build mosques over graves. Thus the assertion that this practice belonged to the sacred laws of earlier communities is untenable. How could erecting mosques upon graves be a former dispensation when you have already heard of the curse pronounced upon the Jews and Christians for turning the graves of their prophets into places of worship? The verse under discussion is unlike the verses that the imams previously invoked as legal proof; it merely relates the statement of a group of people and their intention to act, without praising them or urging us to imitate them. Unless it is established that an infallible individual was among them, neither their action—let alone their mere resolve—can serve as evidence for the legitimacy of what they intended.

The unreliability of their conduct is further underscored by the report that those mentioned were rulers and princes, as transmitted from Qatādah.

On this basis, one might say that the first group were believers who knew that building mosques over graves is not sanctioned. They therefore suggested constructing a building that would close off the entrance to the cave and protect its occupants from interference. The rulers, however, rejected their proposal, which angered them to the point that