Aassalaam walaikum.Is it permissable to reserve a grave for oneself or member of family?
Praise be to Allah.Al-hamdu lillaah.
It is not desirable for a person to dig his grave ahead
of time as this was not done by Prophet
(peace
be upon him) nor by his companions. A person does not know where he will
die. If the intention of the person is to get ready for death, then preparation
should be in good deeds. (See selections of Jurisprudence
writings by Ibn Taymiyah, Funeral Rights, by al-Albani, p.160, 40th ed,
Islamic Center).In otherwords, preperation for
meeting Allaah, is not by digging graves. Instead, it is accomplished by
overabundance of good deeds. If it is not possible in predominantly non-Muslim
countries to have a cemetery or dedicated plot for the burial of Muslims
unless the graves are reserved beforehand (e.g., to raise the funds), then
there would be no objection in this case.