Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: It is obligatory to observe the congregation for the obligatory prayers; therefore, they must be performed in the mosque, or the prayer of greeting the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid) is specifically related to the mosque. Apart from this, the emphasized Sunnah (sunan mu’akkadah) and non-emphasized Sunnah (sunan ghayr mu’akkadah), as well as supererogatory prayers (nawafil) such as Duha (chast), Ishraq, Awwabin, and Tahajjud, it is better and more virtuous to perform them at home.

And: (وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوهَا قُبُورًا) — the purpose of this is that you should not make your homes into graves, nor consider your homes as graveyards where no prayer is performed, nor consider yourselves as the dead of the graveyard upon whom there is no prayer, nor should you consider your homes merely as places of rest, for sleep is also a kind of death. Therefore, do not think that the home is only for sleeping and resting.

Benefits and Issues:
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established the chapter regarding the reprehensibility of performing prayer at graves, and presented the hadith: “Do not make your houses graves.” The relevance is that performing prayer at graves is disliked; therefore, if voluntary prayers (nafl) are not performed in the house, then those houses will also become like graves.

The second relevance is that the dead do not pray in the grave, and their deeds are cut off; that is why it has been commanded not to make your houses like graves.

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes:
«كأن المصنف أشار إلى ما رواه أبوداؤد والترمذي فى ذالك ليس على شرطه وهو حديث أبى سعيد الخدري مرفوعًا الأرض كلها مسجد إلا المقبرة والحمام، واستنبط من قوله فى الحديث ”ولا تتخذوها قبورًا“ ان القبور ليست بمحل للعبادة فتكون الصلاة فيها مكروهة» [فتح الباري، ج1، ص529]
It is as if the author rahimahullah has alluded to the hadith which Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi have narrated. From Sayyiduna Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu, marfu‘an (but) this hadith is not upon the conditions of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, that the entire earth is a mosque except for the graveyard and the bathhouse. And he derived his statement from the hadith: “Do not make your houses graveyards.” Certainly, graves are not for worship, and prayer in them (i.e., in graveyards) is disliked.

◈ Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah says:
“The hadith indicates that there is a (clear) difference between a house and a graveyard, because the command for prayer is given for the house, and it is commanded not to let it become a graveyard. Consider that a graveyard is not a place for prayer. Therefore, for this reason, this hadith has been included under this chapter.” [المتواري، ص86]

◈ Allamah Siddiq bin Hasan al-Qanuji rahimahullah says:
«وقد حمل البخاري هذا الحديث على منع الصلاة فى المقابر ولهذا ترجم به، وتعقب بأنه ليس فيه تعرض لجواز الصلاة فى المقابر ولا منعها، بل المراد منه الحث على الصلاة فى البيت، فأن الموتي لا يصلون فى بيوتهم، وكأنه قال : لا تكونوا كالموتي فى القبور حيث انقطعت عنهم الأعمال . . .» [عون الباري، ج1، ص453]
That is, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established from the hadith that prayer at graves is not valid, and upon this he established the chapter as well. It has been objected that there is no mention in this hadith about performing prayer at graves; rather, what is meant is that voluntary prayer should be performed at home, because the dead do not perform prayer in their homes (i.e., in their graves). It is as if it is being said: Do not be like the dead who are in their graves, while their deeds have been cut off from them... Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, according to his habit, has alluded to that narration which is not upon his conditions (the entire earth is a mosque except for the graveyard and the bathhouse).

◈ From the clarification of Siddiq Hasan Khan sahib rahimahullah, it becomes clear that there are no such explicit words of prohibition in the hadith. However, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s allusion is towards the hadith of Tirmidhi, where the command is present in explicit words that prayer should not be performed at graves. Thus, from here is the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith.

