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The Prohibition of Taking Graves as Places of Worship

Five decisive narrations from the Prophet and his Companions about taking graves a places of worship.

Shall I not send you for what the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ sent me? That you deface all statues and pictures and that you level all elevated graves.

[1] Jundub Ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Bajalī said that he heard the Prophet ﷺ say – five days before he died: “Verily those before you took the graves of their Prophets and righteous people as places of worship, so do not take the graves as places of worship. Indeed I forbid you from this!”

[2] From Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “O Allāh, do not turn my grave into an idol. May the curse of Allāh be upon those who take the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.”

[3] ʿAbdullāh Ibn Sharjīl Ḥasanah said: “I saw ‘Uthmān Ibn ʿAffān order the leveling of the graves. So it was said to him: ‘This is the grave of Umm ‘Amr the daughter of ‘Uthmān!’ However, he commanded that it too should be leveled.”

[4] From Abū al-Hayyaaj al-Asadee who said: “ʿAlī Ibn Abī Ṭālib said to me: ‘Shall I not send you for what the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ sent me? That you deface all statues and pictures and that you level all elevated graves.'”

[5] Abū Burdah said: “Abū Mūsá al-Ash‘aree advised us before he died, saying: ‘You should hasten with my janāzah…and do not put in my lahad (a cleavage in the side of the grave where the body is placed) anything that will come between me and the earth, nor build anything over my grave. So bear witness that I am free of those women who shave their heads, tear their clothes or beat their cheeks.’ They said: ‘Did you hear anything about this?’ He said: ‘Yes, from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ!'”

Endnotes:

[1] Related by Muslim (2/67-68), Abū ‘Awaanah (1/104) and others.
[2] Related by Aḥmad (no. 7352), Ibn Sa‘d (2/241-242) and others. Its chain of narrators is authentic.
[3] Related by Ibn Abī Shaybah in al-Mūsánnaf (4/138) and Abū Zur‘ah in at-Taareekh (22/2) with an authentic chain of narrators.
[4] Related by Muslim (3/61), Abū Dāwūd (3/70), Sūrah al-Nisāʾī (1/285) and others.
[5] Related by Aḥmad (4/397) with a strong chain of narrators.

Published: June 15, 2007
Edited: March 12, 2023