What is the ruling on burying the deceased in a grave leveled with cement, with a raised mound above the ground?
The issue of plastering the grave and covering it with cement is one about which jurists have differed, holding two views: permissibility and disliking (karahah). The majority consider it permissible, while the Malikis dislike it. In Radd al-Muhtar, it is stated that the preferred opinion is that there is no disliking. If it is possible to bury without covering the grave with cement, that is better, to avoid the difference of opinion. Otherwise, there is no harm in doing so.
Regarding leveling the grave, there is no harm in it as long as the height of the grave does not exceed the legally prescribed limit. As for building over graves and raising them above the prescribed limit, this is contrary to the Sunnah. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade plastering graves, sitting on them, and building over them. The Malikis consider this disliked, and it becomes forbidden if the intention is to boast.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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