Converting a Graveyard Into a Masjid

Question: What happens when land that was once a graveyard in converted into a mosque? Is the prayer valid?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

In the Shafi’i school, the offensiveness of praying in a graveyard is because of the blood in the soil (Bushra al Karim, Ba Ishn). When a masjid is built over the graveyard and then one prays inside the masjid there would be no problem from that point of view.

Furthermore, once the bodies are decayed, the land can be used for anything else. Land used as a graveyard does not remain sacred forever (Tuhfat al Muhtaj, Ibn Hajar).

The obvious exception to this would be when a family makes an area of land an endowment (waqf) for the graves of their family members.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language