Can More Than One Deceased Be Buried In The Same Grave?

Can more than one deceased be buried in the same grave?

Under normal circumstances, only one corpse is buried in one grave. However, more than one deceased are buried in the same grave if there is an obligation or necessity. As a matter of fact, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) did so for the martyrs of Uhud. But corpses should be separated with something like earth, etc. in this situation (Ibn Maza, al-Muhit, II, 193).

Unless the corpse that was buried before is decayed, it is not permissible to uncover his/her grave and bury a second corpse in it. Yet, after the corpse is decayed and transforms into soil, another corpse may be buried in the same grave (Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, III, 443-444; Mawsili, al-Ikhtiyar, I, 320; Nawawi, Rawda, I, 658; Mehmed Zihni, Ni’mat al-Islam, p. 602).

The issue of decaying time of a corpse changes according to the type of the soil and the climate of the region. When it is thought that the previous corpse is decayed, a second corpse may be buried in the same grave. If it is seen that there are some bones left in the grave when it is opened thinking that corpse was decayed, these bones are collected to a side, earth is thrown on them to form a layer between, and the second corpse is buried after that.

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA