The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) stated this very rationale in his had?th that says: ‘O All?h! Never make [People take] my grave as an idol that is worshipped’. (1)
He ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) also told his “Sah?bah” that the Kuff?r [disbelievers] used to build a mosque on the grave of the righteous amongst them and engrave pictures on it. These are the worst of All?h’s ( - عز وجل -) creatures in All?h’s ( - عز وجل -) sight on the Day of Resurrection’. (2)
In the aforementioned had?th, the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) mentioned these two [great sins]: [taking] graves [as places of worship] and [making] pictures. (3)
Accordingly;
[2/ 13] It is prohibited to perform Sal?t in cemeteries at all even if they contain one grave only:
In “Iqtid?’ As-Sir?tul Mustaq?m”, Shaikhul Isl?m [Ibn Taymiyyah] mentioned the disagreement -amongst Im?m Ahmad’s followers- concerning doing Sal?t in a mosque neighboring a cemetery, and the least number of graves to be existing in a place to be called cemetery: three or one is enough. The Im?m’s followers held the two opposite opinions.
Holding the second opinion in his “Al-Ikhtiy?r?tul ‘I limyyah”; Shaikhul Isl?m then said: ‘The Im?m’s and his followers’ statements bear no sign of disagreement; on the contrary, their generalizations and the proofs they presented indicate clearly that
(1) Narrated by M?lik in “Al-Muwatt?’ ” (vol. 1 / p. 172), Ibn Sa ‘d in “At-Tabaq?t Al-Kubr?” (vol. 2/pp.240 - 1) from ‘At?’ Ibn Yas?r through a sound chain of narrators. It is also narrated by Abdir Razz?q in “Al-Musannaf “(vol. 1 / p. 406), Ibn Ab? Shaibah in “Al-Musannaf” (vol. 3 / p. 345) from Zayd Ibn Aslam through a good chain of narrators, Ahmad narrated it-in his Musnad-through a connected chain of narrators from Ab? Hurairah (vol. 2 / p. 246), Al-Humaidy in “Al-Musnad” (no. 1025) and Ab? Na ‘aim in “Al-Hilyah (vol . 6 / p. 283) and (vol. 7 / p. 317) through a sound chain of narrators. Al-Bazz?r and Ibn Abdil Barr considered the had?th as authentic. Refer to Sharh Az-Zarq?n? ‘Al? Al-Muwatt?’ (vol. 1 / p. 351) and “Tanwir Al-Haw?lik (vol. 1 / p. 186).
(2) “Sah?h Al-Bukh?r?” (vol. 1 / no. 523 - 4) and “Sah?h Muslim” (vol. 1 / no. 375 - 6).
(3) Refer to “Iqtid?’us Sir?tul Mustaq?m” (pp. 329 - 30) and “Al- ‘Amru bil Ittib?’Wannhy? ‘An Al-Ibtida’“.