FatwaFederal TerritoriesFunerals & Death
AL-KAFI #810 : HUKUM MENGGUNAKAN SEMULA TANAH PERKUBURAN ISLAM
What is the ruling on reusing Muslim burial grounds?
Short answer
The default ruling is that digging up a grave where a body has been buried is prohibited and not allowed.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Funerals & Death
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
The default ruling is that digging up a grave where a body has been buried is prohibited and not allowed. However, the majority of scholars permit it for a reasonable cause, such as flooding, a landslide exposing the body, or a major public benefit as determined by a just ruler. The 61st National Fatwa Committee Muzakarah (27 January 2004) ruled it permissible to re-dig burial land in urgent need or necessity allowed by Islamic law, and to reuse it for new burials once the authorities confirm the earlier remains have decomposed.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Pada asasnya, haram hukumnya dan tidak dibenarkan menggali semula kubur jenazah yang telah dikebumikan.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #810 : HUKUM MENGGUNAKAN SEMULA TANAH PERKUBURAN ISLAM”, 15 September 2018. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/2591-al-kafi-810-hukum-menggunakan-semula-tanah-perkuburan-islam. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-on-reusing-muslim-burial-grounds/