Fulfilling a Forbidden Vow
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Question: I have given birth to several daughters and no son, so I vowed that if Allah granted me a male child, I would visit the grave of al-Abbas every year. In fact, Allah granted me the child. Is it permissible to fulfill my vow, or what is obligatory upon me?
Answer: It is not permissible to fulfill this vow; because it is a vow of disobedience, and because it is forbidden for a woman to visit graves;Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ،And in a wording:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 320Da'if (Darussalam) , so visiting graves is prescribed only for men, not for women. If a woman vows to visit graves, or to visit a specific grave, it is not permissible for her to fulfill this vow; because it is a vow of disobedience,And by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 2126Sahih (Darussalam) .
Furthermore, visiting the graves of the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the Companions, such as al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), is mostly intended by the visitors as a visit of shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is seeking aid and support from the dead, and seeking blessing from their shrines. This is a visit of shirk, may Allah protect us from it. The only lawful visit is that which intends supplication for the dead Muslims, taking a lesson from the state of the dead, and remembering the Hereafter,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Musnad Ahmad 1236, 1237Sahih, because of corroborating evidence; this is a da'eef isnad because of the weakness of Ali bin Zaid and Rabee'ah bin an-Nabighah and his father are unknown], Sahih because of corroborating eviden (Darussalam) , and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pass by the graves and supplicate for their inhabitants,And he says: , this is the intention behind visiting graves.
As for intending to seek blessing from the dead, or seeking aid and fulfilling needs from them, this is a visit of shirk. Whoever does this, seeks blessing from the dead, or from the shrines, or seeks aid from the dead, has committed major shirk.
Likewise, a condition for visiting graves in the lawful manner is that it be done without travel,As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 5:58 .
so a person does not travel to a place on earth with the intention of seeking blessing from it, or worshipping
in it; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that. Travel is only prescribed for the three mosques for praying in them and worshipping Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) in them; because they are the mosques of the Prophets. As for graves, one does not travel to them, not the graves of the Prophets, nor the awliya (close friends of Allah), nor the graves of the righteous. One does not travel to them. Rather, men specifically visit them without travel, and they visit them for what we mentioned: supplication for the dead, and seeking mercy for them—the dead Muslims—and taking a lesson from their conditions.
Question: What is the ruling on what some ignorant people do, such as sitting around graves, praying at them, eating and drinking, and holding feasts in the cemeteries?
Answer: The visit must be a lawful visit, intended for what we mentioned: supplication for the dead Muslims, taking a lesson from the state of the dead, without travel, and for men specifically.
As for what is done in addition to that, it is either shirk or bid'ah (religious innovation). Sitting in the cemeteries and preparing food there, or bringing food to them, all of this is bid'ah (religious innovation) and a means to shirk. Praying at the graves is also something the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who make mosques over graves,So he said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 703Sahih (Darussalam) .
and the meaning of making them mosques is praying at them, whether a mosque is built over them,
or not. Praying at the graves is prohibited, even if the one praying intends only Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with his prayer. But his prayer at the graves is a means to shirk; because it leads to the belief that the dead can benefit or harm, and this ends in shirk, may Allah protect us from it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came with blocking the paths and means that lead to shirk, and he protected the sanctity of tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
Question: Your Eminence: You clarified the prohibition of visiting graves for women, but what is the way out of this vow for this woman?
Answer: We said that it is forbidden for her to fulfill this vow; because visiting graves is forbidden for women, so she vowed something forbidden. But if she expiates with the expiation of an oath, that is safer for her.And the expiation of the oath: The expiation is freeing a slave if she finds a slave to free, or feeding ten poor people, each poor person receiving half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of the customary food in the country, or clothing them, by giving each poor person a garment that suffices him for his prayer, for the number of ten. If she does not find any of this, not freeing, not feeding, and not clothing, then she fasts three days.
Answer: It is not permissible to fulfill this vow; because it is a vow of disobedience, and because it is forbidden for a woman to visit graves;Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
May Allah curse the women who visit the graves
لعن الله زوارات القبورAllah's Messenger cursed the women who visit the graves, and those who use them as Masajid and put torches on them.