Benefit:
According to all four schools of thought, building mosques upon graves is forbidden, because there is clear and strict prohibition of this in the hadith. Here, we will establish the negation of building mosques upon graves from all four schools, insha Allah.
➊ Shafi‘i School: The Shafi‘i jurist Ibn Hajar al-Haytami has, in [الزواجر عن اقتراف الكبائر، ج1، ص120], counted performing prayer at graves and making them mosques among the major sins. Furthermore, the jurist Ibn Hajar al-Haytami says: “For a person to seek blessing from a grave and to make it a mosque is among the causes of shirk (associating partners with Allah). Building domes over graves and such graves are even more harmful than Masjid Dirar, because their foundation is upon disobedience to the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.” [روح المعاني، ج5ص31]
➋ Hanafi School: The special student of Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah says:
«لا نري أن يزاد على ما خرج من القبر ونكره أن يجصص أو يطبن أو يجعل عنده مسجدًا» [كتاب الاثار، ص45]
“That is, according to the Hanafis as well, to build up a grave or to make it a mosque is subject to reprehensibility.”
➌ Maliki School: Imam Qurtubi rahimahullah says:
«قال علماؤنا : وهذا يحرم على المسلمين أن يتخذوا قبور الانبياء والعلماء مساجد» [تفسير القرطبي، ج10، ص38]
“Our scholars have said that it is forbidden for Muslims to make the graves of prophets and scholars into mosques.”
➍ Hanbali School: Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah says:
“To illuminate graves is forbidden, and to make them mosques as well, and among the well-known scholars we have not found anyone who disagrees on this issue.” [الاختيارات العلمية، ص52]

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has derived the present issue from the statement “Do not make your homes graveyards,” that since graves are not places of worship, therefore it is not permissible to pray in them.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/685)
However, Allamah Ibn Munir rahimahullah has considered this meaning and derivation as questionable.
According to him, the meaning of this hadith is that you should not live in your homes in such a manner as the dead are in their graves; the dead have no connection with deeds, and the legal obligations have been lifted from them.
On this basis, this hadith is silent regarding whether or not the living should pray in graveyards.
The evidence for taking this meaning is that the word used in the hadith is “qubur” (graves), not “maqabir” (graveyards), and a “qabr” is the pit in which a dead person is buried, while a “maqbara” is the place where there are graves.
(al-Mutawari, p. 84)
But his considering Imam Bukhari’s rahimahullah derivation as questionable is itself questionable, because he has based it on the word “qubur” in the hadith.
Whereas in some narrations, the word “maqabir” is also present, which means graveyards.
(Sahih Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith: 824 (780))
Similarly, it is explicitly mentioned in the hadith that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam forbade giving the status of a mosque to a graveyard.
(Sahih Muslim, al-Masajid, Hadith: 1188 (532))
In addition, Ibn al-Mundhir rahimahullah has transmitted from most of the scholars that a graveyard is not a place for prayer; he, like Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, has based this derivation on the same hadith.
Imam Baghawi rahimahullah and Allamah Khattabi rahimahullah have agreed with this.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/685)
2.
Other meanings of this hadith have also been given, the details of which are as follows:
➊ Do not bury your dead in your homes, because by doing so, there will no longer be room to pray in the homes.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/686)
But since the subject here is prayer, this meaning does not seem appropriate.
➋ Do not make your homes merely places for sleeping, such that you sleep in them like the dead and never even think of praying.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/685)
According to us, the preferred position is that it is not correct to pray in a graveyard.
However, the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah) can be performed in a graveyard.
The meaning of “do not make your homes graveyards” is that you should perform voluntary prayers (nafl) in your homes, and do not avoid praying there as is done in graveyards.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:

Here, the prayer referred to is the voluntary (nafl) prayer, because in another hadith it is stated that a person's best prayer is that which is performed at home. However, performing the obligatory (fard) prayer in the mosque is superior.

The deceased does not perform prayer in the grave; therefore, a house in which prayer is not performed also becomes like a grave.

It is prohibited to perform prayer in a graveyard.

For this reason, it has been stated: Do not make your homes, in terms of prayer, like graveyards—places where prayer is forbidden.

