Sahih Muslim, 972 a
sahihAbu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Do not sit on the graves and do not pray facing towards them.
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ جَابِرٍ، عَنْ بُسْرِ، بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ وَاثِلَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مَرْثَدٍ الْغَنَوِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
لاَ تَجْلِسُوا عَلَى الْقُبُورِ وَلاَ تُصَلُّوا إِلَيْهَا
.
Isnad
4 transmittersReferences2 variants
- In-Book Reference
- Book 11, Hadith 126
- USC-MSA web (English) reference
- Book 4, Hadith 2121 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to direct the Muslims to what demonstrates honor among themselves, both in life and after death. So, he prohibited sitting on the graves, and he was vehement in this prohibition. In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "Do not sit on the graves," for this shows disregard for the rights of fellow Muslims. In another Hadīth narrated by Muslim, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stated that sitting on lively embers is better than sitting on the graves. The usual practice regarding the graves is to only visit them and supplicate there while standing, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to do when he headed to the Baqī‘ cemetery. He would say: "Peace be upon the dwellers of this place among the believers and Muslims. Indeed, we will join you, Allah Willing. I ask Allah for safety for us and you." [Narrated by Muslim] Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "and do not pray towards them," i.e., do not pray, facing the graves. This is to differ from the Jews and the Christians who used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous ones as places of worship, in exaltation of them. And they would probably do there things that are only due to the Creator, the Almighty Lord. This applies to praying upon the grave, towards it, or between two graves, for this leads to the exaltation of the graves and to worshiping them as was the practice during Jāhiliyyah. Excluded from this prohibition is the funeral prayer at the graves, as authentically reported from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In the Hadīth: It is prohibited to sit on the graves. And in it: It is prohibited to pray at the graves, between them, or towards them..