Ruling on Occupying a Waqf Cemetery & Dumping Trash
Unlawfully Occupying a Waqf Cemetery & Using It as a Dumping Ground
Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: There is a large waqf cemetery in our village. Only part of the cemetery contains graves, while a large portion of it still remains vacant. Some people have unlawfully occupied parts of the vacant waqf land, some have stored their firewood there, and many also dump their trash there. What is the ruling regarding these actions?
Answer
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
Once land has been established as waqf for a cemetery, it leaves human ownership and becomes the exclusive property of Allāh Almighty. Thereafter, it is not permissible to alter or replace the waqf land. The waqf land may only be used for the purpose for which it was endowed; using it for any other purpose, even if it is for public welfare, is ḥarām and impermissible. Even the wāqif (donor) himself has no right to alter the waqf after establishing it. Therefore, unlawfully occupying the cemetery’s waqf land and making personal use of it is impermissible and ḥarām. Likewise, dumping trash in the cemetery is impermissible as it causes foul odors and dirtiness. Therefore, those who have unlawfully occupied the cemetery’s land must immediately vacate it, and all trash must be removed from the land. Also, they must sincerely repent in the court of Allāh for these sins. It is likewise fard upon the rest of the Muslims, according to their ability, to strive to have the cemetery’s land cleared of all unlawful occupation and unlawful use. Anyone who has the ability to prevent this but fails to do so is also sinful.
In a waqf, abiding by the conditions of the wāqif (donor) is necessary. Aʿlā Ḥazrat Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān عليه رحمة الرحمن states:
وقف میں شرائط واقف کا اتباع واجب ہے، اشباہ و النظائر میں ہے: ”شرط الواقف کنص الشارع فی وجوب العمل بہ“۔
Translation: In waqf, abiding by the conditions stipulated by the wāqif is wājib. It is stated in al-Ashbāh Wal-Nazāʾir: The conditions stipulated by the wāqif are equivalent to the text of the sharīʿah in that it is wājib to act upon them. (Fatāwā Razawiyah, Vol. 16, p. 225, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
No one has the authority to alter a waqf after it has been established. Aʿlā Ḥazrat Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān عليه رحمة الرحمن states:
مسلمانوں کو تغییر وقف کا کوئی اختیار نہیں، تصرف آدمی اپنی ملک میں کر سکتا ہے، وقف مالک حقیقی جل و علا کی ملک خاص ہے، اس کے بے اذن دوسرے کو اس میں کسی تصرف کا اختیار نہیں۔
Translation: No Muslim has the right to alter the waqf. A person can make changes to his personal property. The waqf is owned exclusively by the Ultimate Owner, Allāh Almighty. Without his permission, no one else has the authority to alter it. (Fatāwā Razawiyah, Vol. 16, p. 232, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
Using waqf land for personal use or unlawfully occupying it is impermissible and ḥarām. Likewise, dumping filth and waste on graves is impermissible and ḥarām. ʿAlā Ḥazrat رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه also states:
قبرستان وقف ہے اور وقف میں اپنی سکونت کا مکان بنانا وقف بیجا ہے اور اس میں تصرف بیجا حرام ہے، پھر اگر اس قطعہ میں قبور بھی ہوں، اگرچہ نشان مٹ کر ناپید ہو گئی ہوں، جب تو متعدد حراموں کا مجموعہ ہے، قبروں پر پاؤں رکھنا ہو گا، چلنا ہو گا، بیٹھنا ہو گا، پیشاب پاخانہ ہو گا، اور یہ سب حرام ہے۔ اس میں مسلمانوں کو طرح طرح ایذا ہے اور مسلمان بھی کون، اموات کہ شکایت نہیں کر سکتے، دنیا میں عوض نہیں لے سکتے، بے وجہ شرعی مسلمانوں کی ایذا اللہ و رسول کی ایذا ہے۔ اللہ و رسول کو ایذا دینے والا مستحق جہنم۔ اسی طرح اگر قبرستان کے قریب مکان بنایا، پاخانے یا دھوبیوں کے غلیظ پانی کا بہاؤ قبور پر رکھا تو یہ بھی سخت حرام ہے اور جو با وصف قدرت اسے منع نہ کرے ، وہ بھی مرتکب حرام ہے ۔۔۔امام ابن امیر الحاج حلیہ میں نوادر و تحفۃ الفقہاء و بدائع و محیط وغیرہ سے نقل فرماتے ہیں: ”أبا حنیفۃ رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ کرہ وط ء القبر و القعود أو النوم أو قضاء الحاجۃ إلیہ“۔۔۔ تنویر الابصار میں ہے: ”یکرہ بول و غائط فی مقابر“۔
