mosques
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Question:
A letter reached the program from one of the listening brothers, saying: Husayn Isma'il al-'Aydrouss from the Democratic Yemen - Hadramawt - Tarbah. Our brother has a set of questions. In his first question, he asks and says:
Are caskets, graves, and shrines for the dead forbidden? And if they are in a mosque, what do we do? Do we separate them? Or do we leave them attached to the mosque? Guide us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The Sunnah is burial in the ground, not in a casket, nor in any other box. The grave is not to be plastered or asphalted, and nothing else is to be placed in it, such as iron, slabs, or the like. The Sunnah is that the deceased is buried in the ground, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was buried in the ground, and the Companions were buried in the ground, and so were others. A hole is dug for them in the ground, a side niche is made for him, and it is placed in the ground: [Taha:55]. However, if the ground is soft, watery, or weak, there is no harm in placing him in a casket, or placing slabs underneath him so that the ground holds him and does not collapse with him, or stones, or the like. There is no harm in that when there is need. But if the ground is strong, there is no need for any of that.
As for burial in the mosque, it is not permissible. The graves must be outside the mosque; because burying graves in mosques is a means to worshipping the dead other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 529 It is agreed upon on its authenticity. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 532 Narrated by Muslim in the Sahih, from Jundub ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bajali (may Allah be pleased with him).
This indicates that it is not permissible to make graves into mosques in which prayer is performed. And if the matter is so, then burial in them is also not permissible; because burial in them makes the graves into mosques.
And if a grave is found in a mosque, it is obligatory to dig it up and transfer its remains to the cemetery. But if the grave is the older one, and a mosque was built over it, it is obligatory to demolish the mosque, and that it not be prayed in, and that it not remain. Rather, it is to be demolished; because it was built upon disobedience to Allah, so it does not remain, but its removal is obligatory. One should not be deceived by what has occurred in some Islamic lands of building over graves and making mosques over them, for this is an abomination. And even if many people do it, it is an abomination that must be removed by the rulers. It is obligatory upon the rulers of the Muslims to remove this abomination, and that they not build over graves, and that they not make mosques over them; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade this. Likewise, they are not to be plastered, nor a dome built over them, nor any building, due to what is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Jabir that he: “forbade plastering graves, sitting on them, and building over them,” narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
So a grave is not to be built over, neither a dome nor anything else, nor plastered, nor a dome or mosque made over it. All of this is an abomination. And even if some people do it, as may be found in Egypt, Sham, Iraq, and elsewhere, it is all wrong.
We ask Allah to guide the rulers in every place to remove these mosques, and to leave the graves in the Muhammadan way that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) established in open cemeteries that are not built over, neither mosques nor anything else, nor plastered, nor exalted by doing anything. Rather, it is obligatory that the dead be buried in the ground, just as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did in Madinah, and just as the Muslims did after him. Building over them and making domes is a means to worshipping them other than Allah, and asking them for help, and making vows to them, and slaughtering for them. And this is major shirk, as has occurred. And people may circumambulate the graves if they are placed in mosques, as many people do in known graves.
And because of this excess, shirk occurred among the people when buildings were erected over graves and they were exalted. The common people thought that they are called upon other than Allah, and that help is sought from them, and that they are circumambulated, so they did so. Thus, major shirk occurred, and refuge is sought in Allah.
We ask Allah for everyone well-being and guidance. Yes.
A letter reached the program from one of the listening brothers, saying: Husayn Isma'il al-'Aydrouss from the Democratic Yemen - Hadramawt - Tarbah. Our brother has a set of questions. In his first question, he asks and says:
Are caskets, graves, and shrines for the dead forbidden? And if they are in a mosque, what do we do? Do we separate them? Or do we leave them attached to the mosque? Guide us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The Sunnah is burial in the ground, not in a casket, nor in any other box. The grave is not to be plastered or asphalted, and nothing else is to be placed in it, such as iron, slabs, or the like. The Sunnah is that the deceased is buried in the ground, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was buried in the ground, and the Companions were buried in the ground, and so were others. A hole is dug for them in the ground, a side niche is made for him, and it is placed in the ground:
From the earth We created you, and into it We will return you
مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْAs for burial in the mosque, it is not permissible. The graves must be outside the mosque; because burying graves in mosques is a means to worshipping the dead other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians that they took the graves of their prophets as mosques
لعن الله اليهود و النصارى 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 من كان قبلكم، كانوا يتخذون قبور أنبيائهم وصالحيهم مساجد، ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد فإني أنهاكم عن ذلكThis indicates that it is not permissible to make graves into mosques in which prayer is performed. And if the matter is so, then burial in them is also not permissible; because burial in them makes the graves into mosques.
And if a grave is found in a mosque, it is obligatory to dig it up and transfer its remains to the cemetery. But if the grave is the older one, and a mosque was built over it, it is obligatory to demolish the mosque, and that it not be prayed in, and that it not remain. Rather, it is to be demolished; because it was built upon disobedience to Allah, so it does not remain, but its removal is obligatory. One should not be deceived by what has occurred in some Islamic lands of building over graves and making mosques over them, for this is an abomination. And even if many people do it, it is an abomination that must be removed by the rulers. It is obligatory upon the rulers of the Muslims to remove this abomination, and that they not build over graves, and that they not make mosques over them; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade this. Likewise, they are not to be plastered, nor a dome built over them, nor any building, due to what is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Jabir that he: “forbade plastering graves, sitting on them, and building over them,” narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
So a grave is not to be built over, neither a dome nor anything else, nor plastered, nor a dome or mosque made over it. All of this is an abomination. And even if some people do it, as may be found in Egypt, Sham, Iraq, and elsewhere, it is all wrong.
We ask Allah to guide the rulers in every place to remove these mosques, and to leave the graves in the Muhammadan way that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) established in open cemeteries that are not built over, neither mosques nor anything else, nor plastered, nor exalted by doing anything. Rather, it is obligatory that the dead be buried in the ground, just as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did in Madinah, and just as the Muslims did after him. Building over them and making domes is a means to worshipping them other than Allah, and asking them for help, and making vows to them, and slaughtering for them. And this is major shirk, as has occurred. And people may circumambulate the graves if they are placed in mosques, as many people do in known graves.
And because of this excess, shirk occurred among the people when buildings were erected over graves and they were exalted. The common people thought that they are called upon other than Allah, and that help is sought from them, and that they are circumambulated, so they did so. Thus, major shirk occurred, and refuge is sought in Allah.
We ask Allah for everyone well-being and guidance. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.