Graves in the Light of Islamic Education

Injunctions of Islam regarding graves

1.No Pucca Structure
"Jabir (rA) said: ALLAH's Messenger (sallalahu alayhi sallam) forbade (made haraam) that the graves should be plastered or they be used as sitting places (for the people), or a building should be built over them."
[Sahih Muslim 2:2116-8]
The Messenger of ALLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) the giver of the best guidance made haraam making graves Pucca or building structures over them.

2.Maximum height
"Abu'l-Hayyaj al-Asadi told that 'Ali (b. Abu Talib) (rA) said to him: Should I not send you on the same mission as ALLAH's Messenger (sallalahu alayhi sallam) sent me? Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without levelling It. This hadith has been reported by Habib with the same chain of transmitters and he said: (Do not leave) a picture without obliterating it."
[Sahih Muslim 2:2115]
RasoolULLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) sent Ali (rA) to level the graves. The maximum allowed height is one span as compared to the surrounding area as mentioned in other hadiths.
Today many Muslims go to excuses in making brilliant graves. All such graves, Durgahs, Rozas are clearly against these hadiths of the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi sallam).

3.Dua for visiting the Graveyard
RasoolULLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) mentioned the following Duaa for visiting the graveyard. "As – Salaamu alaa Ahlid – Diyaar minal Mumineena wal Muslimeen Yarhamullah al Mustaqdimeena min-naa wal Mustakhireen wa in-naa InshaAllahu bikum Laahiqoon "
"Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and the Muslims, and may Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you." [Sahih Muslim 2:2127]
This is what is authentically proven from the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi sallam).

4.Salaah Prohibited
RasoolULLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) said "All of the earth is a masjid (place for sijdah)except graveyards and toilets"
[Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood 1:492]
RasoolULLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) further said "Offer some of your prayers in your houses and do not make them graves."
[Sahih Bukhari vol 2: no 280, Book of Tahajud chapter 36]

5.No other acts of Ibadah
"Narrated `Aisha (rA): When the Prophet became ill, some of his wives talked about a church which they had seen in Ethiopia and it was called Mariya. Um Salma and Um Habiba had been to Ethiopia, and both of them narrated its (the Church's) beauty and the pictures it contained. The Prophet (sallalahu alayhi sallam) raised his head and said, "Those are the people who, whenever a pious man dies amongst them, make a place of worship at his grave and then they make those pictures in it. Those are the worst creatures in the Sight of ALLAH."
[Sahih Bukhari vol 2: no 425, Book of Funerals chapter 69]
"Narrated `Aisha (rA) and `Abdullah bin `Abbas (rA): When the last moment of the life of ALLAH's Apostle (sallalahu alayhi sallam) came he started putting his 'Khamisa' on his face and when he felt hot and short of breath he took it off his face and said, "May ALLAH curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of their Prophets." The Prophet (sallalahu alayhi sallam) was warning (Muslims) of what those had done."
[Sahih Bukhari vol 1: no 427, Book of Salah chapter 55]
RasoolULLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) said "Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that."
[Sahih Muslim 1:1083]
RasoolULLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) clearly made it haraam to his ummah to take graves as places of worship or put graves in the places of worship. Hence both building a mosque over a grave or putting a grave in a mosque both were made haraam by the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi sallam).

6.No Reading of the Quran in the graveyards
a )When RasoolULLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) was asked about what to do while visiting the graveyard he only told to read the Duaa mentioned above. He did not tell the Sahabas to read the Quran or certain Surahs of the Quran like Surah Fatiha, Surah Falaq, Surah Nas, Surah Yasin. If we start saying today "No! It is necessary to read the Fatiha there" Then the question that arises is – "Why is it that our beloved messenger Muhammed (sallalahu alayhi sallam) never told us to do that?" Either he did not know about it (Nauzobillah!) or he knew about it but did not tell us about it! In that case it is as if we are alleging that he did not fulfill his duty of passing the message of ALLAH fully and completely (Nauzobillah)!
b) RasoolULLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) said "Do not make your houses as graveyards. Satan runs away from the house in which Surah Baqara is recited."
[Sahih Muslim 1:1707]
He said read Surah Baqara in your homes. When you do that your homes will be UNLIKE graveyards where you should not read Surah Baqara. This hadith also speaks about the reading of the Quran in the graveyards.

7. Can we visit the ‘Mazar’, let us know the hadith of our prophet regarding raised graves.
It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim vol. 2 pp 459-60, No. 2116-2118 “Jabir (rA) said : ALLAH’s Messenger (pbuh) forbade that the graves should be plastered or, they be used as sitting places (for the people), or a building should be built over them” [also Sahih Muslim vol. 2 Hadith No. 2114 (also see 2115)]
I heard the messenger of ALLAH (sallalahu alayhi sallam) commanding (us) to level the grave. So if we cannot construct anything on the grave then how can Mazar exist, and when there is no existence of Mazar, where is the question of visiting it.

May ALLAH forgive my abd readers' mistakes.....Aamin.

---------------ALLAH has the knowledge of all thing.----------------------