رد المحتار میں ہے: ”لأن المیت یتأذی بما یتأذی بہ الحی و الظاھر أنھا تحریمۃ لأنھم نصوا علیٰ أن المرور فی سکۃ حادثۃ فیھا حرام فھذا أولی“۔
Translation: A cemetery is waqf and building a residence on the waqf land is unauthorized use of the waqf, and unauthorized use is ḥarām. Then, if there are also graves in that portion, even if there are no markings of graves anymore, this entails numerous prohibited acts: One will have to step on graves, walk on them, sit on them, and urinate and defecate on them; all of these are ḥarām. These are all forms of harming Muslims. And who are these Muslims? They are the deceased who cannot complain nor take compensation in this world. Harming Muslims without any valid sharīʿah reason is equivalent to harming Allāh and His Messenger. The one who (tries to) harm Allāh and His Messenger is deserving of Hell. Similarly, making a home near a cemetery and directing the flow of the wastewater from toilets and the laundry to the graves is also severely ḥarām. The one who does not prevent this despite having the ability to do so also commits ḥarām… Imām Ibn Amīr al- Ḥ āj states in Hilyah with reference to Nawādir, Tuḥfah al-Fuqahāʾ, Badāʾiʿ, Muḥīt, etc.: “Imām Abū Ḥanīfah رضى اللہ تعالى عنه declared it makrūh to walk, sit, sleep, and defecate on graves”… It is stated in Tanwīr al-Absār: “It is makrūh to urinate and defecate in a cemetery.”
It is stated in Radd al-Muḥtār: “The deceased is harmed by whatever harms the living. It is evident that this makrūh is taḥrīmī because the scholars have explicitly stated that walking on a newly constructed pathway in a cemetery is ḥarām. Thus, these (urinating and defecating) are ḥarām to a greater degree.” (Fatāwā Razawiyah, Vol. 09, p. 409-410, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
That which harms the living also harms the deceased. Furthermore, the sanctity of a deceased Muslim is like that of a living Muslim. Aʿlā Ḥazrat Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān عليه رحمة الرحمن writes:
علمائے کرام کا اتفاق ہے کہ مسلمان کی عزت مردہ و زندہ برابر ہے۔ محقق علی الاطلاق رحمۃ اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ فتح القدیر میں فرماتے ہیں: ”الاتفاق علیٰ أن حرمۃ المسلم میتا کحرمتہ حیا“۔ ۔۔
سید عالم صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم فرماتے ہیں: ”المیت یؤذیہ فی قبرہ ما یؤذیہ فی بیتہ“۔ علامہ مناوی شرح میں فرماتے ہیں: ”أفاد أن حرمۃ المؤمن بعد موتہ باقیۃ“ ۔ ۔۔
سیدنا حضرت ابن مسعود رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ فرماتے ہیں: ”أذی المؤمن فی موتہ کأذاہ فی حیاتہ، رواہ أبی بکر بن أبی شیبۃ“۔
علماء فرماتے ہیں: ” المیت یتأذی بما یتأذی بہ الحی “۔
Translation: The scholars agree that the sanctity of a living and deceased Muslim is the same. Muḥaqiq ʿAlā al-Itlāq رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه states in Fatḥ al-Qadīr : “There is agreement that the sanctity of a deceased Muslim is like the sanctity of a living Muslims”…
The Noble Rasūlﷺ states: “The deceased is harmed in his grave by whatever harms him in his home . ” ʿAllāmah Munāwī رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه states in his commentary: “This ḥadīth indicates that the sanctity of a Muslim remains even after his demise.”
Ibn Masʿūd رضى اللہ تعالى عنه states: “Harming a Muslim after his death is like harming him during his lifetime.” Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah has narrated this.
The scholars state: “A deceased is harmed by whatever harms the living.” (Fatāwā Razawiyah, Vol. 09, p. 441-442, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
وَ اللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Muḥammad Naveed Chishti
Verified by: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: PIN-7726
Date: 07th Ramadān al-Mubārak 1447 AH/ 25th February 2026