Q: Is it permissible to offer Salah (Prayer) in a Masjid (mosque) with a grave inside it? Please, explain this in detail because some people do not accept this arguing that the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is inside Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy (the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah). If it is not permissible to offer Salah in such Masjids, what should we do? Is it permissible for us to dig the dead man's bones out?

A: It is not permissible to offer Salah in Masjids with graves inside. This ruling is substantiated by the authentically reported Hadith on the authority of Jundub ibn `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) five days before he died saying: Those who preceded you used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that. Related by Muslim. Also, it is authentically reported on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Let there be the curse of Allah upon the Jews (Part No. 6; Page No. 256) and the Christians for they have taken the graves of their Prophets as places of worship. Therefore, it is incumbent upon those in charge of the Muslims' affairs to pull down all the Masjids built upon graves because these Masjids were not founded for righteousness. Also the dead body buried in these Masjids after building it should be dug out and the dead body, the bones and any remains should be taken outside the Masjid, because it was buried within the Masjid after it was built. Their remains should be moved to the public cemetery and buried. This grave should be leveled like any other grave. Afterwards, there is nothing wrong with offering Salah in the mentioned Masjid since the preventive reason no longer exists.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.