Question # 410: Assalaam allaikum. Where I come from, people have got a tendency of pouring water on the grave with the intention of keeping the soil in place to prevent it from being washed or blown away. Is this act acceptable in Islam?
bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,
Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).
Dear questioner,
First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.
Shorter Answer: Pouring water over the grave is not an act of Sunnah; however, it is allowed to sprinkle water over the grave after the burial to settle the dust. Nevertheless, the belief among some people that this will benefit the deceased is totally incorrect.
Long Answer: Pouring water [or Zamzam water] over the grave is not an act of Sunnah; however, it is allowed to sprinkle water over the grave after the burial to settle the dust. The prominent scholar Ibn ʻUthaymeen was asked, “Does sprinkling water over the grave benefit the deceased?” He answered: “It does not benefit the deceased, and if someone did that while believing that such an act is part of the teachings of Islam, then this belief is incorrect. In fact, water is sprinkled over the grave (immediately) after the burial so that the soil would settle and would not scatter because of the wind or any other cause. This is the reason for sprinkling water over the grave after the burial. The deceased does not benefit from the water sprinkled over the grave nor does it reach him, and his body is in no need of water.” (Fataawa Noor ʻala Ad-Darb)
(The above reply is based on the answer provided by Islamweb.net, a web site belonging to the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in the State of Qatar)
Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.
Wassalaam
