Awliya-Grave Levelling Public Graveyard

“Bismillahir Rahmannir Raheem”Al-Hamdu Lillaahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen was Salaatu was- Salaamu ‘Alaa Sayidinaa Muhammadin wa Aalihi wa Asabihi Ajma ‘een (tauheed- risalat- ahkirat and islam-iman-ihsan)

 

Building over grave

In Al-Khadim, Imam Badr Al-Deen Al-Zarkashi quotes at length the words of the sheikh and imam, Sharaf Al-Deen Al-Ansari regarding the Qarafah [m: (a graveyard near Cairo)], during which he

[m: i.e., Al-Zarkashi]

says:The early Muslims ( Salaf) (Allah be pleased with them) witnessed this greater and lesser graveyard in the past. Graves and structures were constructed in it, yet none of the scholars of the time opposed it in word or action. He [(i.e., Al-Ansari)] says, “they built the dome of Imam Al-Shafi’i (Ra) and his academy in it and the other shrines are like this.”
[ After finishing up the quotation from Al-Ansari, Al-Zarkashi says: ]One of the late scholars said, “his [ Al-Ansari’s] words indicate that building in public graveyards is not forbidden.” And if it is not forbidden to build in public graveyards, then a fortiori, it is not forbidden to build in wastelands or private property with the permission of the owner.

In the Mustadrik, immediately after rigorously authenticating the hadiths on the prohibition of building and writing on graves, Imam Al-Hakim mentions, “These

[hadiths]

are not acted upon, for all Muslim imams, east and west, have structures over their graves, and this is

something that the later generations (khalaf) took from the early generations (salaf). Al-Burzuli said, ‘it is therefore a matter of consensus.’”

In Al-Waseet and Al-Ihya, Al-Ghazali says that which indicates the permissibility of building atop the graves of the scholars of religion, sheikhs of Islam, and other righteous people. It is not far-fetched that this permissibility is based on honouring them.

Sharh Al-Tanbeeh by Imam Ibn Al-Rif`ah contains that which indicates the permissibility of building [atop graves], or rather, its praiseworthiness. There is no doubt regarding this, for it is found in all the lands of Islam in the past and present.

Imam Ibn Hajar al – Haytami(in his Zawajir) quotes the hadith from Ahmad, Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “May Allah curse the Jews and Christians; they have taken the tombs of their prophets as places of worship.”

He said, “The reason for considering it an enormity is obvious

He explains, however, that, “Taking a grave as a place of worship means to pray on the grave or towards it.The prohibition, moreover, applies exclusively to the grave of someone venerated... under the two conditions:

A) that the grave is of someone who is honored and venerated;

B) and that the prayer is performed towards or on the grave with the intention of gaining the blessing of it, or out of reverence for it. (from: al-Zawajir, Reliance w21)

And this is only if one prays so close to it that if praying the prayer of those attentive (looking down), the grave would be within one’s sight.

Hence praying salat towards the grave or doing sajda infront of it as christians/jews used to do it is haram.No one in history of Islam took this hadith as proof of prohibiting building of tombs/shrines over Pious muslims graves.

Tafsir-Qadhi Thana Ullah Panipatti (Rahimuhullah) writes in his great Tafsir al Mazhari(18/21): After the death of Ashaab al Kahf a dispute occurred between Muslims and non-muslims, The Muslims said that they will make a Masjid over them because they were of our faith whereas the disbelievers said they will build other buildings on it where people will live….This Ayah is proving that Mosques could be made near graves of Awliya in order to say salaat in them, Tabarruk is also attained through the tombs of Awliya [Tafsir al Mazhari Volume No.7, Page No. 123-124]

Tafsir by Imam Bayzawi (rah) says: “From this it is understood that to erect a Mausoleum for the special people, i.e. Pious Saints and Ulema, is permissible”.

Tafsir Imam Fakhrud’deen Razi (rah) :Some people said that the door of the cave should be closed so that nobody can enter it and the Ahwaal (of Ashab e Kahf) are kept hidden. Some people said that It is better to build a mosque at the door, this saying proves that these people were “ARIFEEN OF ALLAH WHO BELIEVED IN WORSHIPPING AND PRAYER”[Tafsir al Kabeer, Volume No. 5, Page No. 475]

Imam al-Razi also said:And when Allah said {Those who prevailed over their affair} this refers to the “MUSLIM RULER” or the Awliya of Ashaab al Kahf (i.e. their momineen friends) or the leaders of town. {We will surely build a Mosque over them} so that we can “WORSHIP ALLAH” in it and due to it we will “PRESERVE THE RELICS OF ASHAAB AL KAHF”[Tafsir al-Kabeer, 5/475]

When I want to talk to allah I say prayers and when I want that he talk to me I recite quran- Hazrath Ali(ra)

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