Clarification of the non-prescription of visiting graves on the day of the festival, along with an explanation of some of the prescribed etiquettes of visiting graves.

The Shaykh : Some people say, "Go out to the cemetery so you can celebrate with your father, your mother, your aunt, and your grandmother; celebrate with her while she is in the grave." No, this is a religious innovation (bid'ah); this is the innovation. Because visiting graves is an act of worship, and if you go out to the deceased, there is no affection, kindness, or endearment between you and him, nor do you speak with him or he speak with you; he is dead. For this reason, it is not from the Sunnah for people to go out to the cemeteries on the day of the festival to visit them, because visiting graves is not specific to a certain time. Whenever you go out to visit the cemetery, it is good, especially if you find in your heart a turning away from the Hereafter and a remembrance of the Hereafter. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And in another narration: . And the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him) spoke the truth. When you visit the cemetery and then reflect, and you see this is so-and-so's grave, and this is so-and-so's grave, and this is so-and-so's grave, they were with you yesterday on the surface of the earth, eating and enjoying themselves, and perhaps their eating was better than your eating and their enjoyment more complete than your enjoyment. And yet, now they have become lifeless corpses in their graves, detained by their deeds. Because when a person dies, three things follow him: his family, his wealth, and his deeds. Two return and one remains: the wealth and the family return, and the deed remains, which is the companion of the person in his life, in his grave, and in his gathering. So you remember this man who perhaps was enjoying the adornment of the festival last year just as you are enjoying it today, and perhaps you will remember in the next festival just as he remembered in this festival. Therefore, visiting graves reminds one of the Hereafter. So whenever you find in your heart heedlessness and forgetfulness of the Hereafter, visit the cemetery and reflect, reflect on the condition of these people. For this reason, our Prophet (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) used to visit the cemetery even at night, as in the long hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she lost the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and, due to her intense jealousy and her intense love for the Messenger (may Allah's prayer and peace be upon him), she thought he had gone out to one of his wives. So she followed him, and there he was in al-Baqi' greeting the people of al-Baqi' (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him) at night. And on this basis, visiting the cemetery is not restricted to a specific thing or a specific time.
Then I say: Is visiting the cemetery for the benefit of the visitor or for the benefit of the one being visited? Yes? In the sense of: does the visitor invoke the owner of the grave, or does he invoke for the owner of the grave? The second: he invokes for the owner of the grave, because the owner of the grave is in need and compelled to seek supplication, and he does not invoke the owner of the grave. Therefore, it is foolishness in reason and misguidance in religion for a person to go out to a grave and invoke it, or supplicate to it, asking it for needs, asking it to remove distress, asking it to fulfill desires. This is foolishness in reason and misguidance in what? In religion. And I want the brother to bring us a verse that indicates what I said, that invoking the dead is foolishness in reason and misguidance in religion. Did you zone out, I think? Hmm? A little? No, do not stray. Allah the Exalted said: And the religion of Ibrahim is tawhid (the oneness of Allah) Complete it, what? Whoever desires to turn away from this religion is a fool in his mind.
As for it being misguidance in the religion, it is due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: - Pay attention, brother - The negation here means what?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : It means? The interrogative means what? It means negation, my brother, it means negation. And the meaning is no one. Rest. The interrogative here means prohibition, meaning negation, and the intended meaning is no one is more misguided. And bringing the interrogative in the place of prohibition has a wonderful benefit. Bringing the interrogative in the place of negation has a wonderful benefit. What is it? Negation indicates the absence of the negated thing. So when the interrogative comes in the place of prohibition, it takes on the meaning of challenge. When the interrogative comes in the place of prohibition, it takes on the meaning of challenge, and the one who challenges denies the thing and challenges others to prove it. Meaning, bring me someone who is more misguided than this. And this is undoubtedly more eloquent than simple negation. So take this as a rule: "When the interrogative comes in the place of prohibition, it is more eloquent than simple negation because it takes on what? The meaning of challenge". Perhaps you will say, what does "takes on" mean? It means... water? No, it does not mean that I gave it water. The meaning is that it contains, it contains the meaning of challenge. And if it contains the meaning of challenge, it is more eloquent in negation. Good. So those people who go to the graves, seek aid from their owners, invoke them, hope for them, and fear them as they fear Allah, and love them as they love Allah, are the most misguided of creation. Because Allah said, because Allah, because Allah said: Complete it If he kept invoking this until the Day of Resurrection, it would not respond to him They are the first to return to whom? The invoker or the one invoked? And the pronoun "their" regarding their invocation refers to the invoker or the one invoked? To the invoker. Meaning, and these ones who are invoked are heedless of the invocation of the invokers Because he is dead and does not feel On the Day of Resurrection The "wa" (and) in "they were" refers to the invokers or the ones invoked? - Reflect, my son -