Fariq Naik – Visiting the Graves for Women

We'll take the next question.

Assalamu alaikum.

Can women visit graveyards according to Islam?

My name is Syed Simra.

I am a student from Srinagar, Kashmir.

First we'll discuss regarding the basic ruling of

graveyards.

As far as visiting graveyards is concerned, there's

a hadith of Beloved Prophet Muhammad, may peace

and blessings be upon him, which says Nahaitukum

an ziyaratil quboor, fazooruha.

That I prohibited you from visiting the graves,

but now visit the graves.

Previously, the ruling as far as visiting the

graveyard for the Muslim was concerned, it was

prohibited.

Because during the early stages of Islam, it

was prevalent that people used to go to

the graves, revere the graves, ask from the

dead, and do things that would lead to

shirk.

So it was prohibited.

And later on, when Muslims, they learned more

about Islam, and they knew the rulings regarding

Islam, it was permitted.

But not only it being permitted, our Beloved

Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon

him, encouraged an individual to go to the

graves, as it reminds us regarding death.

As far as visiting the graves for men

is concerned, it is a sunnah.

And this is the opinion of all the

four madahib.

The Hanafi school of thought, the Maliki school

of thought, the Shafi'i school of thought,

and the Hamli school of thought.

And in fact, certain scholars have said that

it is ijma, as reported by Ibn Abdul

Barr.

He says that it is an ijma, that

it is a sunnah for the men to

visit the graves.

And the evidence that they give is the

hadith that I quoted.

Now as far as visiting the grave or

the graveyards for the women is concerned, the

scholars have deferred upon this into three opinions.

The first opinion is that it is permitted

for women to visit the graveyards, and this

is the opinion of the Hanafi school of

thought, as well as one of the opinions

of the Shafi'i school of thought, and

one of the opinions of the Maliki school

of thought, and a riwayah in Imam Ahmad,

one of the opinions of Imam Ahmad as

well.

So mainly this is the opinion of the

Hanafi school of thought.

They say that it is permitted for women

to go to the graves, and the evidence

that they give is the hadith of the

Beloved Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be

upon him.

That I prohibited you from visiting the graves,

but now visit the graves.

Previously it was prohibited for people to visit

the graves for the Muslims, and then later

on it became permitted, and our Beloved Prophet

Muhammad, peace be upon him, encouraged.

So the hadith which says, so visit the

graves, it is general, which includes men and

women.

And the purpose for visiting the graves, as

it is mentioned in other hadiths, that it

reminds a person regarding death.

And this includes both men and women.

The hadith does not specifically say regarding visiting

the graves that it is only for men.

So the Hanafi school of thought and the

first group of scholars, they say that it

is permitted for women to visit the graves.

The other evidence that they give is the

hadith of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad, may peace

and blessings be upon him.

Other hadiths, and one of the hadiths that

they mention is, when our Beloved Prophet Muhammad,

peace be upon him, he was passing by

a graveyard.

And there was a woman who was weeping

and was crying.

So our Beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon

him, told her, Fear Allah and be patient.

Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,

did not prohibit this woman from visiting the

graveyard.

If it was haram, the Prophet, peace be

upon him, would have prohibited her from visiting

the graveyard.

Another evidence that they give is regarding Aisha,

may Allah be pleased with her, wherein she

visited the graveyard.

And she visited the grave of her brother,

Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakr.

And when she was told that the Prophet,

peace be upon him, prohibited from visiting the

graveyard, so she said that he prohibited and

then he permitted it.

The second group of scholars, they say that

it is makrooh, it is discouraged or disliked

for women to visit the graveyard.

And this is the opinion of the Humbly

School of Thought as well as the opinion

of the Shafi'i School of Thought.

That they say that it is makrooh for

women to visit the graveyard.

And the evidence that they give is the

hadith of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad, may peace

and blessings be upon him, that the Prophet,

peace be upon him, cursed the woman who

visited the graves.

And they say that this does not refer

to it being prohibited but rather it refers

to it being makrooh.

And the evidence that they give is the

hadith of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad, may peace

and blessings be upon him, that the Prophet,

peace be upon him, passed by a graveyard

and there was a woman who was weeping

in the graveyard.

And the Prophet, peace be upon him, told

her, fear Allah and be patient.

So they use this as evidence.

And the third opinion is the opinion, one

of the opinions of the Hanafi School of

Thought as well as one of the opinions

of the Shafi'i School of Thought.

And it is the opinion of Sheikhul Islam

Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Baz and Ibn Uthaymeen,

may Allah have mercy on all of them,

that it is prohibited for the woman to

visit graveyards.

And they base it on the hadith of

our Beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,

the hadith that I mentioned, لَعَنَ اللَّهَ زُوَّارَةُ

الْقُبُورِ that the Prophet, peace be upon him,

prohibited the woman, the Prophet, peace be upon

him, cursed the woman who visited the graveyards.

And in this hadith it says that the

woman, the Prophet, peace be upon him, that

لَعَنَ اللَّهَ زُوَّارَةُ الْقُبُورِ that Allah subhanahu wa

ta'ala curses the woman who visits the

graveyards.

So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has cursed

the woman who visits the graveyards.

This clearly proves that it is haram, it

is prohibited for a woman to visit the

graveyard.

And the reasons that they give regarding the

prohibition is that they say that the woman

she is emotionally weak and when she goes

to the graveyard, when she sees that her

relative is being buried, she may cry and

she may not be able to bear it.

So that's the reason the third group of

scholars, they give these reasonings and they say

that it is prohibited for a woman to

visit the graveyard.

So I would request the sisters that to

avoid visiting graveyards.

As I have mentioned the opinion, several scholars

say that it is makroor, certain scholars even

go to the extent of saying that it

is haram, it is prohibited.

So the sisters should avoid going to the

graveyards but naturally they can offer Salatul Janaza

and they can do dua for the person

who has passed away, when he is at

home they can do dua for him, there

is no problem in this.

But visiting the graveyard, the sister should see

to it that they avoid visiting the graveyard.

So I hope that answers your question.