Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Can we offer salat at a place where there is a grave and is at the corner of the mosque room. The situation is that while prayers either the people are offering prayers standing parallel to the grave or standing infront of it. The question is that can we offer prayers in this situation? 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Prayer in graveyard

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "Do not pray facing a grave and do not sit on one."

Related by Muslim and Ahmad.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 492 Narrated by Sa'id

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘The whole earth is a place of prayer (masjid) except public baths and graveyards.’

The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided and commanded the believers to make their mosques and their graveyards absolutely distinct from each other, and absolutely prohibited the believers from building a grave in a mosque, or a mosque in a graveyard. The Messenger of Allah (saws) also forbade the believers from offering their prayers in a graveyard, or offering prayers facing a grave.

Your Question: The question is that can we offer prayers in this situation? 

Firstly brother, to build a grave in a place dedicated to a mosque is not permitted in Islam. If there happens to be a grave in another room absolutely distinct from the mosque, there is no harm. The majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that if one offers their prayers parallel or in front of the grave, although disliked, their prayers would be considered valid, but one should not offer their prayers facing in the direction of the grave. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan