Should I not send you on the same mission as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me? Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without levelling It. This hadith has been reported by Habib with the same chain of transmitters and he said: (Do not leave) a picture without obliterating it.
The Book of Prayer - Funerals
Sahih Muslim 969 a, 969 b
Hadith Commentary
This noble hadith contains two essential injunctions regarding the purification of Islamic society from practices contrary to tawhid. The command to obliterate images prevents the means leading to idolatry, as images can become objects of veneration. The prohibition of elevated graves prevents the grave from becoming a site of shirk, where people might seek intercession or blessings from the deceased instead of Allah alone.
The scholars explain that leveling graves ensures they do not resemble places of worship or become centers for innovation. This practice maintains the simplicity of Islamic burial rites and protects the purity of monotheistic belief. The repetition in different narrations emphasizes the seriousness of these matters in preserving the correct Islamic creed.
Legal Rulings
According to the majority of scholars, making three-dimensional images of animate beings is strictly prohibited. As for graves, they should not be raised more than a handspan above the ground, nor should they be plastered or built upon. These rulings are preventive measures to block the pathways to shirk and maintain the distinct Islamic identity in burial practices.