The Sharʿī Ruling on Reciting the Qur’ān in the Graveyard in Light of Qur’ān and Ḥadīth
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil, Janāzah Issues, Vol. 1, p. 262
❖ Question
Respected Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Manān Ṣāḥib, what do the scholars say regarding the issue of reciting the Noble Qur’ān in the graveyard? Kindly provide an answer in the light of Qur’ān and Ḥadīth.
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
Regarding the recitation of the Qur’ān in the graveyard, it is clear that there is no evidence from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for this practice.
❖ Clarification
Some argue: since Qur’ān and Sunnah contain no explicit prohibition against recitation in the graveyard, the act must therefore be permissible.
This line of reasoning, however, is incorrect.
◈ The absence of prohibition does not itself prove permissibility.
Examples:
➤ The Qur’ān and Sunnah do not explicitly forbid giving the adhān in a graveyard.
➤ Yet, no scholar has ever issued a fatwā permitting adhān to be given in a graveyard.
Likewise:
➤ Even though there is no explicit prohibition on Qur’ānic recitation in the graveyard,
➤ since there is also no evidence or encouragement from the Prophet ﷺ for it, its permissibility cannot be established.
❖ Principle to Remember
A deed does not become permissible merely because there is no prohibition found in Qur’ān or Sunnah.
For its validity, explicit evidence of its legislation is required.
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam bis-ṣawāb.
