#677: Ruling on Writing Names or RIP on Graves
QUESTION:
“Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh. Jazakallaahu khayraa for the answers. What is rulings on writing on graves like name of the deceased and RIP?”
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.
Alhamdulillāh.
As for the writing of names on Graves for the purpose of identification, the majority of the Ulamā have ruled that this is not right and should be avoided. Except that the Hanafis and Ibn Hazm permitted it.
Imām An-Nawawī mentioned in Al-Majmū’:
“Ash-Shāfi’ī and the fellows (of our School) said: it is not permissible to plaster on Graves or to write upon it the name of the dead and things of this kind, or to build upon it. And there is no difference on this in our school. And this was the position held by Mālik, Ahmad, Dāwud and the majorities of the Ulamā. Abū Hanīfah said it is not disliked…”
Hākimu An-Naisabūrī – rahimahullāh – in Al-Mustadrak mentioned that this practice of writing was permissible and acceptable. He was rebuked by Imām Adh-Dhahabī who maintained that it was bid’ah.
However, some of the Ulamā allowed that it be done if there is severe need for that and for the purpose of identification.
This was attributed by Ash-Shawkānī to Al-Hādawiyyah.
It is also the position of Al-Haythamī Ash-Shāfi’ī, As-Subkī and Al-Adhra’ī.
The Faqīh Imām, Shaykh Muhammad bn Sālih Al-‘Uthaymīn – rahimahullāh – in his Shar’h on Riyādhu As-Sālihīn also buttressed this permissibility.
The reason for the Impermissibility unless there is need is the Hadīth that was recorded by At-Tirmidhī and An-Nasa’ī from Jābir bn ‘Abdillah – radiyallāhu ‘anhuma – in which he said about the Rasūl – salallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam –
نهى أن يجصص القبر وأن يقعد عليه وأن يبنى عليه وأن يكتب عليه
“He forbade that Graves be plastered, that they be sat upon, that they be built upon or that they be written upon.”
And Allāh knows best.
As for saying RIP, then we have responded to this in Question 565 kindly refer to it.
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.
📚IslamNode
