What is the ruling on praying at a grave facing a direction other than the qiblah?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Praying toward it (the grave), even if it is opposite the qiblah?
Answer:
This is if he prays toward the grave, thinking it is the qiblah: he is to be informed that this is invalid. But if he does so to draw near to it, it is major shirk.
Q: He says: The prayer here involves drawing near to Allah, worshipping Allah?
A: He is to be taught that praying at graves is a religious innovation (bid'ah). If he intends by it the occupant of the grave, it becomes major shirk. Or if he performs circumambulation (tawaf) intending to draw near to the occupant of the grave, it becomes major shirk. We ask Allah for safety.
But if he prays at them thinking it is a means of nearness, and that praying at graves or reciting at them is good; then this is a religious innovation (bid'ah).
Praying toward it (the grave), even if it is opposite the qiblah?
Answer:
This is if he prays toward the grave, thinking it is the qiblah: he is to be informed that this is invalid. But if he does so to draw near to it, it is major shirk.
Q: He says: The prayer here involves drawing near to Allah, worshipping Allah?
A: He is to be taught that praying at graves is a religious innovation (bid'ah). If he intends by it the occupant of the grave, it becomes major shirk. Or if he performs circumambulation (tawaf) intending to draw near to the occupant of the grave, it becomes major shirk. We ask Allah for safety.
But if he prays at them thinking it is a means of nearness, and that praying at graves or reciting at them is good; then this is a religious innovation (bid'ah).
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.