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Hadith 970

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ ، عَنْ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، قَالَ : " نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُجَصَّصَ الْقَبْرُ ، وَأَنْ يُقْعَدَ عَلَيْهِ ، وَأَنْ يُبْنَى عَلَيْهِ " ،
Jabir said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade that the graves should be plastered or they be used as sitting places (for the people), or a building should be built over them.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الجنائز / 970
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة»
• • •
وحَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ . ح وحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ ، جَمِيعًا ، عَنْ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ ، قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، يَقُولُ : سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمِثْلِهِ .
A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Jabir bin 'Abdullah.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الجنائز / 970
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة»
• • •
وحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، قَالَ : " نُهِيَ عَنْ تَقْصِيصِ الْقُبُورِ " .
Jabir said that he was forbidden to build pucca graves.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الجنائز / 970
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة»
• • •
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
(1) "Construction" means raising the grave like a building or constructing a structure around the grave, whether it is for the protection of the grave or for the convenience of visitors; in any case, it is prohibited because in this way the grave will remain for a long time. It will cause inconvenience to those who come later, and it also becomes a cause for grave worship. Nowadays, such graves have become dens for criminals and addicts.

(2) "Addition" means adding soil other than the soil that comes out of the grave itself, which is prohibited because in this way the grave will be raised above the prescribed Shariah limit and it will take longer to disappear. Or it may mean making the grave unnecessarily long and wide, which is also prohibited because it will cause a shortage of space and create difficulties for others, and also waste space without purpose.

(3) Tahsis, that is, making the grave solid with lime or similar materials, because this gives it strength and durability, whereas the intent of the Shariah is that the grave should remain for a short time and then disappear so that space is left for those who come later. Some scholars have permitted plastering the grave with soil, but from this hadith it is understood that this soil should not be other than the soil of the grave itself; rather, water should be poured over the grave's soil and smoothed by hand. However, if a grave collapses and a pit is formed, then it can be filled with separate soil because this is a necessity.

(4) "Writing," for example: name, lineage, address, date of death, verses of the Qur'an, hadiths, etc.—in short, writing anything is prohibited because this will cause the grave to remain for a long time. Writing the Qur'an, etc., is also prohibited because graves are subject to decay and this will result in disrespect to the sacred words. Moreover, the relatives already know the grave without any inscription, and the general public gains no benefit from such an announcement, so writing is pointless and, in fact, ostentation.

(5) The prevalence of something among the general public is not proof of its permissibility when it is in clear contradiction to the explicit command of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, such as the aforementioned matters. After all, shirk (polytheism) has always been popular among the masses in every era.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 2029
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
Urdu marginal note:
“He forbade sitting [on the grave]” because in this there is disrespect to the occupant of the grave, or it is to prevent sitting as a form of mourning, or it means sitting as a caretaker (mujawir) at the grave. Some have interpreted this as referring to sitting for the purpose of relieving oneself. The correct view is that all of the above-mentioned forms are prohibited. Similarly, leaning against the grave is also prohibited because in this too there is disrespect to the occupant of the grave.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 2030
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
In that era, the function that was fulfilled by lime is, in present times, fulfilled by cement; therefore, the use of cement on graves is also prohibited. (For further details, see Hadith: 2029)
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 2031
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation:
1:
One reason for this prohibition is that it constitutes extravagance, as it brings no benefit to the deceased. Secondly, it involves such veneration of the dead that it can lead a person to shirk (associating partners with Allah).

2:
This prohibition is absolute; it includes writing the name of the deceased, the date of death, verses of the Qur’an for blessing, the Beautiful Names (Asma’ al-Husna), etc.—all are encompassed within it.

3:
For example, domes and the like.

4:
This prohibition is due to the respect and honor of the deceased; such actions result in the humiliation and disrespect of the deceased, and thus they have been forbidden.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 1052
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
To sit directly on top of the grave or to become its attendant in the expression of grief is prohibited (haram).
Similarly, to solidify it (make it permanent with construction) or to build a dome or the like over it is prohibited (haram).
There is no harm in sitting near the grave out of necessity.
(See Hadith 3212)
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 3225
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefit:
Applying lime or gypsum was a method in previous times to strengthen a structure; nowadays, cement is used for this purpose.
It is sufficient to cover the grave only with the soil that was taken out from the grave itself.
Adding more soil or reinforcing the grave is prohibited.
In this regard, constructing a room, dome, etc., over the grave will be even more strictly prohibited.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1562