Tasnim (raising the grave into a ridge, against leveling it)

التسنيم

In the jurists' usage tasnim is raising a grave above the ground by about a span or a little more; its opposite is tasttih (tasteeh), making the grave flat and level. ¹ All agree that raising the earth over a grave by about a span is recommended, and some Hanafis allow a little more, so that the grave is known, avoided and prayed for. ¹ The Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis recommend the ridge and dislike leveling, since leveling resembles the buildings of the world. The Shafi'is recommend leveling and hold it better. ² If a Muslim dies in a land outside the abode of Islam and cannot be moved to it, the better course is to level the grave and conceal it, for fear it will be dug up. ³

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At a glance

Region: Global / Diaspora
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Health, body and death Worship and the pillars

Summary

Tasnim is raising a grave above the ground by about a span or a little more; its opposite is tasteeh, making the grave flat and level. ¹ ²

General ruling

All agree that raising the earth over a grave by about a span is recommended, so that the grave is known, avoided and prayed for. ¹ The Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis recommend the ridge and dislike leveling; the Shafi'is recommend leveling and hold it better. ²

Where it is discussed

If a Muslim dies in a land outside the abode of Islam and cannot be moved, the better course is to level and conceal the grave, for fear it will be dug up. ³

People and things also explored

Bone (adhm): purity, use and retaliation· Hadi (the whitish fluid before childbirth: its ruling on ablution and purity)· Hair, wool and fur (their purity, the rules for the dead, washing, adornment and sale)· Hudb (eyelashes: injury and washing in ablution)· Palm of the hand (kaff)· The funeral prayer· The ruling on one who abandons prayer· Ada' (performance of an obligation within its time)

Sources

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.5113
al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.5114
al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.5115

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Tasnim (raising the grave into a ridge, against leveling it)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/tasnim-grave-ridge/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Bone (adhm): purity, use and retaliation

In the lexicon, adhm is the bone that has flesh on it, plural 'idham and 'izam. Most jurists hold that a human bone is pure, whether living or dead, of a Muslim or not; that a fish bone stays pure after death; and that the bone of a lawfully slaughtered edible animal is pure and may be used. The bone of carrion, or of a non-edible animal, is impure according to the Malikis, Shafi'is, Hanbalis and Ishaq, and cannot be purified; the Hanafis hold it pure, and 'Umar disliked oiling in ivory. On cleansing after excretion with a bone, the Shafi'is and Hanbalis forbid it; the Hanafis dislike it as forbidden but accept that it suffices; the Malikis forbid a carrion bone and allow a pure bone with disapproval. Most jurists allow retaliation for a bone only at a joint, since equality cannot be achieved elsewhere.