Building a house in a graveyard, living in it and praying there

Question

Zayd wants to build a house within the enclosure of a graveyard and live there permanently, day and night. Is it permissible to build a house within the graveyard enclosure and live there permanently or not? While living permanently in the house, may he perform the fard prayer or sunna, nafl and other prayers or not, given that there is no grave at the spot where the house is planned to be built?

Answer

If the protection of the graveyard is intended, then, with everyone’s consultation, a modest house may be built there and a man stationed in it; that house will belong to the graveyard itself. Praying in that house will be permissible as long as there are no graves there; if a grave is in front (of the one praying), praying is makruh, as stated in Kabiri.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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