The ruling on circumambulating graves out of ignorance

Question:
The questioner, Fahd, may Allah bless you, from Riyadh, says: I have noticed in some Islamic countries that there are people who circumambulate graves out of ignorance. What is the ruling on these people?

Answer:
This ignorance is not clear in its action. What is clear? The command to have tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the prohibition of shirk (associating partners with Allah) are clear in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. These are among the clear matters that the layperson and the scholar know; everyone knows the prohibition of shirk and its means, the prohibition of bid'ah (religious innovations) and newly invented matters. These are clear and manifest matters from the Book and the Sunnah. So there is no ignorance in this; rather, this is following the people of misguidance and abandoning the people of truth and abandoning the evidence. This is the cause. Clear matters do not excuse one; there is no ignorance in them such that one could be excused for them. Ignance is only in hidden matters. Hidden matters, yes, a person may be ignorant of them and be excused for ignorance if the matter is hidden, requiring research and the qualification to research and knowledge of the evidence. As for clear and manifest matters, such as the prohibition of shirk, the prohibition of bid'ah and newly invented matters, the prohibition of riba (usury or interest), the prohibition of zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and the prohibition of undutifulness to parents, these are clear matters, not hidden ones. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah bless you,