Construction of luxury graves is haram - Indonesian Islamic Affairs Council

Indonesia's Islamic Affairs Council (MUI) issued a fatwa on Wednesday that the construction of luxury graves was "haram" (not permitted in Islam), according to Yunahar Ilyas, head of Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation, the Majlis Tarjih Muhammadiyah.

"The living can build graves for the dead, but these should not be luxurious," he said here Wednesday.

He said luxury graves only took up space that could be used by the living to build houses.

"Islam places more importance on the needs of the living than on the dead." he said.

The haram fatwa is consistent with the principles of Islam which forbade any kind of excess, Ilyas added.