Is it obligatory to exhume a body buried facing away from the Qiblah?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Funerals

Book 7 · Issue 2 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

Exhumation and reburial facing the Qiblah are obligatory if the deceased was buried facing away from the Qiblah. This is supported by Malik, Al-Shafi'i, and Abu Thawr. The underlying reasoning is that the obligation of correct facing during prayer remains valid and necessitates correction post-burial, similar to retrieving valuable assets.

Supporting text

Abu Hanifa argued against exhumation, considering the act of digging up the body to be a form of mutilation, which is forbidden.