A strange manner of burial in the grave

Question

In Mashhur (?) and several other places there has long been the custom that, after lowering the deceased into the grave, earth is thrown directly onto his kafan (shroud) and body. It is entirely possible that… pressed under the earth, the body decays within a few days. The common people argue that man is made of earth and returns to earth, so there is no harm in doing this. However, to many people this treatment of the deceased appears to be an inhumane act contrary to respect for the deceased.

Answer

This method is contrary to the Shari‘a. The manner of burying the deceased established by hadith and fiqh is this: a grave is prepared, the deceased is placed in it, and earth is filled in such a way that it does not fall on the deceased. There are two ways of doing this. The first is to make a lahd (niche grave)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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