Where Can a Muslim 'Pray'?
- philhoraia
- Apr 18, 2024
- 6 min read
Hudhaifa reported:
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be npon him) said: We have been made to excel (other) people in three (things): Our rows have been made like the rows of the angels and the whole earth has been made a mosque for us, and its dust has been made a purifier for us in case water is not available. And he mentioned another characteristic too
The whole Earth is a mosque. But:
Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri narrated that :
Allah's Messenger said: "All of the earth is a Masjid except for the graveyard and the washroom."
A Muslim cannot 'pray' in a cemetery or a toilet. But:
Praying at graveyards
Praying at graves is of two types:
The first type is praying to the occupant of the grave . This is major shirk which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because prayer is an act of worship, and it is not permissible to do any act of worship to anyone other than Allah. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship)” [al-Nisa 4:36]
“Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away” [al-Nisa 4:116]
The second type is praying to Allah in the graveyard. This covers a number of issues:
Praying the funeral (janazah) prayer at the graveside which is permissible.
Example: if a person dies and you are not able to offer the funeral prayer for him in the mosque, then it is permissible for you to offer the prayer for him after he is buried.
The evidence for this is that this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that a black man or a black woman used to clean the mosque, and he (or she) died. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked about them and they said, “They died.” He said, “Why did you not tell me? Show me to their grave.” So he went to the grave and offered the funeral prayer. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 458; Muslim, 956).
Praying the funeral prayer in the graveyard which is permissible.
Example: a person dies and you are not able to offer the funeral prayer for him in the mosque, so you go to the graveyard and offer the prayer there before he is buried.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“It is permissible to offer the funeral prayer for the deceased inside the graveyard just as it is permissible to offer the funeral prayer for him after he is buried, because it was proven that a woman used to clean the mosque and she died. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked about her and they said, ‘She died.’ He said, ‘Why did you not tell me? Show me to her grave.’ So they showed him and he offered the prayer for her, then he said, ‘These graves are filled with darkness for their occupants, but Allah illuminates them by my prayer over them.’” (Narrated by Muslim, 956) (From Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daimah, 8/392)
Praying in the graveyard – apart from the funeral (janazah) prayer – this prayer is invalid and does not count, whether it is an obligatory prayer or a nafl prayer.
The evidence for that is as follows:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “All the earth is a mosque apart from the graveyards and bathrooms.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 317; Ibn Majah, 745; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah, 606).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians, for they have taken the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 435; Muslim, 529).
Praying in graveyards may be a means that leads to worshipping the graves, or to imitating those who worship graves. Hence, because the kafirs used to prostrate to the sun as it was rising and setting, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade us to pray when the sun is rising or setting, lest that be taken as a means that leads to worshipping the sun instead of Allah, or to resembling the kuffar.
Praying towards the graveyard, which is haram, according to the correct opinion.
Example: you pray with a graveyard or grave in the direction of your qiblah, but you are not praying in the graveyard, rather you are praying on some other ground that is close to the graveyard, with no wall or barrier between you and it.
The evidence for this being haram:
It was narrated that Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not sit on graves, or pray towards them.” (Narrated by Muslim, 972). This indicates that it is haram to pray towards graveyards or towards graves or towards a single grave.
The reason why it is not allowed to pray towards a graveyard is the same as the reason why it is not allowed to pray towards a grave. So long as a person is facing towards the grave or graveyard in such a way that it may be said that he is praying towards it, then this comes under the prohibition, and if it comes under the prohibition then it is not valid, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Do not pray …” The prohibition here is on praying, so if a person prays towards a grave, he is combining obedience and disobedience, and it is not possible to draw closer to Allah in such a manner.
Note: If there is a wall between you and the graveyard, then the basic principle is that it is acceptable to pray in this case and it is not prohibited. Similarly, if there is a street or a considerable distance which would mean that you cannot be regarded as praying towards the graves, then this is acceptable. And Allah knows best.” (See al-Mughni, 1/403; al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn ‘Uthaymin, 2/232)
Is it permissible to pray in a cemetery or is it not?
Regarding praying to the occupant of a grave, see: Invoking Muhammad In Worship [Part 1] and Invoking Muhammad In Worship [Part 2]
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“The prayer is severed by a woman, a dog and a donkey.”
Ibn Majah 950
Narrated `Aisha:
The things which annul the prayers were mentioned before me. They said, "Prayer is annulled by a dog, a donkey and a woman (if they pass in front of the praying people)." I said, "You have made us (i.e. women) dogs. I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) praying while I used to lie in my bed between him and the Qibla. Whenever I was in need of something, I would slip away. for I disliked to face him."
Now, if a woman is in front of you, shouldn't that invalidate your 'prayer', even if it's Aisha? From my post, Semen Scraping and Aisha: An Inconsistency
"I saw myself rubbing semen off the garment of Allah's messenger [SAW] while he was praying." Narrator: Aisha, mother of the believers | Muhaddith: Ibn Al-Mulqin | Source: Al-Badr Al-Munir | Page or number: 1/491 | Summary of the muhaddith's grade: Its chain is extremely authentic. Illustration: Extracted by Muslim (288), Abu Dawud (372), Al-Nasai (296), Ahmad (24378) and Ibn Hibban (1380) with little difference.
"I used to rub semen off the garment of Allah's messenger, Allah Ta'ala pray for him and salute him, rubbing and he would pray in it while at salat." Narrator: Aisha, mother of the believers | Muhaddith: Ibn Al-Mulqin | Source: Summary of Al-Badr Al-Munir. Page or number: 1/14 | Summary of the muhaddith's grade: Sahih. Illustration: Extracted by Muslim (288). The same. dental pearls My translation.
End of quotation. We may presume that the stains were at the front.
Finally, what's the point of 'praying' if Allah doesn't know that you are?
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven every night when a third of the night remains. He says, 'Who is calling on Me so that I can answer him? Who is asking Me for something so that I can give to him? "Who is asking Me for forgiveness so that I can forgive him?'"
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 753
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