They say we go on the days of the festival to greet our deceased and seek mercy for them, and some of our female relatives insist on going with us.
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The questioner : They say we go on the days of the festival to greet our deceased and seek mercy for them, and some of our female relatives insist on going with us. They say, “We invoke Allah that you not forbid us from our loved ones,” knowing that they do not bow down or wail in doing so. Do we take them with us or not? May Allah guide you.
The Shaykh : Going to the graveyards on the days of the festivals is a religious innovation (bid'ah), for it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions that they would single out the days of the festivals for visiting the graves. Therefore, a person is prohibited from visiting the graves on the days of the festivals, on the basis that this is among the recommended practices (sunnah) restricted to these days.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Rather, visiting the graves is a recommended practice (sunnah) at all times, even at night, as it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he went out to al-Baqi' one night and greeted them.
As for women, it is not permissible to allow them to go out of their homes to visit the graves, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the women who visit the graves and those who make them into mosques and hang lamps on them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the fact that they—the women mentioned—say to the men, “We invoke Allah that you not forbid us from our loved ones.”
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This does not justify allowing them to go to the graveyard. Indeed, the one who seeks refuge in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and seeks His protection from a person, if the person prevents him from what is forbidden, then Allah the Exalted does not protect him, because Allah does not love the wrongdoers and does not love those who transgress. Even if the one who seeks refuge in Allah or seeks His protection is from a duty obligatory upon him or from an act forbidden to him, if that were permissible, it would contradict the prohibition of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) of what He has forbidden or His obligation of what He has made obligatory, and it would necessitate that a person do what Allah has forbidden through this means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And that he leave what Allah has made obligatory upon him through this means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So whoever seeks refuge in Allah or seeks His protection to be enabled to do a forbidden act, he is not protected, because Allah does not protect him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Going to the graveyards on the days of the festivals is a religious innovation (bid'ah), for it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or from his Companions that they would single out the days of the festivals for visiting the graves. Therefore, a person is prohibited from visiting the graves on the days of the festivals, on the basis that this is among the recommended practices (sunnah) restricted to these days.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Rather, visiting the graves is a recommended practice (sunnah) at all times, even at night, as it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he went out to al-Baqi' one night and greeted them.
As for women, it is not permissible to allow them to go out of their homes to visit the graves, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the women who visit the graves and those who make them into mosques and hang lamps on them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the fact that they—the women mentioned—say to the men, “We invoke Allah that you not forbid us from our loved ones.”
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This does not justify allowing them to go to the graveyard. Indeed, the one who seeks refuge in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and seeks His protection from a person, if the person prevents him from what is forbidden, then Allah the Exalted does not protect him, because Allah does not love the wrongdoers and does not love those who transgress. Even if the one who seeks refuge in Allah or seeks His protection is from a duty obligatory upon him or from an act forbidden to him, if that were permissible, it would contradict the prohibition of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) of what He has forbidden or His obligation of what He has made obligatory, and it would necessitate that a person do what Allah has forbidden through this means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And that he leave what Allah has made obligatory upon him through this means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So whoever seeks refuge in Allah or seeks His protection to be enabled to do a forbidden act, he is not protected, because Allah does not protect him.
The questioner : Yes.