Is it true what is said that Al-Baqi‘ cemetery continuously accommodates the deceased by digging up and extracting old bones to dispose of them, and that the ground level rises to bury new bodies, and will a day come when the cemetery becomes full?
First: Al-Baqi' has been the main cemetery of the people of Madinah since the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. There is no exclusivity for those buried there, as believers and hypocrites alike have been interred there. Imam Malik narrated from Salman, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "Indeed, the earth does not sanctify anyone; rather, a person's deeds sanctify him."
Second: It is not permissible to exhume graves and remove their occupants except in cases of extreme necessity. The deceased has a greater right to his grave, and no one else should be buried with him.
Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan clarified that if a cemetery becomes full, it should be fenced and closed, and another location should be sought for a new cemetery, because "Allah's earth is vast." Exaggeration concerning a specific cemetery is not permissible, as it is a means to shirk (polytheism). Removing the bones of the deceased from the grave is a forbidden act, and he must remain in his grave until he decays. If a cemetery becomes full, it should be closed and burials should take place in another cemetery, or it should be expanded in a way that does not harm the living or violate the sanctity of the dead.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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