then put it into effect; and may Allah grant everyone success in whatever pleases Him, and may He guide this Ummah to implement the rulings of its religion and the instructions of its Messenger ﷺ.
Question: Suppose that—just as you have indicated—the mosque existed before the grave was placed there. What is the ruling on praying in it before the grave is removed?
Answer: So long as a grave remains inside that mosque, and people frequent it for acts of worship, prayer, or the slaughtering of vowed animals, it is impermissible to pray there, for it has become a monument to polytheism and a pagan shrine; prayer in it is not allowed.
Praying in a mosque where an innovation is practiced
Question: In a mosque where an innovation is performed every week, is it permissible to pray there? And if the innovation is stopped, does prayer in that mosque then become permissible? Please advise us, and may Allah bless you.
Answer: You have not specified what type of innovation it is, yet in all circumstances innovation is forbidden—especially when it takes place in the mosques, the houses of Allah and the stations of worship. Innovations must not be practiced there, because they run contrary to the Sharia and to genuine worship; they are the deeds of devils and their followers. Hence it is not lawful for Muslims to introduce innovations anywhere, least of all in the mosques. If, when you attend that mosque, you are able to eliminate the innovation and prevent it, then you are obliged to do so: go to the mosque, put an end to those innovations, establish the prayer there, and enliven it with obedience to Allah by reviving the Sunnah and eradicating every innovation.