What is the ruling on visiting the graves of the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous? Is it forbidden?
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The questioner : What is the ruling in the Shari'ah, in your view, regarding visiting the graves of the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous? Is it forbidden? And is it permissible for us to visit them?
The Shaykh : First, we must know who a wali (close friend of Allah) is. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has defined the wali in His saying:[Yunus 10:62-63] So everyone who is a believer and pious is a wali of Allah. Not everyone who claims to be a wali is actually a wali. This is a point that everyone must know, because some people deceive the common people and claim to be awliya, and they may support their claim by having Shayatins serve them. The common people think this is a matter of karamah (a miracle granted to a righteous person), but in reality, it is a matter of humiliation.
Second: regarding visiting graves, visiting graves in general is recommended (mustahabb). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did it, commanded it, and informed us of its benefit, saying:Sunan Ibn Majah 1569Sahih (Darussalam) So when a person visits graves, he remembers the Hereafter, remembering that this is his final resting place and that he must surely enter it, just as those before him entered it. He remembers that these people who are now bound in their graves were yesterday on the surface of the earth, walking on it and enjoying the blessings of Allah therein, just as he is now walking on it and enjoying the blessings of Allah therein. So he remembers, fears, and works for this inevitable day that must come. For this reason, visiting graves is a recommended practice (sunnah).
But we must know that visiting graves is not for the purpose of benefiting from their visitation in a material way, such as relieving distress, helping in emergencies, or removing harms. Rather, it is to supplicate to Allah for them, because we say when visiting graves:.
As for supplicating to the occupants of the graves, that is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion, because these people do not possess any benefit or harm for themselves or for others.
As for seeking blessing (tabarruk) from their soil or rubbing against their graves, that is a blameworthy religious innovation (bid'ah) and may reach the level of disbelief (kufr) depending on the belief of the doer.
Visiting graves is a recommended practice (sunnah) for men only. As for women, it is not recommended for them to visit graves. In fact, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is not contradicted by what Muslim narrated from the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered her to say: Sunan Abi Dawud 3237Sahih (Al-Albani) and so on. The meaning of that is for a woman who passes by a cemetery without the intention of visiting it; there is no blame on her if she greets the people of the graves and supplicates for them. As for a woman who leaves her house to visit the cemetery, that is forbidden for her, and indeed it is one of the major sins, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : First, we must know who a wali (close friend of Allah) is. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has defined the wali in His saying:
(62) Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve (63) Those who believed and were fearing Allah
أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ * الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَSecond: regarding visiting graves, visiting graves in general is recommended (mustahabb). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did it, commanded it, and informed us of its benefit, saying:
Visit the graves, for they will remind you of the Hereafter.
زوروا القبور فإنها تذكر الآخرةBut we must know that visiting graves is not for the purpose of benefiting from their visitation in a material way, such as relieving distress, helping in emergencies, or removing harms. Rather, it is to supplicate to Allah for them, because we say when visiting graves:
Peace be upon you, abode of a people of faith. And we, if Allah wills, will be joining you. May Allah have mercy on those of us who are ahead and those who are behind. We ask Allah for well-being for us and for you. O Allah, do not deprive us of their reward, and do not test us after them, and forgive us and them.
السلام عليكم دار قوم مؤمنين وإنا إن شاء الله بكم لاحقون ، يرحم الله المستقدمين منا ومنكم والمستأخرين ، نسأل الله لنا ولكم العافية ، اللهم لا تحرمنا أجرهم ولا تفتنا بعدهم واغفر لنا ولهمAs for supplicating to the occupants of the graves, that is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion, because these people do not possess any benefit or harm for themselves or for others.
As for seeking blessing (tabarruk) from their soil or rubbing against their graves, that is a blameworthy religious innovation (bid'ah) and may reach the level of disbelief (kufr) depending on the belief of the doer.
Visiting graves is a recommended practice (sunnah) for men only. As for women, it is not recommended for them to visit graves. In fact, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Cursed are the women who visit graves
لعن زائرات القبورPeace be upon you, inhabitants of the dwellings who are of the community of the believers
السلام عليكم دار قوم مؤمنينCursed are the women who visit graves
لعن زائرات القبورThe questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.