2. Prostrating on Graves and making Offerings to the Dead

Question: What is the ruling on prostrating on graves and making offerings to people buried in them?Answer: Prostrating on graves and making offerings to them constitues idolatry, ignorance, and major Shirk. Such practices are devotional acts that must be dedicated to Allah alone. He who dedicates them to other than Allah is a polytheist. Allah the Exalted says:“Say, ‘My Salah, and offering, and my life, and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. And so am I commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.’ [Al-An'am 6:162-163]And Allah says:“We have given you Al-Kawthar. So, pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice.” [Al-Kawthar 108: 1-2]There are other Verses signifying that prostration and offerings are acts of worship, and dedicating them to other than Allah constitutes Shirk.There is no doubt that visiting graves for the purpose of prostrating and making offerings to the dead buried in them means only gratifying and revering them by prostrating on them and sacrificing animals to them.Imam Muslim filed a long Hadith under the title ‘The prohibition of sacrificing to other than Allah, and cursing who does so’ : ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught me the following:“Allah curses him who sacrifices to other than Allah, Allah curses him who curses his own parents, Allah curses him who shelters a man of innovation, and Allah curses him who alters landmarks.” [Muslim no. 1978 and an-Nasa'i no. 4427]Abu Dawud also reported that Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak, may Allah be pleased with him, said: A man vowed to sacrifice camels in a place called Buwanah, so he asked the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) whether it was permissible for him to do that. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked him:“Was there any 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 (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:“Fulfill your vow, because it is not permissible to fulfill a vow when it involves disobedience to Allah.”The foregoing signify that he will be cursed who makes offering to other than Allah, and the prohibition of sacrificing animals in a place where other than Allah is adulated, such as an idol, a grave, or even a place in which people of pre-Islamic ignorance used to hold their gatherings, even if he intends to please Allah alone with his offerings. May Allah exalt the mention of our Prophet, Muhammad, his household, and Companions and render them safe from evil.The Permanent Committee
[Taken from Fatawa Islamiyah, Darussalam, Volume 1 - Creed, p. 31 - 33]