Chapter: The prohibition of building masajid over graves and placing images therein; and the prohibition of taking graves as masajid

Umm Habiba and Umm Salama made a mention before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) of a church which they had seen in Abyssinia and which had pictures in it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When a pious person amongst them (among the religious groups) dies they build a place of worship on his grave, and then decorate it with such pictures. They would be the worst of creatures on the Day of judgment in the sight of Allah.

They (some Companions of the Holy Prophet) were conversing with one another in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (during his last) illness. Umm Salama and Umm Habiba made a mention of the church and then (the hadith was) narrated.

The wives of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be Upon him) made a mention of the church which they had seen in Abyssinia which was called Marya, and the rest of the hadith is the same.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said during his illness from which he never recovered: Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians that they took the graves of their prophets as mosques. She ('A'isha) reported: Had it not been so, his (Prophet's) grave would have been in an open place, but it could not be due to the fear that it may not be taken as a mosque.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Let Allah destroy the Jews for they have taken the graves of their apostles as places of worship.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Let there be curse of Allah upon the Jews and the Christians for they have taken the graves of their apostles as places of worship.

As the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was about to breathe his last, he drew his sheet upon his face and when he felt uneasy, he uncovered his face and said in that very state: Let there be curse upon the Jews and the Christians that they have taken the graves of their apostles as places of worship. He in fact warned (his men) against what they (the Jews and the Christians) did.

I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) five days before his death and he said: I stand acquitted before Allah that I took any one of you as friend, for Allah has taken me as His friend, as he took Ibrahim as His friend. Had I taken any one of my Ummah as a friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a friend. Beware of those who preceded you and 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.