Dars e Imam-Marking Grave

“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)

The first Sahabi buried in the cemetery of al-Madina, al-Baqi`, was `Uthman ibn Maz`un (ra), the milk-brother of the Prophet ﷺ. The latter placed a large boulder on top of his grave to mark it, saying: “By this I shall know where the grave of my brother `Uthman is and add to him my relatives.”
[The hadith is narrated from an unnamed Companion by Abu Dawud and al-Bayhaqi in al-Kubra (3:412) with fair chains cf. Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al-Habir (2:134); Ibn al-Mulaqqin, Tuhfat al-Muhtaj (2:29). The complete report states that the Prophet asked a man to place a rock on top of Ibn Maz`un’s grave; when he was unable to move it, he rolled up his sleeves and helped him and the whiteness of his arms was visible. Ibn Maz`un was the first of the Muhâjirûn buried in Baqi` al-Gharqad. Ibrahim, the Prophet’s son, was buried next to him.]

Now, notice how high this grave marking was:Kharija ibn Zayd said: “I can see myself when we were young men  in the time of `Uthman [ibn `Affan] (ra). The strongest one of us in high jump was he who could jump over the grave of `Uthman ibn Maz`un and clear it.”[This hadith is cited by al-Bukhari without chain in his Sahih chapter-title, “[Placing] a Stalk on Top of the Grave.”]

Ibn Hajar al Asqalani rahimahullah, said in commenting on this hadith in his Fath al-Bari (3:256=1959 ed. 3:223 cf. Taghliq al-Ta`liq): “Al-Bukhari narrated it with its chain in al-Tarikh al-Saghir (1:42). It contains a proof for the licitness of raising high the grave and elevating it above the surface of the earth.”‘

Similarly, Imam Qastallani rahimahullah commented on this hadith in his commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari “Irshad al-Sari fi sharh Sahih al-Bukhari”, that the above hadith is proof, a high grave is jaiz(permissible).

Ibn Abi Shaiba also recorded(Musannaf3:216) that Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr said, “I saw the grave of Uthman ibn Madh’un raised high”.

Therefore, it is established that having a high grave for purpose of marking is from the way of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, as proven from his marking high the grave of the sahabi Uthman Ibn Mazun.

On the hadiths used by — to call for prohibition of elevated graves:
First Hadith used by –:Thumama b. Shafayy reported: When we were with Fadala b. ‘Ubaid in the country of the Romans at a place (known as) Rudis, a friend of ours died. Fadala b. ‘Ubaid ordered to prepare a grave for him and then it was levelled; and then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanding (us) to level the grave. (Sahih Muslim, Book#004, Hadith#2114)

We see that there is nothing in this hadith that speaks about the “height” of the grave. Nor is the levelling of the grave being anyway referred to as, levelling with the ground. This hadith is instead indicating that the upper surface of the grave should be levelled. The Imams had differed based on this as to whether the upper surface should be shaped as a mound(as reported in other narrations) or whether it should be shaped by levelling it horizontally with a flat upper surface, that gives the grave surface a rectangular shape.

But on a additional note, since there is in existance explicit narrations relating to the description of the grave of Prophet(pbuh) as being mound/convex, the levelling referred in this narration can be understood as referring to “evenly” levelling or maintenance of the mound on the grave and smoothening its surface, contrary to leaving the grave unleveled and unkept with several bumps and holes. This is a common practice where at the end of filling up the grave, its outward protruding surface is finally brushed or smoothened out, giving the protruding surface of the grave a levelled clean and maintained appearence.

But there is nothing in this narration that indicates it is referring to levelling the grave with the ground level or prohibition of having the grave elevated high. Infact, such a meaning would be counter to the apparent meaning, for it would imply that the grave was raised high and then levelled to the ground, which would make it a pointless exercise of ordering the grave, as the grave could have been kept at the required ground level in the beginning itself. It does not make sense that the grave would be first elevated much high and then leveled back to the ground level. As it is then obvious that, in the hadith the grave was never a high grave in the first place, then its clear that the levelling that

took place was not a levelling of a high grave, and thereby cannot be used as proof to call for levelling of elevated graves.

Second Hadith used by –: Abu’l-Hayyaj al-Asadi told that ‘Ali (b. Abu Talib) said to him: Should I not send you on the same mission as Allah’s Messenger ﷺ 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, Book#004, Hadith#2115)

This has nothing to do with the graves of Muslims as this narration is regarding the idols and graves of the mushrikeen. Therefore the dhahiris and la madhabis have no proof in this.Nor did anyone ever use this hadith to destroy or call for the destruction of the structure that existed over the grave of the Prophet ﷺ, despite there existing a house over the grave and despite the masjid being expanded to include the grave during the time of the pious salaf. Imam Shafi rahimahullah who was well familiar with the opinion of the salaf, understood this hadith as a proof for destroying those structures that are in public graveyards and which caused constriction of space.

Sirate mustaqeem

1.following nabien,siddiqeen,shuhada and saleheen

2.avoiding misguided/cursed people(away from Allah’s mercy) .

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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