4.2. RESTRICTIONS ON VISITING GRAVES
The 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. In the formative years of Islaam, the Prophet had forbidden his followers from even visiting graves, and it was not until tawheed (belief in 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 surely they are reminders of the next life.”
However, in spite of this allowance, the Prophet placed certain restrictions on the visiting of graves in order to avoid its deterioration into grave worship in later generations:
1. As a means of setting up a barrier against grave worship, 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) except graveyards and toilets.”Ibn ‘Umar also reported that the Prophet said, “Pray in your houses; do not make them graveyards.”76 Voluntary prayer is recommended in the home as an example for the family. If no prayer takes place there, it then resembles a graveyard in which no prayer is allowed. Although praying to Allaah in a graveyard is not in itself shirk, the ignorant, under Satan’s influence, may assume that prayers in graveyards are to the dead and not for them. Consequently, this avenue to idolatry was decisively blocked On one occasions the second Caliph, ‘Umar ibn al- Khattaab, noticed another of the Prophet’s companions, Anas ibn Maalik, praying near a grave and called out to him, “The grave! The grave!”
2. A second barrier was placed by 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 not sit on them.”
3. The recitation of Quran in graveyards is not allowed, as neither the Prophet nor his companions were known to do so. When the Prophet’s wife, ‘Aa’eshah, asked him what to say when visiting graveyards, he told her to give salaams (greetings of peace) and a supplication for those buried but did not tell her to recite al-Faatihah or any other chapter from the Quran. Abu Hurayrah further reported that the Prophet had said, “Do not make your houses graveyards, for verily Satan flees from the house in which Soorah al-Baqarah is read.” This narration and others like it imply that the Quran is not to be read in graveyards. Qur’anic recitation is encouraged in one’s house, and making it like a graveyard, in which no recitation should take place, is forbidden.
4. The Prophet forbade the white-washing of graves, the building of structures over them, writing on them, or raising them above ground graves made level with the ground. ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib reported the level. The Prophet ordered him to demolish all idols he came across, and to level all He also taught that any such structures should be torn down and the graves more than a palm’s width high to the height of the surrounding earth.
5. The building of masjids over graves was expressly forbidden by the Prophet. The Prophet’s wife ‘Aa’eshah, reported that when death was descending upon Allaah’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, the Prophet also forbade annual or seasonal gatherings even around his own grave. Abu Hurayrah reported that he said, “Do not make my grave and ‘eed (place of celebration), nor make your houses graveyards, and ask (Allaah’s) blessings for me wherever you may be, for they will reach me.”
7. Setting out on journeys to visit graves was also forbidden by the Prophet. This practice forms the basis of idolatrous pilgrimages in other religions. Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudree both reported that Allaah’s Messenger said, “Do not travel except to three masjids, Masjid Haraam (the Ka‘bah in Makkah), the masjid of the Messenger, and all Aqsaa Masjid.”While returning from a trip Abu Bashrah al-Ghifaaree met Abu Hurayrah and the latter asked him where he was coming from. Abu Bashra replied that he was coming back from at-Toor where he had made prayer. Abu Hurayrah said, “If only I had caught you before you left, for I heard Allah’s messenger say, ‘Do not travel to other than three masjids..’.”
By Bilal Philips
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