The Command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to Level the Graves and Obliterate Images – A Response to the Innovated Practice of the Sufis

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

Abu Hayyāj al-Asadi (Allah’s mercy be upon him) said: ‘Ali Ibn Abee Tālib (Allah be pleased with him) said:

 أَلاَّ أَبْعَثُكَ عَلَى مَا بَعَثَنِي عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ لاَ تَدَعَ تِمْثَالاً إِلاَّ طَمَسْتَهُ وَلاَ قَبْرًا مُشْرِفًا إِلاَّ سَوَّيْتَهُ 

“Shall I send you upon a task that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) tasked me with? ‘You should not leave an image except that you obliterate it, nor leave a grave raised high except that you level it.’”

(Reported by Muslim, no. 969)

Fadālah Ibn ‘Ubayd (Allah be pleased with him) was in the land of the Romans in Rhodes where a friend of ours died, so he ordered that a grave be prepared, and then it was levelled. Then he said:

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْمُرُ بِتَسْوِيَتِهَا 

“I heard Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) command that they (the graves) be levelled.”

(Reported by Muslim, no. 968)

Jābir Ibn ‘Abdillāh (Allah be pleased with him) said:

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يُجَصَّصَ الْقَبْرُ وَأَنْ يُقْعَدَ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْ يُبْنَى عَلَيْهِ

“Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that the graves should be plastered (cemented), or that they sat upon, or that a building be erected over them.”

(Reported by Muslim, no. 970)

Abu Mathad Al-Ghanawi (Allah be pleased with him) said that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

 لاَ تَجْلِسُوا عَلَى الْقُبُورِ وَلاَ تُصَلُّوا إِلَيْهَا 

“Do not sit on graves, and do not pray facing towards them.”

(Reported by Muslim, no. 972)

Explanation:

The trial of the graves is from the greatest of trials schemed by Shaytan against the children of Adam past and present! Satan has beautified for them the idea of building shrines, domes, places of worship and commemoration over them – and praying in their direction until people ended up worshipping the inhabitants of the graves, and reaching out to them for help through supplications. For this reason, the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) prohibited raising graves, building over them or praying towards them – this is alongside the fact he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) commanded to respect the graves and not cause harm to them. So in summary:

1. It is harām to build over the graves, to elevate them, or to cement them.
2. It is harām to sit on graves as that is disrespectful.
3. It is harām to perform prayers (salāh) next to graves.