Is it permissible for a grave to be more than a handspan high above the ground, and what is your comment on the widely circulated images of the grave of the Prophet Muhammad, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, which show it elevated above the ground?

The majority of scholars hold the view that it is preferable to raise the grave slightly, while Imam Shafi'i believes that leveling and flattening it is better. The disagreement between them is regarding what is preferable, not what is permissible. The grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was initially flat, then it was raised during the caliphate of Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik. The hadith (definition) about leveling graves is understood to apply to those that are raised with a wall or similar structures. As for raising the grave slightly to distinguish it, this is permissible by consensus.