Constructing domes (Qubbas) over the graves of great personalities as part of preserving their memory and enlivening visitation (Ziyarah) is a practice that has been ongoing in the Muslim world without objection. However, Wahhabis commonly propagate that building domes over the graves of great personalities is akin to idolizing their graves and is equivalent to polytheism.
The Prophet (ﷺ) and his closest companions, Abu Bakr and Umar (﵄), are resting under a dome. The Prophet (ﷺ), who passed away in the house of the noble Aisha (﵂), was buried there itself. Describing that event, Allama Muhammad Habibullah Shinqiti (﵀) says: "The Sahaba (Companions) and Tabi'un (Successors) were unanimous on the matter of burying the Prophet (ﷺ) and the two Sheikhs (Abu Bakr and Umar) in a building. Being buried in a building is not a special characteristic of the Prophet (ﷺ). There is no difference between digging a grave in a building and constructing a building over a grave. The only difference that can be mentioned is in the form, and that is not worthy of consideration" (Zad al-Muslim 2/32-33).
Upon examining Islamic sources, it becomes clear that there is no prohibition against building domes over the graves of Prophets and righteous individuals (Salihin). Mulla Ali al-Qari says: "The predecessors permitted constructing edifices over the graves of scholars and Mashayikh (spiritual guides)" (Mirqat).
Imam Nawawi (﵀) states in his Rawdah: "It is permissible to make a bequest (Wasiyyah) for the maintenance of the graves of Prophets, scholars, and righteous individuals, and for the upkeep of mosques like Masjid al-Aqsa. This is because it involves enlivening the visitation of graves and seeking blessings (Barakah) through it" (Rawdah).
Imam Ibn Hajar (﵀) says: Imam Nawawi's statement that a bequest can be made for a non-sinful matter also includes acts of worship. Building a mosque, or constructing a dome over the grave of individuals like scholars in a place other than a public cemetery, are all examples of acts of worship.
From the above explanation, it is understood not only that there is no prohibition against constructing a dome over the grave of great personalities in a way that facilitates visitors, but also that it is a virtuous act. Domes should not be constructed over the graves of great personalities in public cemeteries. However, their graves should be maintained. Imam Ibn Hajar says: "After the deceased has decomposed and turned to dust, the grave may be dug up and another person buried there. Maintaining graves in public cemeteries is Haram (forbidden) because it causes obstruction to people. However, some scholars have exempted the graves of Sahaba and those known for their Wilayah (sainthood) from this" (Tuhfa).
From this, it is understood that even in public cemeteries where everyone has equal rights, the graves of great personalities should be maintained. They should be respected after death just as they were during their lifetime. Building up graves is Makrooh (reprehensible) according to the sound opinion in the Shafi'i Madhhab. That is why
in Kerala, the custom is to place a box over the graves of great personalities and cover it with cloth, rather than building them up. Constructing domes or similar structures over the graves of ordinary people and building them up is Makrooh if it is on one's own property, and Haram in a public cemetery.
