Verse 21. I this way I caused them to be found, so that they would know that Allah's promise is true and the hour of resurrection is coming, without a doubt. When they were disputing among themselves about their case, some of them said: “Construct a building over them; their Lord knows best about them.” Those who prevailed in their case said: “Indeed we will build a place of worship over them.”
To prove to them the truth about resurrection
To save the believers from disbelievers (That the promise of Allah is true).
The bodies are also resurrected not only the soul. (Belief that only the spirit is resurrected is common amongst Christians).
Who “prevailed in their case”? Was it the believers or disbelievers?
1.Building places of worship is among the characteristics of the believers.
2.Putting Mosques over graves is an act of the cursed and not of the believers.
Mentioning of the building of a mosque over their grave here does not indicate its permissibility. It is among the paths leading to Shirk.
“May Allah's curse be on the Jews and Christians for taking the graves of their prophets as places of worship”. The Prophet said this while he was dying. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud).
Restrictions of Visiting Graves:
1.As a means of setting up a barrier against grave worship.
2.The Prophet prohited in praying purposefully praying the the direction of graves. (Muslim)
3.Recitation of the Qur'an in graveyards is not allowed. Aishah asked the Prophet what to say when visiting graveyards. He told her to give salams and supplicate (He didnt tell her to recite Quran). Also, the Prophet told us not to make our homes like graveyards. “Do not make your houses graveyards, for verily Satan flees from the house in which Soorah al Baqarahy is read” (Muslim).
4.The Prohibition of white-washing of graves, building structures over them (Muslim), writing on them (Sunan Abi Dawud) or raising them above the ground (Muslim).
5.Building Masjids over graves was specifically forbidden by the Prophet. Concerning a church in Ethiopia with pictures the Prophet said “Indeed if there is a righteous man among them and he dies, they build on his grave a mosque and make in it those pictures. They are the worst of creation in the sight of Allah on the day of Resurrection.” (Bukhari).
6.The Prophet forbade annual or seasonal gatherings even around his own grave. “Do not make your houses graveyards nor make my grave a (place of ) festivities. Instead, ask (Allah's) blessings for me wherever yo may be, for they will reach me.” (Sunan Abu Dawud).
7.Forbidden to set out on journey's to visit graves. “Do not travel except to three masjids, Masjid Haram, the Messenger's Masjid, and the Aqsa Masjid”. (Bukhari).
“Taking Graves as Places of Worship” may mean three things:
1.Praying towards graves. Forbidden.
2.Building Masjid over Grave or Putting a Grave in a Masjid.
3.Praying in a masjid containing a grave.
Masjid with Graves. Two Types:
1.Masjid built over a grave. (grave came first). Should be demolished because such place is originally a grave.
2.Masjid in which a grave has been put, some time after its construction. (masjid came first). The grave should be removed as it was originally a masjid.
THE PROPHET'S GRAVE
This cannot justify the building of masjid over grave or building grave over masjids:
1.The Prophet did not order that he buried in his masjid.
2.The companions did not put his grave into the masjid.
3.The room of Aishah was not originally a part of the masjid and the door leading to the masjid was permanently sealed off by the companions.
4.Two expansions during the time of Umar and Uthman cautiously avoided the inclusion of Aishah's house or that of any of the other wives of the Prophet.
5.With the death of ALL the Sahabah – Caliph al Waleed Abdil Malik included the house of Aishah inside the Masjid. A high circular wall was built around it so that it would not be visible at all from inside the masjid. Two additional walls in triangle built later to prevent anyone from facing the grave directly.
6.The dome over the Prophet's grave was built by Sultan Kalawoon as Salaahee in 1282 CE and painted green by Sultan Abdul Hameed in 1837,
7.These errors remains to be corrected. Walls should once again be placed to separate it from the masjid so that no one could pray in its direction nor visit it inside the masjid.
Salah in the Prophet's masjid is still desirable due to its exceptional nature just like salah is allowed for specific purpose (e.g. Janazah) even during the forbidden times (sun setting etc.)
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