The depth of the grave’s “box” (lower chamber)

Question

How deep should the “box” (lower chamber) of a grave be?

Answer

[ar]ويُحفَر القبر نصف قامة أو إلى الصدر، وإن يزد كان حسنًا؛ لأنه أبلغ في الحفظ[/ar] “The grave is dug half a man’s height or up to the chest, and if it is made deeper, that is good, because this gives better protection” (Maraqi al-Falah, p. 333). The “box” of the grave should be at least as deep as half the grave; if it is as deep as the chest, that is better.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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