Umm Habiba and Umm Salama made a mention before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) of a church which they had seen in Abyssinia and which had pictures in it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When a pious person amongst them (among the religious groups) dies they build a place of worship on his grave, and then decorate it with such pictures. They would be the worst of creatures on the Day of judgment in the sight of Allah.
Hadith Commentary: The Prohibition of Grave Worship and Images
This narration from Sahih Muslim (528a) contains profound warnings against two major religious innovations: constructing places of worship over graves and creating images of animate beings. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) identifies these practices as characteristics of those who will be "the worst of creatures" on Judgment Day.
Historical Context and Meaning
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) explains that previous nations would build mosques or churches over the graves of righteous people and adorn them with images. This practice leads to shirk (associating partners with Allah) as people begin to venerate the deceased rather than worship Allah alone.
The term "worst of creatures" indicates the severity of this sin, as such practices fundamentally corrupt pure monotheism and lead generations away from the straight path.
Scholarly Rulings Derived
Based on this hadith, scholars unanimously prohibit building mosques over graves, praying toward graves, or taking graves as places of worship. This preserves the purity of tawhid (Islamic monotheism).
The prohibition of images extends to any representation of animate beings that could lead to idolatry or excessive veneration, particularly in places of worship where such distractions could divert hearts from proper devotion to Allah.
Contemporary Application
Muslims must ensure mosques remain free of graves and images that could compromise monotheistic purity. Visiting graves should be for remembrance of the afterlife, not for seeking blessings from the deceased.
This teaching protects the Islamic concept of worship from the deviations that affected previous nations, maintaining the distinction between honoring righteous predecessors and engaging in acts that constitute shirk.