77/19. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5816 — Graves and Worship Warning
Al-Aksiya and Al-Khama'is
Hadith About Not Taking Graves as Mosques
Sahih Bukhari : 5816
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5816
حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، رضى الله عنهم قَالاَ لَمَّا نَزَلَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَفِقَ يَطْرَحُ خَمِيصَةً لَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ، فَإِذَا اغْتَمَّ كَشَفَهَا عَنْ وَجْهِهِ، فَقَالَ وَهْوَ كَذَلِكَ " لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ مَسَاجِدَ ". يُحَذِّرُ مَا صَنَعُوا.
`Aisha and `Abdullah bin `Abbas Narrated from:
When the disease of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got aggravated, he covered his face with a Khamisa, but when he became short of breath, he would remove it from his face and say, "It is like that! May Allah curse the Jews Christians because they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship." By that he warned his follower of imitating them, by doing that which they did.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5815, 5816In-book reference : Book 77, Hadith 33USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 72, Hadith 706
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5816
This hadith about not taking graves as mosques repeats the same serious warning reported by Aisha and Abdullah bin Abbas. During the Prophet’s final illness, he placed a Khamisa over his face, then removed it when breathing became difficult. In that state, he spoke about the Jews and Christians taking the graves of their prophets as places of worship. The text clearly says he warned his followers about doing what they had done. For readers searching “do not take graves as mosques hadith,” the message is direct and practical. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم wanted his followers to keep worship pure and not turn graves into places of worship.
What we learn from this hadith
- The warning was spoken during a very serious moment in the Prophet’s illness.
- The text names the practice of taking prophets’ graves as worship places.
- The hadith itself explains that this was a warning to the followers.
- Muslims should treat worship with care and avoid copying the warned practice.
