Q:
1. What is the status of burying relatives together in the same grave? For example, husband and wife, or grandmother and grandson, or even cousins etc. Is it a matter of ease and identification or is there benefit for the mayyit and the like?
2. Also, will it be right to delay the burial so that an existing grave could be dug up in order to bury relatives together? If so, how long of a delay will be tolerable? In other words, the qabrastaan has a grave open already but a relative grave is wanted instead, so that has to be dug out and prepared and that constitutes some delay.
3. Is it wrong to have a desire of being buried with a certain person, because it means one does not desire burial near Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) in Madina Shareef? For example, a person desires that he is buried near his mother. Or a person desires that he is buried near his pious Shaykh or pious Ustaad. So does this desire constitute disrespect to Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) because nobody is greater than Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and/or burial in Medina Shareef?
Like someone says, "I want to be buried near my Shaykh" - so is that constituted disrespect to Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and Madina Shareef?" I am asking based on arguments someone gave to me.
A:
1. It is permissible.
No. It makes it easier for friends and relatives to visit the grave of their beloved.
2. If it is not a significant delay it is permissible.
3. Overall, to have love for the pious is encouraged. The hadeeth says that one will be grouped with those whom he loves. In the event the individual passes away in Madinah Munawwarah then he longs to be buried in Madinah Munawwarah but if he dies elsewhere then in the company of the pious.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
قال في الفتح ولا يحفر قبر لدفن آخر إلا إن بلي الأول فلم يبق له عظم إلا أن لا يوجد فتضم عظام الأول ويجعل بينهما حاجز من تراب (رد المحتار 2/233)
Answered by: