What is the religious ruling concerning what should be done about a cemetery that has become full of graves, and is it permissible to bury above old graves after covering them with earth, or must an adjacent plot of land be used?

There are three options for burying the dead: The first is burial in the old western section of the cemetery, but it is not permissible to bury a deceased person in the place of another deceased person until the latter has completely decayed and turned into dust. The second is to cover the old section with earth, but this is not permissible because the cemetery has a sanctity that extends from the earth to the sky, as indicated by the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition of walking with sandals between graves. The third and most Islamically correct option is to bury the dead in a new area designated for this purpose, thereby making it an endowment (waqf) cemetery for the people of the village.