١) ﻭﻗﺪ ﺃﺑﺎﺡ اﻟﺴﻠﻒ اﻟﺒﻨﺎء ﻋﻠﻰ ﻗﺒﺮ اﻟﻤﺸﺎﻳﺦ ﻭاﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎء ﻭاﻟﻤﺸﻬﻮﺭﻳﻦ ﻟﻴﺰﻭﺭﻫﻢ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ، ﻭﻳﺴﺘﺮﻳﺤﻮا ﺑﺎﻟﺠﻠﻮﺱ ﻓﻴﻪ اﻩـ.مرقاة ٣/١٢١٧
(1) The Salaf (predecessors) permitted building over the graves of the Mashayikh, the Ulama (scholars), and the famous, so that people may visit them and rest by sitting there. (Mirqat 3/1217))
٢) يَجُوزُ لِلْمُسْلِمِ وَالذِّمِّيِّ الْوَصِيَّةُ لِعِمَارَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى وَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ الْمَسَاجِدِ، وَلِعِمَارَةِ قُبُورِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَالْعُلَمَاءِ، وَالصَّالِحِينَ، لِمَا فِيهَا مِنْ إِحْيَاءِ الزِّيَارَةِ، وَالتَّبَرُّكِ بِهَا ،الروضة ٦/٩٨
(2) It is permissible for a Muslim and a Dhimmi (non-Muslim under Muslim rule) to make a bequest for the renovation of Masjid al-Aqsa and other mosques, and for the maintenance of the graves of the Prophets, the Ulama, and the Salihin (righteous), because it involves enlivening the Ziyarah (visitation) and seeking Barakah (blessings) through it. (Al-Rawdah 6/98))
٣) ﻭﺷﻤﻞ ﻋﺪﻡ اﻟﻤﻌﺼﻴﺔ اﻟﻘﺮﺑﺔ ﻛﺒﻨﺎء ﻣﺴﺠﺪ ﻭﻟﻮ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺎﻓﺮ ﻭﻧﺤﻮ ﻗﺒﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻗﺒﺮ ﻧﺤﻮ ﻋﺎﻟﻢ ﻓﻲ ﻏﻴﺮ ﻣﺴﺒﻠﺔ ﻭﺗﺴﻮﻳﺔ ﻗﺒﺮﻩ ﻭﻟﻮ ﺑﻬﺎ ﻻ ﺑﻨﺎﺋﻪ ﻭﻟﻮ ﺑﻐﻴﺮﻫﺎ ﻟﻠﻨﻬﻲ ﻋﻨﻪ ، التحفة ج ٧ ص٥
(3) The absence of sin includes acts of nearness [to Allah], like building a mosque, even by a disbeliever, and something like a dome over the grave of someone like a scholar in a place other than a public [cemetery], and leveling his grave, even in it [a public cemetery], but not building it up, even if not in it, due to the prohibition against it. (Al-Tuhfa, Vol. 7, p. 5))
٤) ﻭﻟﻮ اﻧﻤﺤﻖ اﻟﻤﻴﺖ ﻭﺻﺎﺭ ﺗﺮاﺑﺎ ﺟﺎﺯ ﻧﺒﺸﻪ ﻭﻟﺪﻓﻦ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺑﻞ ﺗﺤﺮﻡ ﻋﻤﺎﺭﺗﻪ ﻭﺗﺴﻮﻳﺔ ﺗﺮاﺑﻪ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺴﺒﻠﺔ ﻟﺘﺤﺠﻴﺮﻩ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻗﺎﻝ ﺑﻌﻀﻬﻢ ﺇﻻ ﻓﻲ ﺻﺤﺎﺑﻲ ﻭﻣﺸﻬﻮﺭ اﻟﻮﻻﻳﺔ ﻓﻼ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ ﻭﺇﻥ اﻧﻤﺤﻖ ﻭﻳﺆﻳﺪﻩ ﺗﺼﺮﻳﺤﻬﻤﺎ ﺑﺠﻮاﺯ اﻟﻮﺻﻴﺔ ﺑﻌﻤﺎﺭﺓ ﻗﺒﻮﺭ اﻟﺼﻠﺤﺎء ﺃﻱ ﻓﻲ ﻏﻴﺮ اﻟﻤﺴﺒﻠﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺄﺗﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻮﺻﻴﺔ ﻟﻤﺎ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺇﺣﻴﺎء اﻟﺰﻳﺎﺭﺓ ﻭاﻟﺘﺒﺮﻙ،تحفة ٣/٢٠٦
(4) And if the deceased has disintegrated and become dust, it is permissible to exhume it and bury [someone else] in it. Indeed, its maintenance and the leveling of its soil in a public [cemetery] are forbidden because it restricts [space] for people. Some of them said: except in the case of a Sahabi (Companion) and one famous for Wilayah (sainthood), then it is not permissible [to exhume], even if he has disintegrated. This is supported by their explicit statement on the permissibility of a bequest for the maintenance of the graves of the Salihin, i.e., in a place other than a public [cemetery], as will be discussed under bequests, because it involves enlivening the Ziyarah and seeking Barakah. (Tuhfa 3/206))
