Q: I hope that Your Eminence clarify the following matter mentioned in the sixth question of Fatwa no. 8382, which reads: Is it permissible to offer Janazah (Funeral) Prayer in the place void of graves within the graveyard? The answer was: This is permissible because the Prophet (peace be upon him) offered Janazah Prayer over a woman who used to clean the Masjid (mosque), when she died and was buried without him being informed of this. Upon learning this he said: Show me her grave, where he then went and offered Janazah Prayer there.In Fatwa no. 9269, dated 23 / 12 / 1405 A.H., the second question read: One day a person met his death, and we accompanied the funeral to the graveyard. Upon offering Janazah Prayer over the deceased, the corpse was placed into the grave and the Adhan (call to Prayer) was announced by his head. Please, explain to us the ruling on this and what should be done in this regard?The answer was: It is not permissible to announce the Adhan nor Iqamah (call to start the Prayer) at the grave, because this was neither reported (Part No. 7; Page No. 270) from the Prophet (peace be upon him) nor from his Companions. Rather, it is a Bid`ah (innovation in Islam), knowing that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: Whoever performs an action which is not in accordance with this affair of ours (Islam) will have it rejected. .My question is: How do we reconcile the Prophet's (peace be upon him) offering Janazah Prayer over the deceased at the grave, as is stated in the first Fatwa, and the ruling mentioned in the second Fatwa that it is not permissible? Could you please clarify this matter?

A: There is no such contradiction, as you assume, between what was stated in the first and the second Fatwas issued by the Permanent Committee, because the issues inquired about in both Fatwas are different. There is no doubt that it is permissible to offer Janazah Prayer over the deceased in the graveyard, since this was done by the Prophet (peace be upon him), as has been mentioned. Conversely, it is not permissible to announce the Adhan or the Iqamah at the head of the deceased after offering Janazah Prayer over and burying them in the grave. This is a Bid`ah that has no basis in Shari`ah (Islamic law), as it was never practiced by the Prophet (peace be upon him) or any of his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), as is stated in the Fatwa. Thus, the ambiguity should be dispelled. Janazah Prayer should not be preceded by neither the Adhan nor the Iqamah.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.