Is it permissible to build a mosque for expansion over a graveyard due to the mosque's inability to accommodate the worshippers?
If the graveyard is old and the traces of the deceased have vanished, it is permissible to build upon it for the needs of the mosque. However, if the remains of the deceased are still present, scholars have differed regarding the permissibility of excavating graves and moving the remains to expand the mosque. Some have permitted it for human rights, necessity, or a valid purpose, while others have forbidden it except in cases of dire necessity. As for building over graves while they still exist, it is not permissible. It is also forbidden to incorporate a grave or part of a graveyard into a mosque.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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