Some people plant a tree on a grave and visit the grave under the pretext of watering it; what is your opinion on this? And should this tree be cut down?

The questioner : In this matter, Shaykh, some people plant a tree on a grave and visit this grave under the pretext that they are watering this tree, so what is your opinion on this? I mean, should this tree be cut down? And it may be women as well.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : They did this action, until olive trees, fig trees, and fruits became numerous on the graves?

The Shaykh : Yes, this is a method that is undoubtedly not Islamic from many aspects; the most important of which is that it is the method of the disbelievers who are disturbed by visiting graves; and therefore, whoever travels to the lands of disbelief finds the graves to be like beautiful gardens planted with many trees, flowers, and the like; so that when a passerby goes through that area, he is not disturbed by the mention of death. The Muslims are now following the ways of those before them, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) foretold in the authentic hadith: to the end of the hadith. So this phenomenon is an imitation of the disbelievers, and part of the complete imitation is what some Islamic countries, and our country—unfortunately—among them, have been afflicted with; which is moving the graves outside the town, and thereby they cut off the connection between the living and the dead; that is, they abolish visiting graves; because it is not usually possible for a Muslim whose father has died to pack his bags and go outside the town just to visit what? His father? No, by Allah, he is not asking about his father, nor his mother, nor his sister. This is a goal to cut off the connection between the living and the dead by achieving the legal objective mentioned earlier; and therefore, if there were a truly Islamic state, this issue, although—as some say—is secondary, and we do not mean to say it is from the category of superficial matters, but it is secondary, nevertheless, it would plan for the town or city or capital such that the graves would not be in it except inside it.

Another questioner: Yes.

The questioner : So that they do not cut off the connection between the Muslims and his saying (peace be upon him): .