The Ruling on a Woman Visiting Shrines and Graves and Supplicating to the Awliya (Close Friends of Allah)

Question:
The last question we are presenting to our brother in this session says: Some women among us visit graves and mosques, and through this visitation, they gather children inside the mosque or on the graves, and distribute bread and some other things to them, saying: "For the sake of Allah." Then they supplicate to the wali (close friend of Allah) they visited for, saying: "O wali, cure me, protect my children," and much other supplication. What is your opinion, O Shaykh, of this action?

Answer:
This is a dangerous action, and one must be cautious of it. Women are prohibited from visiting graves; permission is only for men. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: and he cursed the women who visit graves, for they are a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and their patience is little. As for if that is accompanied by calling upon the dead and seeking aid from the dead, it becomes major shirk (associating partners with Allah); it becomes major shirk. So is slaughtering for them and seeking their help. This is major shirk from both men and women. So the one who comes to the graves to supplicate to them other than Allah, and seeks their victory, help, and aid, has come to a great shirk, from both men and women. This is the shirk of the polytheists, the shirk of the worshippers of graves, like Abu Jahl and his companions from the worshippers of graves. And so is distributing charity if the intention behind it is to draw near to the dead by it, and that he gives charity intending to draw near to them by the charity, believing that they benefit him, giving charity at their graves, and that by this charity with which he draws near to them, they benefit him; it is like if he prayed to them.
And as for if it is not so, but it is charity for which he seeks reward from Allah, but he thinks and believes that it is better at the graves, this is a bid'ah (religious innovation). It is not better at the graves. Charity is given in one's home, in any place. And if it is done in secret, it is better, unless there is a need for it to be done openly. But its place is not the graves; in the markets, in the home, in any place, in the mosque for whoever asks, there is no harm.
And the summary is that women visiting graves is not permissible. And their slaughtering for the dead, or seeking their help, or aid, or the healing of the sick, this is major shirk, whether it is done by a woman or a man, even if he does it in his home, not at the graves. "O my master so-and-so! O Abdul Qadir! O Husayn! O Ali! O Messenger of Allah!" Even in his home, even in any place far from the cities and graves, it is major shirk. Even if he is in the desert and no one is there, if he says: "O Messenger of Allah! Help me," or "O Messenger of Allah! Cure my sick one," or the like of that, he has worshipped him other than Allah with this supplication. Or if he says: "O my master Husayn!" or "O my master Hasan!" or "O my master Ali!" or "O my master Abdul Qadir!" or Ahmad al-Badawi, or the like of that, seeking their help and aid and rescue, this is from major shirk.
And so is drawing near to him with sacrifices, whether at his grave or far from his grave. He slaughters in order to draw near to him, believing that if he slaughters for him, he will provide him with things, or give him things, or bring him things. So slaughtering for other than Allah is major shirk. Allah the Exalted said: meaning: My slaughter [Al-An'am: 162] [Al-An'am: 163] He the Exalted said: [Al-Kawthar: 2] So He commanded prayer and slaughter for Allah .
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So slaughtering is a great worship like prayer. So if one slaughters for the people of the graves, and draws near to them by it, hoping for their intercession, and hoping that they will bring him closer to Allah, or gives charity seeking reward from them and recompense from them, or performs Hajj to their graves, or the like of those intentions that he does, drawing near to the people of the graves by them, he has thereby worshipped them and made them gods to be worshipped with Allah by his prayer to them, or his supplication to them, or his slaughtering for them, or his vows to them, or other than that. And there is no power and no strength except with Allah. Yes.

The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, and benefit us with your knowledge.