What is the ruling on women visiting graves during the festival and at other times?

The questioner : What is the ruling on women visiting graves, and specifically regarding the festival prayer of the two festivals?

The Shaykh : In our view, there is no difference between women and men regarding the permissibility of visiting graves, provided the known conditions for men are met, let alone for women. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) divides visiting graves into two categories: a lawful visit and an innovative visit. The lawful visit is one where the visitor intends only to greet the deceased and take a lesson from their death. As for going to the cemetery to sit by the grave and recite the Qur'an or complete a recitation of the Qur'an there, let alone sitting on chairs and treating the grave as if it were a cafe or the like, this is, of course, not permissible for men or women. So, visiting graves has two categories: lawful and innovative. The lawful visit is prescribed for women just as it is prescribed for men. The innovative visit is not prescribed for women, nor is it prescribed for men. The criterion for the lawfulness of the visit is its nature. If a woman or a man visits the graves solely to take a lesson and greet the deceased, hoping to benefit from it, then this is the lawful visit; otherwise, it is not.