Taken from: Fatawa Arkan al-Islam
◈ If a grave already existed and a mosque was later constructed over it, this is prohibited.
◈ It is obligatory to abandon such a mosque, and performing Salah in it is invalid.
◈ The mosque must be demolished.
◈ If the builder does not demolish it, then it becomes the duty of the Islamic authority to do so.
If a mosque existed first, and later a deceased person was buried in it, then:
◈ The grave must be exhumed, and the body reburied in a public Muslim graveyard.
◈ Salah in that mosque is permissible as long as the grave is not directly in front of the worshipper.
◈ This is because the Prophet ﷺ forbade praying towards graves.
◈ The construction of Masjid al-Nabawi was completed before the Prophet ﷺ passed away; it was not built over a grave.
◈ The Prophet ﷺ was buried in his house, which was separate from the mosque.
Later, in 88 AH, Caliph al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik wrote to the governor of Madinah, ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, ordering:
ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz consulted scholars and notable figures:
◈ Most advised leaving the rooms as they were for greater reminder and reflection.
◈ Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib opposed including ʿĀʾishah’s (رضي الله عنها) chamber into the mosque, fearing the grave might become a place of prostration.
Although ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz conveyed these concerns to al-Walīd, the caliph insisted, and the expansion went ahead.
Conclusion from this historical account:
◈ The inclusion of the Prophet’s ﷺ grave within the mosque occurred later and due to necessity.
◈ Masjid al-Nabawi was neither originally built over a grave, nor was the Prophet ﷺ buried in a mosque.
◈ Thus, this event cannot be used as evidence to justify building mosques over graves.
1.
((لَعْنَۃُ اللّٰہِ عَلَی الْیَہُودِ وَالنَّصَارٰی اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِیَائِہِمْ مَسَاجِدَ))
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh, ḥadīth: 435; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Masājid, ḥadīth: 531)
Translation:
"May Allah curse the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship."
The Prophet ﷺ said this at the time of his death, strongly warning his Ummah against this practice.
2.
When Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) mentioned a church in Abyssinia with images inside, the Prophet ﷺ said:
((أُولٰٓئِکِ إِذَا مَاتَ فیْہُمُ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ او العبد الصالح بَنَوْا عَلَی قَبْرِہِ مَسْجِدًا ثُمَّ صَوَّرُوا فِیہِ تِلْکَ الصُّورَۃَ أُولٰٓئِکِ شِرَارُ الْخَلْقِ عِنْدَ اللّٰہِ))
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Janaʾiz, ḥadīth: 1341; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Masājid, ḥadīth: 528)
Translation:
"When a righteous man among them died, they built a place of worship over his grave and made images therein. They are the worst of creation in the sight of Allah."
3.
((اِنَّ مِنْ شِرَارِ النَّاسِ مَنْ تُدْرِکُہمُ السَّاعَۃُ وَہُمْ اَحْیَائٌ، وَالذینْ یَتَّخِذونُ الْقُبُورَ مَسَاجِدَ))
(Musnad Aḥmad, 1/405, 435)
Translation:
"Among the worst of people are those whom the Hour will reach while they are alive, and those who take graves as mosques."
◈ A believer must not imitate the ways of Jews and Christians in this matter.
◈ No Muslim should accept to be counted among those described by the Prophet ﷺ as the worst of creation.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
Two Distinct Scenarios Identified by Scholars
① First Scenario: A Mosque Built Over a Grave
◈ If a grave already existed and a mosque was later constructed over it, this is prohibited.
◈ It is obligatory to abandon such a mosque, and performing Salah in it is invalid.
◈ The mosque must be demolished.
◈ If the builder does not demolish it, then it becomes the duty of the Islamic authority to do so.
② Second Scenario: A Grave Added to an Existing Mosque
If a mosque existed first, and later a deceased person was buried in it, then:
◈ The grave must be exhumed, and the body reburied in a public Muslim graveyard.
◈ Salah in that mosque is permissible as long as the grave is not directly in front of the worshipper.
◈ This is because the Prophet ﷺ forbade praying towards graves.
Clarification Regarding the Prophet ﷺ’s Grave and Masjid al-Nabawi
◈ The construction of Masjid al-Nabawi was completed before the Prophet ﷺ passed away; it was not built over a grave.
◈ The Prophet ﷺ was buried in his house, which was separate from the mosque.
Later, in 88 AH, Caliph al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik wrote to the governor of Madinah, ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, ordering:
- The expansion of Masjid al-Nabawi.
- The inclusion of the chambers of the Mothers of the Believers (Azwāj Muṭahharāt) into the mosque.
ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz consulted scholars and notable figures:
◈ Most advised leaving the rooms as they were for greater reminder and reflection.
◈ Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib opposed including ʿĀʾishah’s (رضي الله عنها) chamber into the mosque, fearing the grave might become a place of prostration.
Although ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz conveyed these concerns to al-Walīd, the caliph insisted, and the expansion went ahead.
Conclusion from this historical account:
◈ The inclusion of the Prophet’s ﷺ grave within the mosque occurred later and due to necessity.
◈ Masjid al-Nabawi was neither originally built over a grave, nor was the Prophet ﷺ buried in a mosque.
◈ Thus, this event cannot be used as evidence to justify building mosques over graves.
Prophetic Warnings Regarding Graves in Mosques
1.
((لَعْنَۃُ اللّٰہِ عَلَی الْیَہُودِ وَالنَّصَارٰی اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِیَائِہِمْ مَسَاجِدَ))
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh, ḥadīth: 435; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Masājid, ḥadīth: 531)
Translation:
"May Allah curse the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship."
The Prophet ﷺ said this at the time of his death, strongly warning his Ummah against this practice.
2.
When Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) mentioned a church in Abyssinia with images inside, the Prophet ﷺ said:
((أُولٰٓئِکِ إِذَا مَاتَ فیْہُمُ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ او العبد الصالح بَنَوْا عَلَی قَبْرِہِ مَسْجِدًا ثُمَّ صَوَّرُوا فِیہِ تِلْکَ الصُّورَۃَ أُولٰٓئِکِ شِرَارُ الْخَلْقِ عِنْدَ اللّٰہِ))
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Janaʾiz, ḥadīth: 1341; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Masājid, ḥadīth: 528)
Translation:
"When a righteous man among them died, they built a place of worship over his grave and made images therein. They are the worst of creation in the sight of Allah."
3.
((اِنَّ مِنْ شِرَارِ النَّاسِ مَنْ تُدْرِکُہمُ السَّاعَۃُ وَہُمْ اَحْیَائٌ، وَالذینْ یَتَّخِذونُ الْقُبُورَ مَسَاجِدَ))
(Musnad Aḥmad, 1/405, 435)
Translation:
"Among the worst of people are those whom the Hour will reach while they are alive, and those who take graves as mosques."
Final Ruling:
◈ A believer must not imitate the ways of Jews and Christians in this matter.
◈ No Muslim should accept to be counted among those described by the Prophet ﷺ as the worst of creation.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