لعن الله زائرات القبور والمتخذين عليها المساجد والسرجWhoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him.
من نذر أن يطيع الله فليطعه، ومن نذر أن يعصي الله فلا يعصهFurthermore, visiting the graves of the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the Companions, such as al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), is mostly intended by the visitors as a visit of shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is seeking aid and support from the dead, and seeking blessing from their shrines. This is a visit of shirk, may Allah protect us from it. The only lawful visit is that which intends supplication for the dead Muslims, taking a lesson from the state of the dead, and remembering the Hereafter,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
I used to forbid you to visit the graves, but now visit them, for they remind you of the Hereafter
كنت نهيتكم عن زيارة القبور فزوروها فإنها تذكر بالآخرةPeace be upon you, dwellings of a people of faith. And we, if Allah wills, will be joining you. May Allah have mercy on those who preceded us and you, and those who came after. O Allah, do not deprive us of their reward, and do not test us after them, and forgive us and them.
السلام عليكم ديار قوم مؤمنين، وإنا إن شاء الله بكم لاحقون، يرحم الله المستقدمين منا ومنكم والمستأخرين، اللهم لا تحرمنا أجرهم، ولا تفتنا بعدهم، واغفر لنا ولهمAs for intending to seek blessing from the dead, or seeking aid and fulfilling needs from them, this is a visit of shirk. Whoever does this, seeks blessing from the dead, or from the shrines, or seeks aid from the dead, has committed major shirk.
Likewise, a condition for visiting graves in the lawful manner is that it be done without travel,As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
One should not undertake journeys except to three mosques: al-Masque al-Haram (in Makkah ), the Aqsa mosque, or this mosque (in Madinah).
لا تشد الرحال إلا إلى ثلاثة مساجد: المسجد الحرام، ومسجدي هذا، والمسجد الأقصىso a person does not travel to a place on earth with the intention of seeking blessing from it, or worshipping
in it; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that. Travel is only prescribed for the three mosques for praying in them and worshipping Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) in them; because they are the mosques of the Prophets. As for graves, one does not travel to them, not the graves of the Prophets, nor the awliya (close friends of Allah), nor the graves of the righteous. One does not travel to them. Rather, men specifically visit them without travel, and they visit them for what we mentioned: supplication for the dead, and seeking mercy for them—the dead Muslims—and taking a lesson from their conditions.
Question: What is the ruling on what some ignorant people do, such as sitting around graves, praying at them, eating and drinking, and holding feasts in the cemeteries?
Answer: The visit must be a lawful visit, intended for what we mentioned: supplication for the dead Muslims, taking a lesson from the state of the dead, without travel, and for men specifically.
As for what is done in addition to that, it is either shirk or bid'ah (religious innovation). Sitting in the cemeteries and preparing food there, or bringing food to them, all of this is bid'ah (religious innovation) and a means to shirk. Praying at the graves is also something the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed those who make mosques over graves,So he said:
May Allah curse the Jews and Christians, for they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.
لعنة الله على اليهود والنصارى، اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجدand the meaning of making them mosques is praying at them, whether a mosque is built over them,
or not. Praying at the graves is prohibited, even if the one praying intends only Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with his prayer. But his prayer at the graves is a means to shirk; because it leads to the belief that the dead can benefit or harm, and this ends in shirk, may Allah protect us from it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came with blocking the paths and means that lead to shirk, and he protected the sanctity of tawhid (the oneness of Allah).
Question: Your Eminence: You clarified the prohibition of visiting graves for women, but what is the way out of this vow for this woman?
Answer: We said that it is forbidden for her to fulfill this vow; because visiting graves is forbidden for women, so she vowed something forbidden. But if she expiates with the expiation of an oath, that is safer for her.And the expiation of the oath: The expiation is freeing a slave if she finds a slave to free, or feeding ten poor people, each poor person receiving half a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) of the customary food in the country, or clothing them, by giving each poor person a garment that suffices him for his prayer, for the number of ten. If she does not find any of this, not freeing, not feeding, and not clothing, then she fasts three days.