Question Summary:
Is it bad to live near a cemetery?

Question Detail:

Assalamu alaikum w. w My family are in the process of buying a new house, however it is close to the cemetery. There is one house beside ours after which there is fencing, trees and then the cemetery boundary begins. Graves are not visible from the street or from any windows from the house including the upstairs. One would hve to climb onto something and really look hard to see the graves. Some elders from the family have expressed concern. Is there anything in Islam that suggests living close to the cemetery is disliked or not good especially with young children as there is increased activity of Jinn and magic? Our view is that praying of the prescribed surahs and aayahs told to us by Rasulullah pbuh for protection is more than enough and the effects of jinn and magic can be on anyone anywhere not only those living close to the cemetery. Is this correct? Jazakallah

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Your understanding is correct. As Muslims, we that all good and bad only happens with the will of Allah Ta’āla. Nothing can harm a person except with the will and permission of Allah Ta’āla. Likewise, nothing can benefit a person except with the will and permission of Allah Ta’āla.[1]

Allah Ta’āla mentions in the Quran Kareem:

وَمَا هُمْ بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

“They cannot harm anyone with it (sihr) except with the permission of Allah.”

Apart from the prescribed Surahs you refer to in the question to protect oneself from jinn and sihr, you may recite a collection of Quran Ayaat known as Manzil. Moulana Zakariyyah Khandlawi (rahimahullah) has composed a collection of Quran Ayat known as the Manzil. It is known to be effective in protecting oneself from sihr. You may recite it daily.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mizanur Rahman

Student, Darul Iftaa

UK

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

[1] تفسير القرآن العظيم، الحافظ ابن كثير (المتوفى: 774هـ)، دار الحديث، القاهرة، مصر (1/181-182)

وقوله تعالى: {وما هم بضارين به من أحد إلا بإذن الله} قال سفيان الثوري: إلا بقضاء الله. وقال محمد بن إسحاق إلا بتخلية الله بينه وبين ما أراد. وقال الحسن البصري: {وما هم بضارين به من أحد إلا بإذن الله} قال: نعم، من شاء الله سلطهم عليه، ومن لم يشأ الله لم يسلط، ولا يستطيعون ضر أحد إلا بإذن الله، كما قال الله تعالى، وفي رواية عن الحسن أنه قال: لا يضر هذا السحر إلا من دخل فيه.

منح الروض الأزهر في شرح الفقه الأكبر، علي بن سلطان محمد القاري (المتوفى: 1014هـ)، دار البشائر الإسلامية، بيروت، لبنان، الطبعة الثتنية:2009م (ص:59)

(والقدر) أي وبالقضاء والقدر (خيرو وشره) أي نفعه وضره وحلوه ومره حال كونه (من الله تعالى) فلا تغيير للتقدير، فيجب الرضاء والقضاء بالقدر؛ وهو تعيين كل مخلوق بمرتبته التي توجد من حسن وقبح ونفع وضر، وما يحيط به من مكان وزمان، وما يترتب عليه من صواب أو عقاب.