The Ruling on Building Mosques over Graves, and Identifying Some Misguided Sects

The second question in the letter from the brother: Rizq Muhammad Rizq al-Masri, and the brother: 'Abid Harisan Fahid, they say in it: What is the ruling on mosques that contain the graves of some of the righteous? Is the prayer in them valid or not? And is it valid to make vows to these scholars? Please inform us, may Allah reward you. And what is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding the orders (tariqat) currently existing in most Islamic countries, such as: the Sufis, the Bawiyah, the Baha'is, the Mu'tazilah, and other such orders? And what is the ruling on what they mention regarding fiery prayers, glorifying Allah with large numbers, and reciting the Qur'an with large numbers? Please inform us, may Allah reward you?
Answer: As for the mosques that are built over graves, their ruling is demolition; it is not permissible for them to remain, and no prayer is performed in them. This is based on what is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: , agreed upon for its authenticity.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made it clear that Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians because of their taking the graves of their prophets as mosques, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) made it clear that it is obligatory for the Muslims to avoid that, and not to imitate the Jews and the Christians in this matter. This indicates that it is not permissible to make mosques over graves, and no prayer is performed in them; because this causes and leads to shirk (associating partners with Allah) with them and worshipping them instead of Allah, and there is no power nor strength except with Allah.
And from this is what Muslim narrated in the Sahih from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) , from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): , so graves are not plastered, and nothing is built over them, neither mosques nor anything else. And that is only because making them mosques and building over them is among the causes of exaggeration in them, and worshipping their people instead of Allah, by making vows to them, slaughtering for them, and the like of that.
So for this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited making mosques over graves, and informed that Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians because of the causes of that.
So it is obligatory for the Muslims to beware of this, and not to build mosques over graves, and not to build anything over them, neither a dome nor a room, nor a mosque, nor plastering; because the Messenger prohibited this (peace and blessings be upon him) and warned against it, peace and blessings be upon him and upon his family and his companions.
As for if the mosque was built and standing before that, and then a dead person was buried in it, then this dead person must be exhumed. If the mosque existed but it happened that a dead person or dead people were buried in it, then it is obligatory to exhume these graves and place them in the public cemeteries, so that the mosque remains free from graves. This is what is obligatory, and with this, prayer is performed in it, if they are exhumed... prayer is performed in it; because it is the older one and the original one. But if the graves are the original ones and then the mosque happened, then it is obligatory to demolish it and remove it, and that the graves remain like the other graves, open, with no building over them, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did that and his companions, in al-Baqi' and other than al-Baqi'.
And it is not hidden what results from building mosques over graves, and making domes over them, carpeting them, lighting them, and perfuming them. It is not hidden what results from this of exaggeration in them, and honoring their people, and worshipping them instead of Allah, by making vows to them, supplicating to them, and seeking aid from them. And this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). Supplicating to the dead, seeking aid from the dead, and making vows to them, this is from major shirk according to all the reputable scholars of knowledge. And it is like supplicating to the idols, and like supplicating to the trees and stones, and like supplicating to the stars and seeking aid from them. All of it is shirk with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And honoring them by building mosques over them and domes is a means to that. And as for the orders that people have innovated, the orders of the Sufis, the Baha'is, the Qadiyans, and others, they are deniable, innovated orders. It is obligatory that they be presented to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So what agrees with the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or agrees with the Book of Allah is accepted, and what contradicts that from what people have innovated is rejected and discarded. This is due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): , narrated by Muslim, meaning: it is rejected. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , meaning: so it is rejected, agreed upon for its authenticity. And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say in the Friday sermon: , narrated by Muslim in the Sahih.
It is obligatory for the people of Islam to be wary of what people have innovated, in the form of paths that contradict the Shari'ah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), whether they are Sufi or not. It is obligatory to present what people have innovated in the form of paths to the Book of Allah and to the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Whatever agrees with them, or with one of them, is accepted, and whatever contradicts them is rejected from the one who innovated it. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [al-Nisa:59] So He (Glorified and Exalted is He) commanded that what people dispute be referred to Allah and His Messenger, meaning: : to His great Book, and meaning : to him in his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him) and to his Sunnah after his death (peace and blessings be upon him). This is what the scholars said (may Allah have mercy on them), and this is what He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [al-Shura:10]. However, the Bahaiyyah are a disbelieving sect, and their disbelief is well known due to their claim of prophethood for Baha, and perhaps they claim that he is Allah! So they are a disbelieving sect from which one must be wary, and it is obligatory for Islamic states to remove them, eliminate them, and not permit them to remain in the lands. Likewise, the Qadiyyah are a disbelieving sect; because they establish prophethood for Mirza Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiyani, and this is disbelief and misguidance; because Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), is the Seal of the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon him), and there is no prophet after him. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [al-Ahzab:40] And it is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and has been mass-transmitted from him, that he said: So the claim of the Qadiyyah: that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a prophet and that revelation is sent to him, this is independent disbelief and major apostasy according to the scholars. So one must be wary of them and not permit them until they respond to Allah and His Messenger, until they repent from this belief, and until they turn away from this falsehood and evil. We ask Allah for guidance for us and for them.