The Ruling on Visiting Graves and the Graves of the Prophets

The questioner:
This is a letter we received from the sender, Sabah Muhammad Ali Yunis, from Iraq, from the Ninawa Governorate. She says: You mentioned in previous episodes of this program that visiting shrines is not done and that it is shirk (associating partners with Allah). Does visiting the Prophet Yunus and the Prophet Jirjis in Ninawa fall under that? And is prayer there not permissible?

The Shaykh:
Visits are of two types: visiting graves is of two types, a legislated visit and an innovative, shirk-based visit. As for the legislated visit, this is prescribed for the graves of the righteous and all Muslims. If a grave of one of the prophets is known, such as the grave of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), visiting it is prescribed without traveling specifically for it. One does not travel specifically for graves, but one does travel for the three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram, the Prophet’s Mosque (peace and blessings be upon him), and al-Masjid al-Aqsa. One travels for these three, but not for graves. However, if a person is in the city and intends to visit them, this is a sunnah (recommended practice). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And in this other narration: So visiting graves is a sunnah and an act of drawing near to Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did this, and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them and grant them satisfaction) did it. If a Muslim visits the graves of Muslims in his city, makes du'a for them, and seeks forgiveness for them, this is an act of drawing near to Allah and obedience. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions that when they visit graves, they should say: "Peace be upon you, people of the abode of the believers and the Muslims, May Allah have mercy on those of us who have gone before and those who come after. We ask Allah for well-being for you and for us." This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught. He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit the graves himself, make du'a for the dead, seek forgiveness for them, and say: May Allah have mercy on those who have gone before and those who come after. O Allah, forgive the people of al-Baqi' al-Gharqad. And on the ground, he would say: "We ask Allah for well-being for you and for us." So the believer should do what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did when visiting graves, just as he taught his Companions: greet them, make du'a for them, and seek forgiveness for them, saying: "We ask Allah for well-being for you and for us." This is the legislated visit. Likewise, if one visits the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in al-Madinah, after visiting the mosque, one visits the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), greets him, makes du'a for him, and says: "May Allah and peace be upon you, and upon your family and your Companions. May Allah reward you for your Ummah, O Muhammad, and for your Ummah with good." And if one visits the graves of the righteous in any place, one makes du'a for them for forgiveness and mercy, and seeks forgiveness from Allah for their well-being. As for the grave of Yunus, it is not known by any type. Yes.

The questioner:
Yes.

The Shaykh:
The graves of all the prophets are not known or identified. So the claim that it exists in Nawa or elsewhere is a false claim with no basis. The scholars mentioned that there is no known grave of any of the prophets at all, except the grave of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in al-Madinah, and except the grave of al-Khalil (Abraham) in al-Khalil (Hebron) in the known cave. This is what is known. As for the graves of the rest of the prophets, they are not known, neither Yunus nor any other of the prophets and messengers.
Their locations are not known now. And whoever claims that the grave of Yunus exists, or so-and-so, or so-and-so, it is all a lie with no truth to it. We do not know of a prophet called Jirjis, and the prophets are not known by any cause called Jirjis. So the point is that there is no known grave of a prophet except the grave of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in al-Madinah, and except the grave of al-Khalil in the land of al-Khalil, the cave.

The questioner:
the foreigners and the women.

The Shaykh:
As for this legislated visit, it is for men. As for women, they do not attend the visit according to the correct view. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the woman who visits graves, which indicates that women do not visit graves. Rather, the visit is specifically for men in the most correct opinion of the scholars, because the authentic hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) state that he cursed the woman who visits graves. This came from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, from the hadith of Hassan ibn Thabit, and from the hadith of Ibn Abbas. Visiting graves is not prescribed for them, and it is not permissible for them to visit graves. But they make du'a for the Muslim dead in their homes, in the mosques, in the homes. And if they visit al-Madinah, they make du'a for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque or in their homes. upon him in any place, peace and blessings be upon him. Just as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: peace and blessings be upon him. If the believing man and woman pray upon him in any place, that reaches him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: peace and blessings be upon him. So what is prescribed for you, O questioner, is to pray upon him (peace and blessings be upon him) in any place, and upon the rest of the prophets (peace and blessings be upon him). As for visiting this grave, the grave of Yunus, this has no basis. And then, women do not visit graves according to the correct view. But they make du'a for the Muslim dead, and seek forgiveness for the Muslim dead in any place.