❖ Is It Permissible to Build a Mosque Over the Grave of a Prophet or a Saint?
Source: Fatawa Amun Puri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amun Puri
❀ Question:
Is it permissible to build a mosque over the grave of a Prophet or a saint (wali)?
❀ Answer:
Building mosques over graves is forbidden and haram.
❀ Sayyidah ‘Aishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
… أولئك إذا مات منهم الرجل الصالح بنوا على قبره مسجدا، ثم صوروا فيه تلك الصورة أولئك شرار الخلق عند الله
“When the Prophet ﷺ was ill, one of his wives mentioned a church in Abyssinia. Umm Salamah and Umm Habibah رضي الله عنهما described its beauty and pictures. The Prophet ﷺ then said: ‘Those people, when a righteous man among them died, would build a mosque over his grave and place images in it. They are the worst of creation in the sight of Allah.’”
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 1341; Sahih Muslim: 528)
❀ Sayyidah ‘Aishah رضي الله عنها also reported:
لعن الله اليهود والنصارى اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مسجدا …
“The Prophet ﷺ in his final illness said: ‘May Allah curse the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.’” She added: “Had it not been for this, his grave would have been exposed, but it was feared it might be taken as a mosque.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 1330; Sahih Muslim: 529)
❀ Sayyiduna Jundub ibn ‘Abdullah رضي الله عنه narrated:
… ألا وإن من كان قبلكم كانوا يتخذون قبور أنبيائهم وصالحيهم مساجد، ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد، إني أنهاكم عن ذلك
“I heard the Prophet ﷺ five days before his death say: ‘Indeed, those before you used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship. Beware! Do not take graves as mosques. I forbid you from this.’”
(Sahih Muslim: 532)
❀ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (d. 728H) said:
لو كان قبر نبي أو رجل صالح لم يشرح أن يبنى عليه مسجد بإجماع المسلمين وبسنة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم المستفيضة عنه
“Even if it is the grave of a Prophet or a righteous man, it is not legislated to build a mosque upon it. There is consensus of the Muslims on this, along with the well-known Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
(Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, 27/62)
