Brief Comments of Shaikh Ibn Baaz on Saheeh al-Bukhaaree #13

To repeat the prayer if it was offered in a cemetery

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

Imaam al-Bukhaaree رحمه الله said: 

Book of Prayer: Chapter: Digging out the graves of pagans and using the site for Masjid

For the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Allaah curse the Jews, who turned the graves of their prophets into places of worship.”^[1]

And `Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab رضي الله عنه once saw that Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه praying near a grave and called him out, “The grave! The grave!”

Narrated `Aaishah رضي الله عنها: “Um Habeebah and Um Salamah رضي الله عنهن mentioned about a church they had seen in Ethiopia in which there were pictures. They told the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم about it, on which he said: “If any religious man dies amongst those people they would build a place of worship at his grave and make these pictures in it. They will be the worst creature in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection.””^[2] [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (427, 434, 3873) and Saheeh Muslim (827)]

Narrated Anas رضي الله عنه: When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم arrived in Madeenah, he dismounted at `Awaali-i-Madeenah, amongst a tribe called Banu `Amr bin `Auf. He stayed there for fourteen nights. Then he sent for Bani An-Najjaar, and they came armed with their swords. As if I am looking (just now) as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was sitting over his Raahilah (Mount) with Abu Bakr riding behind him and all Banu An-Najjaar around him till he dismounted at the courtyard of Abu Aiyoob's house. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم loved to pray wherever the time for the prayer was due even at sheep folds. Later on he ordered that a Masjid should be built, and sent for some people of Banu-An-Najjaar and said, “O Banu An-Najjar! Suggest to me the price of this (walled) piece of land of yours.” They replied, "No! By Allaah! We do not demand its price except from Allaah." Anas added: There were graves of pagans in it and some of it was unleveled and there were some date-palm trees in it. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered that the graves of the pagans be dug out and the unleveled land be leveled and the date-palm trees be cut down. (So all that was done). They aligned these cut date-palm trees towards the Qiblah of the Masjid (as a wall) and they also built two stone side-walls (of the mosque). His companions brought the stones while reciting some poetic verses. The Prophet was with them and he kept on saying, “There is no goodness except that of the Hereafter, O Allaah! So please forgive the Ansaar and the Muhaajireen.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (428)]

Book of Prayer: Chapter: The dislikeness of praying in the graveyards

Narrated Ibn `Umar رضي الله عنهما: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had said: “Offer some of your (Nawaafil) prayers at home, and do not take it (your houses) as graves.” ^[3] [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (432, 1187) and Saheeh Muslim (1302, 1303)]

Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله said:

[1] The command here is of prohibition (i.e. it is not allowed to do that).

[2] Offering the prayer in the cemetery is not correct; and the incident between `Umar and Anas رضي الله عنهما indicates that it was (only) a grave and not a cemetery. So if a person forgets or is ignorant (that it is not allowed to pray in the cemetery), should repeat the prayer in order to make up for the excuse. The one who says it is not necessary to repeat has a different opinion. But the best (opinion) is to repeat it.

* In this there is a prohibition from doing what the Jews and Christians had done. And as reported in Saheeh Muslim, it is not allowed to make the graves permanent or to erect any structure on it, and also to write on it.

* Also, it is allowed to cut the trees and remove the graves of the pagans in times of need like building a Masjid.

[3] And this is the evidence that the cemetery is not a place to offer the prayers* but it is for taking an example (and as a reminder of death).* (And it has been prohibited to pray therein) because the pagans in the days of ignorance used to seek help from them. And in the Hadeeth “Recite Surah al-Baqarah…”* is an evidence that the cemetery is not the place to recite the Qur’aan. And all this (reciting the Qur’aan or praying in the cemetery) is forbidden.

* Narrated Abu Sa`eed Al-Khudree رضي الله عنه: the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The whole earth is a masjid (place of prayer) except public baths and graveyards.” [Sunan Abu Dawood (492), Shaikh Al-Albaanee classified the Hadeeth as Saheeh]

* Narrated Buraidah رضي الله عنه: Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “I forbade you to visit graves, but you may now visit them, for in visiting them there is a reminder (of death).” [Saheeh Muslim (2131) and Sunan Abu Dawood (3229)]

* Narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Do not make your houses like graves, for the Shaytaan runs away from a house in which Surah al-Baqarah is recited.” [Muslim (1306)]

Reference:

الحلل الإبريزية من التعليقات البازية على صحيح البخاري