Replacing sun-dried bricks put on the Lahd with earthen bricks

Fatwa no. 20372 All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon the Last of the Prophets.The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has examined the Fatwa request submitted to His Eminence the Grand Mufty by His Excellency the Secretary of Riyadh. The request was referred to the Committee by the Secretariat General of the Council of Senior Scholars under no. 2280, dated 26/3/1419 A.H. His Excellency requested considering the suggestion submitted to him by Eng. A. A. S. To the effect of replacing sun-dried bricks put on the Lahd (a crevice on the side of a grave facing the direction faced for Prayer) with earthen bricks that resist moisture and water so that the grave will not collapse over the dead due to rainfall. Following is a statement of this suggestion:Your Excellency the Secretary of Riyadh, As-salamu `alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh (May Allah's Peace, Mercy, and Blessings be upon you!) In reference to:1- The collapses that took place in Al-Nasim cemetery during the last rain season due to rainfall that continued for so long causing the cave-in of more than half of the new graves in (Part No. 7; Page No. 288) the cemetery. This occurred in more than six thousand graves, which proves the impracticality of the recent burial method.2- In reference to Mr. M. R.'s statement on the issue of proposing suggestions to solve the problem, the following is my suggestion. Through examining the location at that time, it was found that the collapses were caused either by the moisture's access to the sun-dried bricks put on the side of graves, or by the collapse of both the sun-dried bricks and the Lahd simultaneously. As it is totally unacceptable to have graves collapse on the remains of relatives and loved ones, there are alternatives that may solve the problem and safeguard the honorable status of the dead. Earthen bricks, that are actually made of earth too will allow us to do without sun-dried bricks and make burial easier. In this regard, it should be born in mind that many areas contain noncohesive and sometimes completely sandy soil, which obliges people to build underground rooms. In fact, earthen bricks can meet these requirements. An earthen unit is quarter-cylinder shaped with a radius of 50 cm and is 2 cm thick surrounding the body from both sides and from above. Regarding sandy areas, an earthen unit should be half-cylinder with a radius of 60 cm surrounding the body from both sides and from above. (Please see the attached chart). Based on this design, earthen bricks have the following advantages:1- They do not collapse if hit by moisture.2- They protect the dead body against the collapse of the Lahd, as they encircle the body from above. (Part No. 7; Page No. 289) 3- They protect the graves against being disinterred by wandering animals.4- They allow widening the opening of the Lahd, which makes placing the body easier.5- The grave will need no more than four units instead of the eight of currently used sun-dried bricks, and they do not require a great amount of mud to plug up openings and thus they make the burial faster.6- They do not corrode regardless of the passing of time, which makes it possible to move the grave in future, if need be. If this meets your approval, could you please refer it to the respected scholars bearing in mind that we are ready to build actual samples. Best regards.

Having examined the Fatwa request, the Committee gave the answer that the Sunnah (action following the teachings of the Prophet) is to plug up the Lahd with sun-dried bricks made of strong pure clay. This has been the practice followed by Muslims since the generation of the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet; may Allah be pleased with them all) and subsequent Salaf (righteous predecessors) generations up till now. Moreover, the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all) did the same with the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him). To this effect, it is authentically narrated that they, out of unanimous agreement, made a Lahd for him and set up nine sun-dried bricks over it. Therefore, Sa`d ibn Abu Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) was reported to have said during his last illness: Make a Lahd for me in the side of the grave and set up bricks over me as was done with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). (Related by Imam Muslim in his Sahih [Authentic Hadith Book]). Therefore, Ibn Qudamah said in his book "Al-Mughny", "We have stated that (covering the Lahd with) sun-dried bricks or mat is Mustahab (desirable)". Moreover, Al-Khallal said, (Part No. 7; Page No. 290)  "Abu `Abdullah, i.e. Imam Ahmad (may Allah be merciful to him), preferred using sun-dried bricks. In any case, he considered it Makruh (disliked) to use wood. In fact, most narrations from Abu `Abdullah recommend the use of sun-dried bricks giving it priority over wood based on the preceding quote from Sa`d. In addition, Ibrahim Al-Nakh`y said that they (the Salaf) preferred using sun-dried bricks. Accordingly, it is preferable to keep the Lahd plugged up with sun-dried bricks following the example of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all) and subsequent Salaf generations. Bearing in mind that the Sahabah did so with regard to the Prophet's grave, it goes without saying that Allah chooses for His Prophet only the best. Also, sun-dried bricks are cheaper, easily manufactured and available at all times. With regard to the fact that some graves collapsed, this was due to either the low level of the grave site and consequently bad flood drainage or to defects in the very soil from which the bricks were made. No doubt, if sun-dried bricks are made carefully of a fine, solid and pure clay (that does not contain sand), they will be highly resistant to soil erosion, especially if mixed with materials causing it to be stronger and cohesive, such as straw or the like. Muslims have continued to apply this method, and their graves have remained intact one century after another up till now. As for suggesting using earthen bricks to cover the Lahd, it runs counter to the Sunnah applied by the Sahabah and the practice followed by subsequent Salaf generations. Therefore, claiming that earthen bricks may not corrode should not be taken for granted. For, actual facts tell us (Part No. 7; Page No. 291) that they easily break and split if exposed to heavy weight pressure. They are also different from sun-dried bricks in that they are costly and are at times not easily attainable.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.