The Lawful Visiting of Graves

Question:
A questioner asks about those who visit the domes and graves of some of the righteous. What is your guidance?

Answer:
They must be taught the lawful visiting of graves; for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Companions that when they visited graves, they should say: In another hadith, he said: In another hadith, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: With these hadiths and what came in their meaning, and the hadiths, the lawful visiting of graves is taught, and the purpose of it is to make du'a for the dead, and for the visitor to remember death and the Hereafter, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
As for placing domes on graves and mosques, it is not permissible, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) to 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) : And it is authentic from him (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) : . Muslim narrated it in his Sahih.
So it is not permissible to build on graves, nor to make them into mosques or domes, nor is it permissible to plaster them or sit on them; all of this is prohibited. It is not permissible to cover them with curtains. Rather, the grave should be raised by the width of a hand-span so that it is known to be a grave, so that it is not desecrated or trampled upon.
So it is obligatory for everyone who has knowledge to convey it to his brothers and teach them. And this is the obligation of the scholars: to teach people what Allah has prescribed. The believer learns from the scholars and teaches those who come to the graves, saying to them: "The lawful visiting of graves is such and such, and building on graves, or asking the dead, or seeking blessing from the soil of the grave, or kissing the grave, or praying at it—all of this is religious innovation. So one does not pray at graves, nor are they made a place for du'a or recitation. All of this is religious innovation. As for seeking blessing from them, or intercession from them, or healing for the sick, that is a type of major shirk (associating partners with Allah). If he says: 'O my master so-and-so, intercede for me with Allah,' or says to the dead: 'Help me' or 'Heal my sick one' or the like, this is not permissible; for the dead person's deeds are cut off after his death, except for three: a continuous charity, or knowledge that benefits, or a righteous child who prays for him. As for asking him to heal the sick, or to give victory over enemies, or to intercede with his Lord with such and such, that is major shirk (associating partners with Allah), and it is not permissible to ask the dead for it. Rather, that is asked of Allah the Exalted, and one says: '(O Allah, heal me, O Allah, give me such and such, O Allah, let Your prophets intercede for me, O Allah, let Your Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) intercede for me, O Allah, let the angels and the believers intercede for me).' This is permissible, because it is a request from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He."
In summary, Muslims advise one another and teach one another in matters of the Shari'ah, and the scholars have the duty to guide the common people to the Shari'ah of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. This includes teaching the lawful visiting of graves that came in the hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which has been explained above, and teaching that it is not permissible to build on graves, nor to place domes or mosques on them, and that they should not be plastered, nor sat upon, nor made a place for du'a at them, or prayer at them, or recitation at them. All these matters are religious innovations and means to major shirk (associating partners with Allah). And success is from Allah.