I’ve been told that a hadith is found where
it says that as soon a muslim passes away that one should be immediately moved so that one
is facing the Qabaa. Also that the grave itself should be facing the Qabaa in that the
persons feet should be towards the Qabaa. The explanation given to me for this is that on
the Yowmul Qiyaama the muslims will rise from the graves so that they face the Qabaa. What
I’ve come across and understood is that they’re head/face should be turned, in the grave,
towards Qabaa. Which is the truth?
Jazak Allaah khair akhi.
May Allaah (SWT) reward you for your hard-work.
Praise be to Allaah.
Ibn Hazam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Turning the deceased to face the Qiblah is good, but if this is not
done it does not matter. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
so wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the
Face of Allaah (and He is High above, over His Throne) [al-Baqarah 2:115]
and there is no text (nass) which indicates that the deceased
should be turned to face the Qiblah. (al-Muhallaa, 5/174)
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
died in the arms of Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), and she
described the moments of his death in detail, and she did not say that she turned him to
face the Qiblah. Her hadeeth was narrated by al-Bukhaari (4440) and Muslim (2444).
This was not reported from any Sahaabi either. The
report that Abu Qutaadah asked that he should be turned to face the Qiblah when he died,
and that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of this by
saying He has followed the fitrah is daeef (weak), not saheeh. (See
Irwaa al-Ghaleel, 3/153, concerning its being daeef).
With regard to how the deceased should be placed in the
grave, Imaam Ibn Hazm said:
The deceased should be placed in his grave on his right side, with his
face towards the Qiblah and his head and legs to the right and left. This is the practice
of the Muslims from the time of the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) until the present day, and this is how all the graveyards of the Muslims are
throughout the world.
(al-Mahallaa, 5/173).
With regard to the claim that people will be resurrected
to the Kabah, this is a matter of the Unseen which needs proof what proof is
there? What has been proven is that when the people are resurrected from their graves,
they will head directly for the place of their gathering. And Allaah knows best.
