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Extending a mosque over an adjacent old graveyard

Question

we have extended our mosque over an old graveyard.some people objected that it is unislamic and it is not prayer worthy.please tell us its legal position in islam

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

It is not permissible to build a mosque over the graves unless the graveyard is disused and the dead bodies have perished and turned into dust. In such a case, it is permissible to build a mosque over the graves. The final say in this issue is for expert people. If expert people decided that the bones of the dead are disintegrated and have turned into dust in such an old graveyard and its place is needed to extend the mosque, it would be permissible to build the mosque over it, otherwise it is not permissible to build a mosque over it. For further information, see Fatwa 81849.

Allaah Knows best.

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