Prostrating on Graves andmaking Offerings to the Dead

Question :

What is the ruling on prostrating on graves and makingofferings to people buried in them?

Answer:

Prostrating on graves and making offerings to themconstitutes idolatry, ignorance, and major Shirk. Suchpractices are devotional acts that must be dedicated to Allahalone. He who dedicates them to other than Alläh is apolytheist. Alläh the Exalted, says:

Say, 'My Salah, and offering, and my life, and my deathare all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner.And so am I commanded, and I am the first of theMuslims.

And Allah says:
We have given you Al-Kawthar. So, pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice.

There are other Verses signifying that prostration and offeringsare acts of worship, and dedicating them to other than Allahconstitutes Shirk.

There is no doubt that visiting graves for the purpose ofprostrating and making offerings to the dead buried in themmeans only gratifying and revering them by prostrating onthem and sacrificing animals to them.

Imam Muslim filed a long Hadith under the title 'Theprohibition of sacrificing to other than Allah, and cursing whodoes so': 'Ali bin Abi Talib, may Alläh be pleased with him,said: The Messenger of Alläh ﷺ taught me the following:

«Alläh curses him who sacrifices to other than Alläh, Allähcurses him who curses his own parents, Alläh curses him whoshelters a man of innovator, and Allah curses him who alterslandmarks.

Abu Dawud also reported that Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak, mayAllah be pleased with him, said: A man vowed to sacrificecamels in a place called Buwanah, so he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whether it was permissible for him to do that. TheProphet ﷺ asked him:

«Was there any of the idols of the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era) worshipped in that place?»They said: "No!" He further asked:
«Did the pagans hold in that place any of their festivals?They said: "No!" Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said:

«Fulfill your vow, because it is not permissible to fulfilla vowwhen it involves disobedience to Allah."

The foregoing signify that he will be cursed who makes offeringto other than Allah, and the prohibition of sacrificing animalsin a place where other than Allah is adulated, such as an idol, agrave, or even a place in which people of pre-Islamic ignoranceused to hold their gatherings, even if he intends to please Allähalone with his offering. May Alläh exalt the mention of our Prophet ﷺ Muhammad, his household, and Companions andrender them safe from evil.