Is it permissible to face the grave when making du’aa’ for its occupant?
Question

                Is it permissible to face the grave when making du’aa’ for its occupant?.
Praise be to Allah.
    We must distinguish between two similar issues:  

    1 – Going to a grave and facing it when saying du’aa’ for 
    oneself, seeking blessings and believing that this makes a response more 
    likely. This is undoubtedly an innovation and exaggeration that is forbidden 
    in Islam, and it may lead one to fall into shirk if it leads to one asking 
    the occupant of the grave to meet his needs. 

    Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in 
    Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (27/165): 

    As for visiting graves in order to make du’a’ beside them or 
    to seek to draw closer to Allaah through them (tawassul) or to seek 
    intercession through them, this is not taught by Islam at all. Hence the 
    Sunnah according to the Sahaabah and the imams of the Muslims when a person 
    sends salaams upon the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him) and his two companions (i.e., Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, whose graves are 
    adjacent to that of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him)) is to say du’aa’ to Allaah facing the qiblah, and not to say du’aa’ 
    facing the grave. I do not know of any imams who disputed the fact that the 
    Sunnah is to face the qiblah at the time of saying du’aa’, and not to face 
    the grave of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 
    End quote. 

    He also (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Iqtida’ 
    Siraat al-Mustaqeem (364): 

    Perhaps what the imams said is based on the fact that it is 
    makrooh to pray facing a grave. The prohibition concerning that is narrated 
    from the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as stated 
    above. As it is forbidden to take graves as places of worship or directions 
    of prayer, they were enjoined not to say du’aa’ or pray facing graves. 
    Maalik said in al-Mabsoot: I do not think that one should stand at 
    the grave of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    and say du’aa’, rather one should say salaam and move on.  

    This is well-established principle. It is not recommended for 
    the one who is saying du’aa’ to face any direction except the one that is 
    recommended when praying. Do you not see that as the Muslim is forbidden to 
    pray facing east or any other direction, he is also forbidden to face those 
    directions when saying du’aa’. Some people, when saying du’aa’, try to face 
    the direction in which the righteous man whom he venerates is, whether that 
    is in the east or elsewhere. This is obvious misguidance and clear shirk. 
    End quote. 

    When the Muslim worships Allaah by saying du’aa’, it is 
    mustahabb for him to face towards the Qiblah which we are enjoined to 
    venerate, not towards the graves of human beings who cannot bring benefit to 
    or ward off harm from themselves. 

    It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa’ (1/367), which is a 
    Hanbali book: 

    The one who is saying du’aa’ should face towards the qiblah 
    because the best of gatherings is that which faces towards the qiblah. End 
    quote. 

    It says something similar in the commentary on Tuhfat 
    al-Muhtaaj (2/105), which is a Shaafa’i book. 

    Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Naqd 
    al-Ta’sees (2/452): 

    The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the qiblah which it 
    is prescribed for the one who is saying du’aa’ to face when saying du’aa’ is 
    the qiblah which it is prescribed to face when praying. End quote. 

    2 – When visiting a grave to pray for its occupant and pray 
    for forgiveness for him, as people do when they visit their dead loved ones 
    in their graves, there is nothing wrong with facing the gave when saying 
    du’aa’ in this case, because he is not doing that to seek blessing from that 
    grave or to venerate it. Rather he does that so as to be physically closer 
    to the deceased and closer in his du’aa’. 

    Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) 
    was asked the following question (13/338):  

    Is it forbidden to face the grave when saying du’aa’ for the 
    deceased? 

    He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied: 

    That is not forbidden, rather one may say du’aa’ for the 
    deceased facing the qiblah or facing the grave, because the Prophet  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood over graves after the 
    burial and said: “Pray for forgiveness for your brother and ask that he be 
    made steadfast, for even now he is being questioned.” Narrated by 
    al-Bukhaari. 

    And he did not say to face the qiblah. So both are 
    permissible, whether one faces the qiblah or the grave. The Sahaabah (may 
    Allaah be pleased with them) prayed for the deceased when they were gathered 
    around the grave. End quote. 

    And Allaah knows best.