Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 3 – Issues Related to Funeral Prayer, p. 133Question
Can a woman visit the graveyard? Please clarify in the light of the Qurʾān and Sunnah.
(Muhammad Zīshān Subḥānī, Sialkot)
Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
Practice of ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها
ʿAbdullāh ibn Abī Mulaykah رحمه الله narrated:
One day ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها returned from a graveyard. She was asked:
“O Mother of the Believers! Where have you come from?”
She replied:
“I have come from the grave of my brother ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr رضي الله عنهما.”
She was asked:
“Did not the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ forbid visiting graves?”
She replied:
"نعم، كان نهي ثم أمر بزيارتها"
“Yes, he forbade it in the beginning, then later he commanded visiting them.”
(al-Mustadrak by al-Ḥākim: 1392 – Ṣaḥīḥ chain; al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī, 4/78, Hadith 6999)
Two key points derived from this narration:
➊ The initial prohibition of visiting graves has been abrogated.
➋ For women, visiting the graves of close relatives occasionally is permissible and not prohibited.
Hadith from Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said:
"كُنْتُ نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ زِيارَةِ القُبُورِ فَزُورُوهَا"
“I had forbidden you from visiting graves; now (you may) visit them.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 314, Hadith 977, Dārussalām no. 2260)
This Hadith is general, including both men and women; hence, visiting graves is also permissible for women.
Incident of the Prophet ﷺ Advising a Woman
Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه narrated:
The Prophet ﷺ passed by a woman who was sitting at a grave, weeping. He said:
"اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَاصْبِرِي"
“Fear Allāh and be patient.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1252, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 926, Dārussalām no. 2141)
This Hadith also establishes the permissibility of women visiting graves.
Why the Condition of “Close Relatives” and “Occasionally”?
① Prohibition of Frequent Visits
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لعن رسول الله صلی الله عليه وسلم زوارات القبور"
“The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ cursed those women who visit graves frequently.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 1056 – Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ, chain Ḥasan)
The word “زوارات” is an emphatic form, meaning those who visit often. This indicates that frequent visits by women are prohibited and ḥarām.
Note:
Another narration uses “زائرات القبور” with the curse.
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 320 – Ḥasan, Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 3236, Sunan al-Nasāʾī: 2045)
However, its chain is weak due to:
➊ Abū Ṣāliḥ Mawlā Umm Hānī being declared weak by the majority of scholars.
➋ He narrated this after his memory deterioration, thus “Ḥasan” grading is incorrect.
Incident of Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ رضي الله عنه narrated:
We were with the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ when he saw a woman who did not realize he had recognized her. When he reached the middle of the path, he stopped until she approached. It was Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها.
He asked:
“O Fāṭimah! Why did you leave your home?”
She replied:
“I went to offer condolences and pray for forgiveness for the deceased.”
He said:
“Perhaps you went with them to Kudā (graveyard) as well?”
She replied:
“I seek refuge in Allāh from having done that. I heard you prohibit it.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 3123 – Ḥasan li-dhātih; Rabiʿah ibn Sayf al-Muʿāfirī is trustworthy according to the majority, so Imām al-Nasāʾī’s weakening does not harm this status.)
From this Hadith, it is clear that women should not visit graves of non-relatives.
Summary of Ruling on Women Visiting Graves
➊ Permissible for women to visit the graves of close relatives (e.g., brother, son, husband) occasionally.
➋ Prohibited (ḥarām) for women to visit the graves of unrelated persons.
➌ Visiting the graves of saints, shrines, or “spiritual leaders” is prohibited and sinful.
➍ Frequent visits to graves by women are prohibited.
➎ Purpose of visiting graves:
✿ To pray for the deceased’s forgiveness and mercy.
✿ To remind oneself of death and the Hereafter.
➏ Practices such as asking the deceased for help, making wishes at graves, believing them to have divine powers, or attributing Allāh’s exclusive attributes to them — are acts of shirk, disbelief, and great oppression.
(21 September 2011 – Jāmiʿah al-Imām al-Bukhārī, Sargodha)ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
