The document provides guidance from Islam on proper burial practices and visiting gravesites based on hadiths from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Key points include: graves should not have permanent structures or be elevated; the maximum allowed height is one span above the surrounding area; when visiting gravesites, Muslims should recite a dua for the deceased but not perform other acts of worship like praying or reading Quran; and building mosques over or putting graves in mosques is forbidden. The Prophet also prohibited plastering or sitting on graves as well as other innovations at gravesites that have become common today.

1. Q126.
How should the graves be in Islam? What should
be done on visiting the graveyard?
Answer.
1.No Pucca Structure
"Jabir said: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) forbade (made haraam) that
the graves should be plastered or they be used as sitting places (for the people), or a
building should be built over them."
[Sahih Muslim 2:2116-8]
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) the giver of the best guidance made haraam making
graves Pucca or building structures over them.
2.Maximum height
"Abu'l-Hayyaj al-Asadi told that 'Ali (b. Abu Talib) said to him: Should I not send you on
the same mission as Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) sent me? Do not leave
an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without levelling It. This hadith has
been reported by Habib with the same chain of transmitters and he said: (Do not leave)
a picture without obliterating it."
[Sahih Muslim 2:2115]
Rasoolullah(SAW) sent Ali(RA) to level the graves. The maximum allowed height is one
span as compared to the surrounding area as mentioned in other hadiths.
Today many Muslims go to excuses in making brilliant graves. All such graves, Durgahs,
Rozas are clearly against these hadiths of the Prophet(SAW).
3.Duaa for visiting the Graveyard
Rasoolullah(SAW) mentioned the following Duaa for visiting the graveyard.
"As – Salaamu alaa Ahlid – Diyaar minal Mumineena wal Muslimeen Yarhamullah al
Mustaqdimeena min-naa wal Mustakhireen wa in-naa InshaAllahu bikum Laahiqoon "
"Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and
the Muslims, and may Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those
who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you." [Sahih Muslim 2:2127]
This is what is authentically proven from the Prophet (SAW).
4.Salaah Prohibited
Rasoolullah (SAW) said "All of the earth is a masjid (place for sijdah)except graveyards
and toilets"
[Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood 1:492]
Rasoolullah (SAW) further said "Offer some of your prayers in your houses and do not
make them graves."
[Sahih Bukhari vol 2: no 280, Book of Tahajud chapter 36]
5.No other acts of Ibadah
"Narrated `Aisha: When the Prophet became ill, some of his wives talked about a church
which they had seen in Ethiopia and it was called Mariya. Um Salma and Um Habiba had
been to Ethiopia, and both of them narrated its (the Church's) beauty and the pictures it
contained. The Prophet raised his head and said, "Those are the people who, whenever a
pious man dies amongst them, make a place of worship at his grave and then they make
those pictures in it. Those are the worst creatures in the Sight of Allah."
[Sahih Bukhari vol 2: no 425, Book of Funerals chapter 69]
"Narrated `Aisha and `Abdullah bin `Abbas: When the last moment of the life of Allah's
Apostle came he started putting his 'Khamisa' on his face and when he felt hot and short
of breath he took it off his face and said, "May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for
they built the places of worship at the graves of their Prophets." The Prophet was
warning (Muslims) of what those had done."
[Sahih Bukhari vol 1: no 427, Book of Salah chapter 55]

2. Rasoolullah(SAW) said "Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves
of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves
as mosques; I forbid you to do that."
[Sahih Muslim 1:1083]
Rasoolullah (SAW) clearly made it haraam to his ummah to take graves as places of
worship or put graves in the places of worship. Hence both building a mosque over a
grave or putting a grave in a mosque both were made haraam by the Prophet(SAW).
6.No Reading of the Quran in the graveyards
a )When Rasoolullah(SAW) was asked about what to do while visiting the graveyard he
only told to read the Duaa mentioned above. He did not tell the Sahabas to read the
Quran or certain Surahs of the Quran like Surah Fatiha, Surah Falaq, Surah Nas, Surah
Yasin. If we start saying today "No! It is necessary to read the Fatiha there" Then the
question that arises is – "Why is it that our beloved messenger Muhammed(SAW) never
told us to do that?" Either he did not know about it (Nauzobillah!) or he knew about it
but did not tell us about it! In that case it is as if we are alleging that he did not fulfill his
duty of passing the message of Allah fully and completely (Nauzobillah)!
b) Rasoolullah (SAW) said "Do not make your houses as graveyards. Satan runs away
from the house in which Surah Baqara is recited."
[Sahih Muslim 1:1707]
He said read Surah Baqara in your homes. When you do that your homes will be UNLIKE
graveyards where you should not read Surah Baqara. This hadith also speaks about the
reading of the Quran in the graveyards
7. Can we visit the ‘Mazar’, let us know the hadith of our prophet regarding
raised graves.
It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim vol. 2 pp 459-60, No. 2116-2118 “Jabir said : Allah’s
Messenger (pbuh) forbade that the graves should be plastered or, they be used as sitting
places (for the people), or a building should be built over them” [also Sahih Muslim vol.
2 Hadith No. 2114 (also see 2115)]
I heard the messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanding (us) to level the grave. So if we
cannot construct anything on the grave then how can Mazar exist, and when there is no
existence of Mazar, where is the question of visiting it.