Transforming Graves into Places of Worship

Transforming Graves into Places of Worship

The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited turning graves into mosques, and there are many evidences for this, including:

1-A narration from Aisha that Umm Salama mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) a church she saw in the land of Abyssinia that contained images. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whenever a righteous man or a devout worshiper among them died, they would build a mosque over his grave and make those images in it. They are the worst of creatures before Allah.” [1]

This indicates that building mosques over the graves of the righteous is an action of the Christians, not the Muslims.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) clarified that those who do so are among the worst of creatures in the sight of Allah.

Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, stated: 'They combined two trials: the trial of graves and the trial of statues.'

In Sahih hadith narrated by Aisha, she mentioned that when the angel of death descended upon the Prophet (peace be upon him), he covered his face with a piece of cloth. When he finished, he uncovered his face and said in that state, 'May Allah curse the Jews and Christians who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.' He warned against what they did. If it were not for that, he would have made his grave conspicuous, but he feared that it might be taken as a place of worship. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was so concerned about this matter that he warned against it even when facing the agony of death and his soul was being taken, indicating his intense fear for his Ummah not to fall into the same errors as the Jews and Christians.

The hadith clearly indicates that those who do such acts are cursed, just like the Jews and Christians. So, why do some Muslims ignore such clear teachings?

Imam Muslim reported from Jundub ibn Abdullah that he said: 'I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) five nights before his death, saying... Beware! Those before you used to take the graves of their prophets as places of worship. So, do not take graves as places of worship, for I forbid you to do so.'"

Imam Ahmad, with a good chain of narration from Ibn Masood, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, among the worst of people are those who will be alive when the Day of Judgment arrives, and they are the ones who take graves as mosques."

Turning graves into places of worship, which is one of the major sins and a means of association (shirk), comes in two forms:

1. Building mosques on graves and praying in them, as a form of veneration for the deceased.

2. Praying at the gravesites, even if it is not an established mosque.

All of these acts fall under the category of associating the deceased with Allah, as observed regrettably in some instances. People enter with humility, perhaps facing the grave while offering two units of prayer. Some circumambulate the grave as if it were the ancient House (Kaaba), while others kiss the grave's grille and seek blessings from it. Some even recite the opening chapter of the Quran (Al-Fatiha) for the soul of the deceased, a practice considered a heresy (Bid’ah).

Scholars from various schools of thought unanimously agree on forbidding the construction on graves, deeming it impermissible. It is obligatory to demolish any structures built upon them, including mosques and domes.

The prohibition against taking graves as places of worship also indicates the prohibition of performing prayers in such locations. Prohibition against building mosques on graves encompasses the broader issue of constructing domes and structures over burial sites.

We ask Allah for guidance for everyone.

The tenth lesson concludes, all thanks to Allah.