#855: Ruling on Praying in a Masjid with Underground Graveyard

855. QUESTION:

A central mosque in Lagos has an underground where they buried prominent people in the city. Can one pray in such mosque?

ANSWER

Alhamdulillāh!

First the clarity of this issue has to be stressed.

1. Is the situation such that the mosque (ie the main prayer hall is directly above the underground grave or the underground grave yard is directly in front of the main prayer hall (such that no building separates it from the main prayer hall?)

2. Or the whole of the land belongs to the mosque and there is a portion of that land far away from the main prayer hall which has other structures above underneath where lies this grave for prominent people? Or there are other structures belonging to the masjid that separates the underground grave yard from the main prayer hall.

If the case is as in the description 1. above, then the ruling is that it is haram to pray in such masaajid because of the statements of the prophet alaihi salam that has forbidden such practices:

It was narrated that he alaihi salam said: “May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” ‘Aa’ishah radiyallahu anha said, “He was warning against what they had done.” (Bukhaari and Muslim).

And when Umm Salamah and Umm Habeebah told him about a church in which there were images, he alaihi salam said: “When a righteous man died among them, they would build a place of worship over his grave and put those images in it. They are the most evil of mankind before Allaah.” (Bukhaari and Muslim)

Jundab ibn ‘Abd-Allaah narrated that he alaihi salam said: “Those who came before you took the graves of their Prophets and righteous people as places of worship. Do not take graves as places of worship – I forbid you to do that.” (Muslim).

However if the situation is as described in 2. above, then we say that:

If the underground grave yard was intentionally situated in the premises of the masjid, then it will be disliked to prayer in such a Masjid. With the condition that it does not fit our description in situation 1 above.

However, if both the masjid and the underground grave yard had previously existed and both later became known as the central mosque, then we see that prayer in such a Masjid is allowed and Allah knows best.

Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.

27th Safar, 1441AH

📚 IslāmNode

Abu Hafs

https://telegram.me/IslamNodeQuestionAnswers

https://t.me/INQAArchive