Is it permissible for women to visit the al-Baqi' cemetery?

The questioner : The questioner says: Is it permissible for women to visit the al-Baqi' cemetery?

The Shaykh : It is not permissible for a woman to visit graves; rather, her visiting graves is among the major sins. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This hadith is narrated in two forms: "women who visit frequently" and "women who visit." "Women who visit frequently" refers to those who visit often, while "women who visit" refers to those who visit even just once. Both narrations are equal in authenticity, or very close to each other, and they are both at the level of hasan (good). The one who argues with the first narration ("women who visit frequently") must also argue with the second ("women who visit"), because their chains of narration are similar and their status in hadith is similar. Accordingly, it is not permissible for a woman to visit al-Baqi' or the martyrs of Uhud. However, is it permissible for her to visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the graves of his two companions, Abu Bakr and 'Umar, or not? Some scholars said: There is no harm in visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the graves of his two companions, because her visit is not a true visit, as she cannot reach the grave and stand over it; there are walls between her and the grave that prevent access to it. Other scholars said: As long as her going to the grave is called a visit and she considers it a visit, it is not permissible for her to visit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the graves of his two companions. This is the more cautious position: that she should not visit the grave of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) nor the graves of his two companions. If she says: "I would like to greet the Messenger," we say: Greet him while you are in your place, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Yes.