Question:
What is the ruling on praying in the cemetery?
Answer:
It is not permissible to pray in a cemetery. It is prohibited. Praying near graves can also lead to grave worship and polytheism, therefore it has been forbidden. There are numerous authentic hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on this matter.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه reports that the Prophet ﷺ said:
اجعلوا فى بيوتكم من صلاتكم، ولا تتخذوها قبورا.
Perform part of your prayers in your homes; do not make them cemeteries.
Imam Bukhari رحمه الله has dedicated a chapter with the title:
باب كراهية الصلاة فى المقابر.
Explanation of the dislike of praying in a cemetery.
❀ Imam Ibn Mundhir رحمه الله
says:
أبين البيان على أن الصلاة فى المقبرة غير جائز.
This hadith is a very clear proof that praying in a cemetery is not permissible.
❀ He also says:
في قوله: ولا تتخذوها قبورا، دليل على أن المقبرة ليست بموضع صلاة لأن فى قوله: اجعلوا فى بيوتكم من صلاتكم، حث على الصلوات فى البيوت وقوله: ولا تتخذوها قبورا، يدل على أن الصلاة غير جائزة فى المقبرة.
The Prophetic command: Do not make your homes cemeteries, is evidence that cemeteries are not places for prayer, because the Prophetic command to perform part of the prayer (nawafil) in homes encourages praying in homes. Also, the command not to make your homes cemeteries is proof that praying in cemeteries is not permissible.
Sayyiduna Abu Marthad Ghannawi رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا تصلوا إلى القبور.
Do not pray facing the graves.
❀ Hafiz Nawawi رحمه الله
says:
(Based on the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Marthad Ghannawi رضي الله عنه, it is not unlikely that praying in a cemetery is considered forbidden.)
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا تجعلوا بيوتكم قبورا، ولا تجعلوا قبري عيدا، وصلوا علي؛ فإن صلاتكم تبلغني حيث كنتم.
Do not make your homes cemeteries, nor turn my grave into a festival; send blessings upon me, wherever you are, the blessings will reach me.
Hafiz Nawawi رحمه الله
and Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله
have declared its chain authentic.
❀ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله
says:
هذا إسناد حسن، فإن رواته كلهم ثقات مشاهير.
Its chain is Hasan (good), all its narrators are well-known trustworthy.
❀ Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه reports:
رآني عمر وأنا أصلي، فقال: القبر أمامك فنهاني.
I was praying when Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه saw me and said: There is a grave in front of you; he forbade me from praying facing the grave.
❀ Musayyib bin Rafi’ رحمه الله and Khaythamah bin Abdur Rahman رحمه الله say:
لا تصل إلى حائط حمام، ولا وسط مقبرة.
Do not pray facing the wall of the bathhouse or inside the cemetery.
Regarding Imam Makhul رحمه الله:
إنه كان يكره الصلاة فى المقابر.
He disliked praying in the cemetery.
❀ Imam Abu Bakr Athram رحمه الله
says:
إنما كرهت الصلاة فى المقبرة للتشبه بأهل الكتاب؛ لأنهم يتخذون قبور أنبيائهم وصالحيهم مساجد.
Undoubtedly, praying in the cemetery is disliked because it resembles the People of the Book, who used to make the graves of their prophets and righteous ones places of prostration.
❀ Allama Ibn Hazm رحمه الله
says:
لا تحل الصلاة فى مقبرة، مقبرة مسلمين كانت أو مقبرة كفار، ولا إلى قبر، ولا عليه، ولو أنه قبر نبي أو غيره.
Whether the cemetery belongs to Muslims or disbelievers, praying in it is not permissible. Likewise, praying facing or on a grave is not permissible, even if the grave is of a prophet or any other (saint).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله
says:
أئمة الدين متفقون على النهي عن ذلك وأنه ليس لأحد أن يقصد الصلاة عند قبر أحد لا نبي ولا غير نبي، وكل من قال: إن قصد الصلاة عند قبر أحد أو عند مسجد بني على قبر أو مشهد أو غير ذلك، أمر مشروع بحيث يستحب ذلك ويكون أفضل من الصلاة فى المسجد الذى لا قبر فيه، فقد مرق من الدين، وخالف إجماع المسلمين، والواجب أن يستتاب قائل هذا ومعتقده، فإن تاب وإلا قتل.
The Imams of the religion are unanimous on the prohibition of praying near graves; it is not permissible for anyone to pray near the grave of a prophet or a non-prophet. Those who say that praying in a mosque or mausoleum built on a grave or near it is lawful and recommended and better than praying in a general mosque have left the religion and denied the consensus of Muslims. It is necessary to make such a person repent; if he repents, well and good, otherwise he should be killed.
❀ He also says:
لا تصح الصلاة فى المقبرة ولا إليها، والنهي عن ذلك إنما هو لسد ذريعة الشرك.
Prayer performed facing the cemetery or a grave is not valid; the prohibition is to prevent it from becoming a cause of polytheism.
❀ He also says:
المشهور عندنا أنها محرمة لا تصح، ومن تأمل النصوص المتقدمة تبين له أنها محرمة بلا شك، وأن صلاته لا تصح.
Our well-known school of thought is that praying in a cemetery is forbidden; there is no prayer in a cemetery. Whoever reflects on these legal texts will know that praying in a cemetery is undoubtedly forbidden and that there is no prayer in a cemetery.
There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding praying in a cemetery. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal رحمه الله, Imam Shafi’i رحمه الله, Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh رحمه الله, and Hanafi scholars hold that praying in a cemetery is not permissible. However, Maliki scholars consider it permissible. The correct and strongest view is that praying in a cemetery is not permissible, as is evident from the generality of the hadiths. And Allah knows best!
