Sharʿi Ruling on Prostrating at Graves – Whether in Reverence or Otherwise
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil – ʿAqāʾid ka Bayān, Vol. 1, p. 67
In Islamic law, prostration (sujūd) — whether in reverence (taʿẓīmī) or otherwise — to anyone other than Allah ﷻ is completely impermissible.
It is ḥarām and counted among the kabāʾir (major sins).
The Qur’an and Sunnah give explicit guidance on this matter.
﴿لَا تَسۡجُدُواْ لِلشَّمۡسِ وَلَا لِلۡقَمَرِ وَٱسۡجُدُواْۤ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُونَ﴾
“Do not prostrate to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah who created them, if it is Him you truly worship.”
[Ḥā-Mīm al-Sajdah 41:37]
This verse proves that sujūd is exclusively for Allah ﷻ. No created being, no matter how great, can be given this act of worship.
Hadith of Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«لَوْ كُنْتُ آمُرُ أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لِأَحَدٍ لَأَمَرْتُ الْمَرْأَةَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِزَوْجِهَا»
"If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded a woman to prostrate to her husband."
[Al-Tirmidhī – Abwāb al-Raḍāʿ, Bāb fī Ḥaqq al-Zawj ʿalā al-Marʾah]
Hadith of Qays ibn Saʿd (رضي الله عنه) – Incident of Ḥīrah:
The Prophet ﷺ asked:
«أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ مَرَرْتَ بِقَبْرِي أَكُنْتَ تَسْجُدُ لَهُ؟»
"Tell me, if you were to pass by my grave, would you prostrate to it?"
He (Qays) replied: "No."
The Prophet ﷺ then said:
«لَا تَفْعَلُوا، لَوْ كُنْتُ آمُرُ أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لِأَحَدٍ لَأَمَرْتُ النِّسَاءَ أَنْ يَسْجُدْنَ لِأَزْوَاجِهِنَّ»
"Do not do so. If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded the women to prostrate to their husbands."
[Kitāb al-Nikāḥ – Bāb fī Ḥaqq al-Zawj ʿalā al-Marʾah]
This hadith is graded ḥasan li-ghayrih; some scholars classify it as ṣaḥīḥ li-ghayrih.
✔ Prostration at graves — whether in reverence or otherwise — is absolutely prohibited in Islam.
✔ Sujūd is an act of ʿibādah and belongs solely to Allah ﷻ.
✔ Both Qur’an and authentic Sunnah make it clear that sujūd to any creation is impermissible under all circumstances.
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil – ʿAqāʾid ka Bayān, Vol. 1, p. 67
1. The Ruling in Sharīʿah
In Islamic law, prostration (sujūd) — whether in reverence (taʿẓīmī) or otherwise — to anyone other than Allah ﷻ is completely impermissible.
It is ḥarām and counted among the kabāʾir (major sins).
The Qur’an and Sunnah give explicit guidance on this matter.
2. Qur’anic Evidence
﴿لَا تَسۡجُدُواْ لِلشَّمۡسِ وَلَا لِلۡقَمَرِ وَٱسۡجُدُواْۤ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُونَ﴾
“Do not prostrate to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah who created them, if it is Him you truly worship.”
[Ḥā-Mīm al-Sajdah 41:37]
This verse proves that sujūd is exclusively for Allah ﷻ. No created being, no matter how great, can be given this act of worship.
3. Prophetic Evidence
Hadith of Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«لَوْ كُنْتُ آمُرُ أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لِأَحَدٍ لَأَمَرْتُ الْمَرْأَةَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِزَوْجِهَا»
"If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded a woman to prostrate to her husband."
[Al-Tirmidhī – Abwāb al-Raḍāʿ, Bāb fī Ḥaqq al-Zawj ʿalā al-Marʾah]
Hadith of Qays ibn Saʿd (رضي الله عنه) – Incident of Ḥīrah:
The Prophet ﷺ asked:
«أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ مَرَرْتَ بِقَبْرِي أَكُنْتَ تَسْجُدُ لَهُ؟»
"Tell me, if you were to pass by my grave, would you prostrate to it?"
He (Qays) replied: "No."
The Prophet ﷺ then said:
«لَا تَفْعَلُوا، لَوْ كُنْتُ آمُرُ أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لِأَحَدٍ لَأَمَرْتُ النِّسَاءَ أَنْ يَسْجُدْنَ لِأَزْوَاجِهِنَّ»
"Do not do so. If I were to command anyone to prostrate to another, I would have commanded the women to prostrate to their husbands."
[Kitāb al-Nikāḥ – Bāb fī Ḥaqq al-Zawj ʿalā al-Marʾah]
This hadith is graded ḥasan li-ghayrih; some scholars classify it as ṣaḥīḥ li-ghayrih.
4. Conclusion
✔ Prostration at graves — whether in reverence or otherwise — is absolutely prohibited in Islam.
✔ Sujūd is an act of ʿibādah and belongs solely to Allah ﷻ.
✔ Both Qur’an and authentic Sunnah make it clear that sujūd to any creation is impermissible under all circumstances.
