Is it permissible to face the grave when making du’aa’ for its occupant?

Question

Praise be to Allah.

We must distinguish between two similar issues:

1 – Going to a grave and facing it when saying du’aa’ for
oneself, seeking blessings and believing that this makes a response more
likely. This is undoubtedly an innovation and exaggeration that is forbidden
in Islam, and it may lead one to fall into shirk if it leads to one asking
the occupant of the grave to meet his needs.

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (27/165):

As for visiting graves in order to make du’a’ beside them or
to seek to draw closer to Allaah through them (tawassul) or to seek
intercession through them, this is not taught by Islam at all. Hence the
Sunnah according to the Sahaabah and the imams of the Muslims when a person
sends salaams upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and his two companions (i.e., Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, whose graves are
adjacent to that of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him)) is to say du’aa’ to Allaah facing the qiblah, and not to say du’aa’
facing the grave. I do not know of any imams who disputed the fact that the
Sunnah is to face the qiblah at the time of saying du’aa’, and not to face
the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
End quote.

He also (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Iqtida’
Siraat al-Mustaqeem (364):

Perhaps what the imams said is based on the fact that it is
makrooh to pray facing a grave. The prohibition concerning that is narrated
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as stated
above. As it is forbidden to take graves as places of worship or directions
of prayer, they were enjoined not to say du’aa’ or pray facing graves.
Maalik said in al-Mabsoot: I do not think that one should stand at
the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
and say du’aa’, rather one should say salaam and move on.

This is well-established principle. It is not recommended for
the one who is saying du’aa’ to face any direction except the one that is
recommended when praying. Do you not see that as the Muslim is forbidden to
pray facing east or any other direction, he is also forbidden to face those
directions when saying du’aa’. Some people, when saying du’aa’, try to face
the direction in which the righteous man whom he venerates is, whether that
is in the east or elsewhere. This is obvious misguidance and clear shirk.
End quote.

When the Muslim worships Allaah by saying du’aa’, it is
mustahabb for him to face towards the Qiblah which we are enjoined to
venerate, not towards the graves of human beings who cannot bring benefit to
or ward off harm from themselves.

It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa’ (1/367), which is a
Hanbali book:

The one who is saying du’aa’ should face towards the qiblah
because the best of gatherings is that which faces towards the qiblah. End
quote.

It says something similar in the commentary on Tuhfat
al-Muhtaaj (2/105), which is a Shaafa’i book.

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Naqd
al-Ta’sees (2/452):

The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the qiblah which it
is prescribed for the one who is saying du’aa’ to face when saying du’aa’ is
the qiblah which it is prescribed to face when praying. End quote.

2 – When visiting a grave to pray for its occupant and pray
for forgiveness for him, as people do when they visit their dead loved ones
in their graves, there is nothing wrong with facing the gave when saying
du’aa’ in this case, because he is not doing that to seek blessing from that
grave or to venerate it. Rather he does that so as to be physically closer
to the deceased and closer in his du’aa’.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
was asked the following question (13/338):

Is it forbidden to face the grave when saying du’aa’ for the
deceased?

He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied:

That is not forbidden, rather one may say du’aa’ for the
deceased facing the qiblah or facing the grave, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood over graves after the
burial and said: “Pray for forgiveness for your brother and ask that he be
made steadfast, for even now he is being questioned.” Narrated by
al-Bukhaari.

And he did not say to face the qiblah. So both are
permissible, whether one faces the qiblah or the grave. The Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with them) prayed for the deceased when they were gathered
around the grave. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.