at war—that is, in the land of hostile disbelievers—the grave should not be raised; rather, it should be levelled with the ground, for fear that enemies may exhume it, mutilate the body, or do something similar.

His statement, “forming a rounded mound,” means that it should be made like a camel’s hump, with its middle raised above its sides. The opposite of a rounded grave is a flat grave, whose upper surface is made level like a roof.

The evidence for this is that this was the description of the Prophet’s grave (1), and of the graves of his two Companions.

His statement, “and it is disliked”: in the terminology of the jurists, something disliked is that whose avoidance, out of compliance, is rewarded, while its commission is not punished. This is disapproval in the sense of discouragement, not prohibition.

His statement, “plastering it,” means placing gypsum over it, because this falls under honouring the grave. Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Abu al-Hayyaj al-Asadi: “Shall I not send you on the same task for which the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me: that you do not leave any image without effacing it, nor any elevated grave without levelling it?” (2)

His statement, “and building over it”: this is because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited it.

However, limiting the ruling in these two matters to mere disapproval is open to question, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade that—that is, plastering graves and building over them.