The Ruling on Visiting the Graves of the Awliya and Holding Mautam (Mourning Gatherings) for a Week

Question:
He says: In the town where I live, many people visit the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the shrines. Are these visits valid or not? And when a person passes away and is buried, the women go out after his death, which is a custom, and they hold the mautam (mourning gathering) for a week. Is this permissible? All of these matters are not permissible; they are bid'ah (religious innovations).

Answer:
Or they are shirk (associating partners with Allah). Visiting the shrines and graves of the awliya for the sake of seeking blessing from them, or supplicating to them, or calling upon them for aid, or asking them for one's needs, is a visit of shirk. The one who does this is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) who commits major shirk, which takes one out of the religion, and I seek refuge in Allah from that. Because he supplicated to other than Allah, sought aid from other than Allah, and directed a portion of the greatest types of worship to other than Allah. That is major shirk. And if many of those who claim to be Muslims have become accustomed to this and it has become a habit, then this is among the nullifiers of Islam and the causes of apostasy, and I seek refuge in Allah from that.
As for visiting the graves for the sake of taking a lesson, seeking forgiveness, and supplicating for the Muslim dead, this is a prescribed visit. It carries reward and benefit for the living and the dead. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
As for the women going out as described by the questioner, that they go out and visit the grave, this is bid'ah (religious innovation) and is severely forbidden. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the women who visit graves and those who make mosques and lamps at them. The curse indicates that this is a major sin among the major sins. Therefore, it is not permissible for women to visit graves on any day, and making it a habit and arranging it as the questioner says is all among the invented bid'ah and forbidden things that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited. If a woman wants to benefit the dead person, she supplicates for him, seeks forgiveness for him, gives charity on his behalf, or performs Hajj or 'Umrah on his behalf. This is what is mentioned in the evidence as being done for the dead person, and the dead person benefits from it. As for her visiting him, it is forbidden and a disobedience to Allah and His Messenger, and she is sinful in that, not rewarded. As for holding the mautam (mourning gatherings), it is forbidden and a heinous bid'ah; because it contains many dangers. It may include wailing, it may include displaying distress over the dead person, and it involves spending money in places where it is not due, among other things. So holding the mautam is not permissible in Islam. Yes. May Allah reward you with good, Honorable Shaykh.