Question:

How do we respond to grave-worshippers who use the burial of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Prophet’s Mosque as an argument?

Answer:

The response to this can be approached from several angles:

First: The mosque was not built over the grave; rather, the mosque was built during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Second: The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not buried inside the mosque such that it could be said this is an example of burying righteous people inside a mosque. Rather, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was buried in his own house.

Third: The inclusion of the Prophet’s houses—including the house of Aisha—into the mosque was not done by the consensus of the Companions. Instead, it occurred after most of them had passed away, roughly in the year 94 AH. Therefore, it is not something authorized by the Companions; in fact, some of them opposed it, among whom was Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib.

Fourth: The grave is not inside the mosque even after its inclusion, because it is in a separate chamber independent of the mosque. The mosque was not built over it; for this reason, this area was preserved and enclosed by three walls. The wall was constructed at an oblique angle relative to the qiblah—meaning it is triangular—with the corner in the northern angle so that a person does not face it when praying, as it is angled away.

Thus, the argument used by grave-worshippers based on this misconception is completely invalidated.