The narration of Abdul Wahab has been included by Imam Muslim rahimahullah in his Jami' al-Sahih.

Hadith Commentary:
According to this hadith, a house in which prayer is not performed is likened to a grave, in which worship is not carried out, and the inhabitant of such a house is likened to a deceased person, from whom no righteous deeds can be expected.
From this, it is also understood that a graveyard is a place that is not suitable for prayer. Accordingly, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established a chapter heading for this hadith in the following words:
(Karahiyyat as-salat fi al-maqabir)
"Disapproval of performing prayer in graveyards."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Salat, Chapter: 52)
The corroboration of ‘Abdul Wahhab has been narrated by Imam Muslim rahimahullah with his connected chain.
(Sahih Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin, Hadith: 1621(777))

English Commentary:
1:
By this is meant the supererogatory (nafl) and Sunnah prayers.

2:
From this hadith it is understood that those houses in which there is regular observance of supererogatory (nafl) prayers are not like graveyards, and those houses in which there is no observance of nafl and similar acts are like graveyards. Just as graves are devoid of deeds and worship, such houses are also deprived of deeds and worship, resembling graveyards.

1448. Commentary: By this are meant the Sunnah and voluntary (nafl) prayers. The mention of the graveyard is because it has been prohibited to perform prayers there, as if to say that the graveyard is not a place for prayer. Thus, if you do not perform voluntary and Sunnah prayers in your homes, then your homes will also become like graveyards. This hadith has already been mentioned earlier. (1043)

1043. Commentary:
➊ By this is meant only the Sunnah and voluntary (nafl) prayers.
➋ The resemblance to a graveyard is given because neither are prayers performed there nor are they permissible.
➌ The most important wisdom in this is that, through this practice, Allah’s mercy descends upon the house. Angels descend, a person is protected from showing off (riya), and beyond that, it also serves as encouragement for the household and as training for the children.
➍ From these voluntary prayers, the Sunnah and obligatory prayers of ihram and tawaf, as well as congregational tarawih and similar prayers, are excepted.

1599. Commentary:

➊ Except for a valid excuse, the obligatory (fard) prayer should be performed in the mosque in congregation; however, voluntary (nafl) prayers can be performed both at home and in the mosque. The mosque will be enlivened by the obligatory prayers. Homes can only be enlivened by voluntary prayers, therefore, performing voluntary prayers at home is better and more virtuous. For women, it is better and more virtuous to perform even the obligatory prayers at home, although they may also perform the obligatory prayers in the mosque. In this way, homes can be enlivened with the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah. Only those homes and hearts are truly alive and flourishing in which there is the remembrance of Allah; otherwise, they are desolate and dead. In this regard, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam likened those homes in which there is no remembrance of Allah to graveyards, and it is strictly prohibited to perform prayer in graveyards. And the real and highest form of Allah’s remembrance is prayer (salah) itself.

➋ Incidentally, from this narration it is also understood that prayer cannot be performed in graveyards, except for the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah), as it does not contain bowing (ruku) and prostration (sujud). Some commentators have also interpreted this narration to mean: “Do not make graves in your homes, otherwise, due to the presence of graves, you will not be able to perform prayer in your homes.” This ruling is correct, but there is some forced interpretation in this meaning.

➌ This narration does not mean that voluntary (nafl) and sunnah prayers cannot be performed in the mosque; rather, the meaning is that you should also perform voluntary prayers in your homes.

Benefits and Issues:

➊ The remembrance of Allah is the life of the heart. One who does not engage in remembrance is like a dead person. Prayer (salah) is the best form of remembrance.

➋ It is prohibited to perform prayer in graveyards.

➌ The meaning of "do not make your homes like graves" is that just as prayer is not performed in graveyards, likewise, do not neglect prayer in your homes. Do not become so accustomed to performing all voluntary (nafl) prayers in the mosque, apart from the obligatory prayers, that you abandon praying voluntary prayers at home. Rather, perform voluntary prayers in your homes as well.