The history of great personalities should not be allowed to perish. Their birth, life, message, and death all need to be accurately recorded. That is the true Islamic history. It is essential to protect their final resting places, at least to prevent their lives from being considered mere legends. This is the Islamic tradition. We can see that the graves of many Prophets, including the final Prophet, the Rashidun Caliphs, Awliya (saints), and others have been protected in this way around the world.

Those who have made it their agenda to destroy Islamic historical heritage are anti-Muslim Westerners and Zionists. They see this as a fundamental activity to undermine the religion. Instead of implementing this directly, the tools they used are religious reformers like the Mujahids and their current terrifying face, ISIS.

Maqābir in Islam

Muslim human beings are not to be forgotten with death. Remembering them, visiting their final resting places, praying for them, and offering charity (Sadaqah) for them are all practices based on evidence and are virtuous traditions that should continue.

‘And those who come after them say: "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed."’ (Quran 59/10).

It is an Islamic tradition to mark and protect even the graves of ordinary people. We can see relatives being vigilant in this regard in all countries. It is also common to arrange special facilities for those who come for Ziyarah (visitation) to the Jārams (shrines) of great personalities. Extensive facilities have been made in Madinah Munawwarah for those visiting the grave of the Prophet (ﷺ). The grave of Prophet Musa (﵇) stands near Bayt al-Maqdis. Imam Bukhari (﵀) has reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) visited it on the night of Isra'. Imam Nawawi (﵀) records in Tahdhib al-Asma' wa'l-Lughat (1/146) that the grave of Shu'ayb (﵇) stands with a large Qubba (dome) in a place called Hatwib in Sham (Syria), and people constantly perform Ziyarah there.

The grave of Prophet Ayyub (﵇) can be seen preserved even today on a hilltop a few kilometers away from Salalah town. The experience in any land where Islamic civilization and heritage existed is that the Maqābir of the predecessors have been maintained with due dignity. It is detailed in authentic history books that until the Wahhabi cemetery revolutionaries, who set an example for today's Salafi terrorists of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, entered Hijaz a century ago, the graves of many great personalities in Makkah and Madinah were built with large Qubbas and had been maintained.

Building Over Graves

There are clear rules in Islam regarding the construction of edifices, Qubbas, etc., over graves. If there is a fear of collapse, being dug up by predators, etc., any grave can be built up with stone or other materials. If there is no such need, incurring unnecessary expense is Makrooh (reprehensible). However, in a public cemetery belonging to all Muslims, constructing a building or similar structure over a grave in a way that infringes upon the rights of others becomes Haram (forbidden) for ordinary people.

If they are well-known righteous individuals (Salihin) or Awliya, their graves can be built up and facilities for visitation can be made to enable everyone to perform Ziyarah and seek Barakah (blessings). Imam Ramli (﵀) says: The statement that maintaining a grave is Haram, as opined by Ibn Hamza (﵀), applies if the buried person is not a Sahabi (Companion) or famously known as a Wali (saint). At the same time, the graves of such great personalities should not be removed, even if they collapse. The view of some scholars that it is permissible to make a bequest (Wasiyyah) to maintain the graves of Prophets and righteous individuals strengthens this. This is because there is seeking Barakah and enlivening Ziyarah in the continued existence of these graves (Nihayah 3/41).

Imam Nawawi (﵀) wrote: It is permissible to make a bequest (of property) to maintain the graves of Prophets, Ulama (scholars), Salihin, etc. This is because there is seeking Barakah and enlivening Ziyarah in it (Rawdah 6/908).

Mulla Ali al-Qari (﵀) records: The Salaf (early Muslims) permitted the construction of edifices over the graves of well-known Ulama, Mashayikh (spiritual guides), etc. This was for people to perform Ziyarah to them and to rest on such occasions (Mirqat 2/372).

Refuting the opinion of some that the graves of great personalities in public cemeteries should be demolished, the prominent Hadith scholar Imam Hakim (﵀) wrote: The practice of the Islamic world is not according to that opinion. Muslim scholars in the East and West have approved of constructing edifices over the graves of great personalities. This has been followed by successors from the Salaf. Imam Barzali (﵀) said that this matter is Ijma' (consensus) (Al-Mustadrak 1/370).

However, the noteworthy point is that even those who said that buildings should not be constructed over the graves of great personalities in public cemeteries did not cite it as Shirk (polytheism) or leading to Shirk. The reason was that it might infringe upon the rights of the general public. If a building is constructed, others cannot build graves in that much space. It would also be difficult to bury another person in that built-up grave.

However, the argument that placing four stones over a grave is associating partners with Allah is exclusive to the "Shirk-ologists," the Mujahids. It has no connection with Islam. In short, graves can be built up for purposes like protecting the grave, enlivening Ziyarah, and facilitating the seeking of Barakah, and this is the practice of the Muslim world. At the same time, graves should not be built up by obstructing the rights of others and incurring unnecessary wasteful expenditure. This is the essence of the Hadith that prohibits building up graves.

Ziyarah and Barakah

The Holy Quran itself has declared that the final resting places of great personalities are blessed. ‘Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed’ (Al-Isra' 1).

Here, what Imam Qurtubi (﵀) writes about the Barakah in the surroundings of Bayt al-Maqdis is noteworthy: It is because Prophets, Salihin, etc., were buried there. That is why it became Muqaddas (sacred) (Qurtubi 9/212). Regarding Umar's (﵁) expression of his final wish to be buried near the Prophet (ﷺ), Imam Hafiz Asqalani (﵀) says: From this, it is clear that one should desire to be near the Salihin even in the grave. This is to obtain the blessings that descend upon their graves and to receive the prayers of righteous visitors (Fath al-Bari 3/258). Imam Ghazali notes: Maqābir are not all equal. The Barakah of visiting them varies according to the status of those resting there (Ihya 1/244).

It has been believed and proclaimed by all scholars, from the Sahaba onwards, that the final resting places of great personalities are places where Allah's Rahmah (mercy) and Barakah descend. The Bid'is (innovators) who deny this and denigrate Maqābir as places where Allah's La'nah (curse) descends are suppressing the truth and destroying the heritage and relics of Islam. There is no support for this from the sources. Pay attention also to the words of Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (﵀): The purpose of Ziyarah is to honor the great personalities by enlivening their Maqābir with visits, and also for visitors to receive supernatural blessings from them. No one will deny this except those who are banished from Allah's Rahmah (Tuhfa 3/201).