11/23/2015 A serious test for the Ummah ( community ) : Graves-worship and its restrictionsRead NowThe fact that grave-worship was among the last things which the Prophet warned against before leaving the world indicates that this practice would become a serious test for his ummah.
Our prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him) had forbidden his followers from even visiting graves, and it was not untill tawheed ( belief God's unity) was firmly established among them that the ban was lifted. The Prophet was reported to have said " I used to forbid you from visiting graves , but now you should visit them , for they are reminders of the next life" ( Narrated by Buraidah ibn al Husaib) However , in spite of allowance on visiting grave , He placed certain restrictions on the visiting of graves in order to avoid its deterioration into grave worship in later generations. As a means of setting up a barrier against grave worship : 1) prayer was totally forbidden in graveyards regardless of the intention. Abu Sa'eed al Khudree reported from the Prophet that he said " All the earth is a masjid ( place of worship) exept graveyards and toilets" ( Collected by al Tirmithee) Ibn 'Umar also reported that the Prophet said " Pray in your houses , do not make them graveyards" Voluntary prayer is recommended in the home as an example for the familly. If no prayer take place there , it then resembles a graveyard in which no prayer is allowed. Although praying to Allah in a graveyard is not itself shirk , the ignorant under Satan's influence , may assume that prayers in graveyards are to the dead and not for them. On one occasions , the second Caliph 'Umar ibn al Khattab noticed another of the Prophet's companions Anas ibn Maalik praying near a grave and called out to him " The grave! The grave!" ( These Hadeeths also confirm that the Prophet's prohibition of prayer in graveyards was not due to the area being considered ritually impure ( Najis). The graves of the prophets are pure , because according to the Prophet , Allah has not allowed the earth to eat their bodies. Hence, the Prophet's curse on the Jews and Christians for taking the graves of their prophets as places of worship was due to the Shirk involved and not the impurity of the area" 2) The Prophet's prohibition of purposely praying in the direction of graves because such an act may be later understood by the ignorant as prayer directed to the dead themselves. Abu Marthad al Ghanawee reported that the Prophet said " Do not pray towards graves nor sit on them" ( this includes even Du'aa ( informal prayer) in their direction because Du'aa is worship and Du'a should be made in the same direction as Salaah ( Qiblah , Makaah) 3) The recitation of Qu'ran in the graveyards is not allowed , as neither the Prophet nor his companions were known to do so. When the Prophet's wife , 'Aesha , asked him what to say when visiting graveyards ; he told her to give salaams * (greetings of peace / see the du'a at the end of the page) and a supplication for those buried but he didn't tell her to recite Soorat Al Fatiha or any chapter from Qu'ran. 4) He , the Prophet , forbade the white-washing of graves , the building of structures over them, writing on them , or raising them above ground level. He also taught that any such a structures should be torn down and the graves made level with the ground. Alee ibn Abee Taleed reported that the Prophet ordered him to demolish all idols he came across , and to level all graves. 5) The building of masjids over graves was expressly forbidden by the Prophet. 'Aisha reported that when the death was descending upon Allah's Messenger , he drew his striped cloak over his face saying, " May Allah's curse be on the Jews and Christians for taking the graves of their prophets as places of worship" 6) In order to prevent grave worship , He also forbade annual or seasonal gatherings even around his own grave. He said " do not make my grave an 'eed ( place of celebration ) nor make your houses graveyards , and ask Allah blessings for me wharever you may be , for they will reach me" ( Huge celebration or huge gatherings held on differents occasions ( birthdays-like .... ) are completely outside the teaching of Islaam) 7) Setting out on journeys to visit graves was also forbideen by the Prophet , this place forms the basis of idolatrous pilgrimages in others religions. Allah's Messenger said : " Do not travel exept to three masjiids , Masjid al Haram ( the Ka'bah in Makkah) , the masjid of the Messenger , and all Aqsaa Masjid". Note : In Islam the funeral service is not held in the graveyard , but in a prayer area set aside for large congregational prayers or in a masjid. Furthermore , because the body is placed at the front of the congregation , directly in front of the Imaan (prayer leader) , plus the funeral prayer ( Salaatual Janazaah ) does not have any bowing ( Rukoo') or prostration ( Sujood) , so as not to give anyone the impression that the prayer is to the dead and not merely for the dead as the wordings of the prayer clearly indicate) * Salaams du'a when visiting graveyards : ( Peace be upon the Believers and Muslims among the inhabitants of these dwellings. May Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us , and those following us. And we shall- Allah-willing be joining.) This kind of worship still exist in some Muslims countries , like Morocco or Egypt . Let's prevent grave worship and spread what the Prophet taught us to stop others from practising this serious matter. !
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