Q478 :You have pointed out that it is not acceptable
that a person faces a grave when he prays. In Prophet’s Mosque, part of
the congregation faces the Prophet’s grave. How is this allowed?
A478 : It is correct that it is forbidden to face a
grave during a prayer. It is also not permissible to build a mosque at
the place of a grave or at the graveyard. I have dealt with this
question more than once. However, at the Prophet’s Mosque, no one
faces his grave, because his grave is not raised over the ground.
Besides, there is a wall built around it, to separate it from a portion
of the mosque. The wall serves as a separating area, which does not
allow the grave to be in view of the worshipers. Moreover, we should
not imagine the Prophet’s grave as a tomb or something built high over
the ground, or that cement or bricks or any other building material is
used with its construction. The whole thing is made according to the
Sunnah which renetmends that grave is only slightly higher than the
ground. With the passage of the years, the Prophet’s grave and those of
his two netpanions, Abu Bakr and Umar have benete level with the ground
and no one is allowed inside the built-up area around. There are
specific instructions in Islam against giving graves any sort of
association with worship in order not to allow any habit or practices
of other religions, which give the dead a saintly position, to creep
into our faith. No dead person could be of any benefit to a living
one. That is the Islamic view.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )