Digging Up Graves And Using The Land As A Masjid

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said:

"When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Al-Madinah, he alighted in the upper part of Al-Madinah among the tribe called Banu 'Amr bin 'Awf and he stayed with them for fourteen nights. Then he sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and they came with their swords by their sides. It is as if I can see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on his she-camel with Abu Bakr riding behind him (on the same camel) and the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar around him, until he dismounted in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. The Prophet ﷺ used to offer the prayer wherever he was when the time for prayer came, and he would pray even in sheepfolds. Then he ordered that the Masjid be built. He sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and when they came, he said: 'O Banu An-Najjar, name me a price for this grove of yours.' They said: 'By Allah, we will not ask for its price except from Allah.'" Anas said: "In (that grove) there were graves of idolators, ruins and date-palm trees. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered that the graves of the idolators be dug up, the ruins be leveled and the date-palm trees be cut down. The trunks of the trees were arranged so as to form the walls facing the Qiblah. The stone pillars were built at the sides of its gate. They started to move the stones, reciting some lines of verse, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was with them when they were saying: 'O Allah! There is no good except the good of the Hereafter. So bestow victory on the Ansar and the Muhajirin.'"

أَخْبَرَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ أَبِي التَّيَّاحِ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَزَلَ فِي عُرْضِ الْمَدِينَةِ فِي حَىٍّ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ بَنُو عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ فَأَقَامَ فِيهِمْ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى مَلإٍ مِنْ بَنِي النَّجَّارِ فَجَاءُوا مُتَقَلِّدِي سُيُوفِهِمْ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ - رضى الله عنه - رَدِيفُهُ وَمَلأٌ مِنْ بَنِي النَّجَّارِ حَوْلَهُ حَتَّى أَلْقَى بِفِنَاءِ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ وَكَانَ يُصَلِّي حَيْثُ أَدْرَكَتْهُ الصَّلاَةُ فَيُصَلِّي فِي مَرَابِضِ الْغَنَمِ ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِالْمَسْجِدِ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى مَلإٍ مِنْ بَنِي النَّجَّارِ فَجَاءُوا فَقَالَ " يَا بَنِي النَّجَّارِ ثَامِنُونِي بِحَائِطِكُمْ هَذَا " . قَالُوا وَاللَّهُ لاَ نَطْلُبُ ثَمَنَهُ إِلاَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ . قَالَ أَنَسٌ وَكَانَتْ فِيهِ قُبُورُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَكَانَتْ فِيهِ خَرِبٌ وَكَانَ فِيهِ نَخْلٌ فَأَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِقُبُورِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَنُبِشَتْ وَبِالنَّخْلِ فَقُطِعَتْ وَبِالْخَرِبِ فَسُوِّيَتْ فَصَفُّوا النَّخْلَ قِبْلَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَجَعَلُوا عِضَادَتَيْهِ الْحِجَارَةَ وَجَعَلُوا يَنْقُلُونَ الصَّخْرَ وَهُمْ يَرْتَجِزُونَ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَعَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ خَيْرَ إِلاَّ خَيْرُ الآخِرَةِ فَانْصُرِ الأَنْصَارَ وَالْمُهَاجِرَةَ