Apart
from
invoking
Allah’s
forgiveness
for the
engraved,
all act
of
worship
are
prohibited
at the
graves
like,
formal
prayers[1],
reciting
the
Qur’aan[2],
sacrifice[3],
etc.
because
this
would
contribute
to
making
the
graves
as
places
of
worship.
The
Messenger
of Allah
(sallallahu
alaihi
wa-sallam)
has
warned
his
nation
from
taking
graves
as
places
of
worship:
“...Beware
that
those
before
you took
the
graves
of their
Prophets
as
places
of
worship.
Do not
take
graves
as
places
of
worship,
for
verily I
forbid
you to
do so.”[4]
He (sallallahu
alaihi
wa-sallam)
also
said:
“The
most
evil of
mankind
are
those
who will
be alive
when the
Last Day
arrives
and
those
who take
graves
as
places
of
worship.”[5]
Du’aa
too is a
form of
worship.[6]
Therefore,
to visit
graves
to make
Du’aa
for
oneself
believing
that
Du’aa is
more
acceptable
at the
graves
of the
righteous
is also
taking
graves
as
places
of
worship.
Shaikh
al-Islam
Ibn
Taymiyyah
has
explained
the
wisdom
behind
the
prohibition
of
taking
graves
as
places
of
worship.
He said:
“The
Companions
of the
Holy
Prophet
knew
that
Allah
had
exterminated
the very
root of
polytheism
by
forbidding
the
graves
to be
taken as
places
of
worship.
Similarly,
Allah
has
forbidden
prayer
at the
time of
sunrise,
even
though
the
observer
of the
prayer
might be
praying
with
sincerity,
lest
they
should
resemble
the
worshipers
of the
sun. The
Companions
never
indulged
in this
sinful
act (of
taking
graves
as
places
of
worship)”[7]
As
Allah’s
Messenger
(sallallahu
alaihi
wa-sallam)
was
about to
breathe
his
last, he
drew his
sheet
upon his
face and
when he
felt
uneasy,
he
uncovered
his face
and said
in this
very
state:
“May
Allah’s
curse be
upon the
Jews and
Christians
for
taking
the
graves
of their
Prophets
as
places
of
worship.”
He in
fact
warned
against
what
they
(the
Jews and
Christians)
did.”[8]
Aa’ishah
reported:
“Had
it not
been so,
his
(i.e.
the
Prophet’s)
grave
would
have
been in
an open
place,
but it
could
not be
due to
the fear
that it
could be
taken as
a
mosque.”[9]
[1]
The
Messenger
of
Allah
(sallallahu
alaihi
wa-sallam)
said:
“All
the
earth
is a
Masjid
(place
of
worship)
except
graveyards
and
toilets.”
[Sunan
Abu
Dawood
(Eng.
Trans.)
vol.1,
p.125,
no.492.
Authenticated
by
Shaikh
al-Albanee
in
Saheeh
Sunan
Abu
Dawood
vol.1,
p.463]
and:
“Pray
in
your
houses,
and
do
not
make
them
graveyards.”
[Saheeh
al-Bukharee
(Eng.
trans.)
vol.2,
p.156,
no.280,
Saheeh
Muslim
(Eng.
trans.)
vol.1,
p.376,
no.1704]
[2]
Allah’s
Messenger
(sallallahu
alaihi
wa-sallam)
said:
“Do
not
make
your
houses
graveyards,
for
verily
Shaytaan
flees
from
the
house,
in
which
Soorah
al-Baqarah
is
read.”
[Saheeh
Muslim
(Eng.
Trans.)
vol.1,
p.377,
no.1707]
Thus
implying
that
the
Qur’aan
is
to
be
recited
in
homes,
for
not
doing
so
would
make
them
like
gravesyards
(i.e.
places
where
the
Qur’aan
is
not
recited).
[3]
The
Messenger
of
Allah
(sallallahu
alaihi
wa-sallam)
said:
“There
is
no
slaughtering
(at
the
graves)
in
Islam”
[Sunan
Abu
Dawood
(Eng.
Trans.)
Hadeeth
no.3216.]
[4]
Saheeh
Muslim
(Eng.
trans.)
vol.1,
p.269,
no.1083
[5]
Musnad
Ahmad
Ibn
Hambal
(al-Fitan
wal-Ashrat
as-Sa’aat
–
the
trials
and
signs
of
the
Hour).
See
Ahkaamul-Janaa’iz,
p.278.
[6]
Allah’s
Messenger
(sallallahu
alaihi
wa-sallam)
said:
“Du’aa
(supplication)
is
worship.”
Then
he
recited:
‘And
your
Rabb
(Lord)
says:
‘Call
on
Me,
I
will
answer
your
prayer.’”
[Sunan
Abu
Dawood
(Eng.
Trans.)
vol.1,
p.387,
no.1474.,
Imaam
al-Bukhare
in
al-Adab
al-Mufrad
(714),
at-Tirmidhi
vol.
4,
no.178
-
223),
Ibn
Majah
vol.
2,
no.
428-9),
and
Musnad
Ahmad
vol.4,
no.267-271-276-277
and
others.
See
Saheeh
Sunan
Abu
Dawood
vol.
1,
no.1312.]
[7]
Shaikh
ul-Islaam
Ibn
Taimeeyah
in
Kitaab
al-Waseelah,
p.239.
[8]
Saheeh
al-Bukharee
(Eng.
Trans.)
vol.1,
p.255,
no.427
Saheeh
Muslim
(Eng.
Trans.)
vol.1,
p.269,
no.1082,
Sunan
Abu
Dawood
(Eng.
Trans.)
vol.2,
p.917,
no.3221,
Sunan
an-Nass’ai
vol.1,
no.115
and
others.
[9]
Saheeh
al-Bukharee
(Eng.
Trans.)
vol.2,
p.232,
no.414,
Saheeh
Muslim
(Eng.
Trans.)
vol.1,
p.268,
no.1076
and
Musnad
Ahmad
vol.6,
no.156-198,
vol.8,
no.114.
