Visiting Graves: Between What Is Prescribed and What Is Forbidden

We received a letter from the Arab Republic of Egypt from Mahmoud Hamed. He says in his letter: Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
And after that: Your Excellencies! We have listened to your program in Saudi Arabia many times, and the program is *Nur 'ala al-Darb* (Light on the Path). We have been moved by your great emphasis on visiting graves and seeking blessing from the people of good therein. They are undoubtedly among the people of much good, especially since they live in the care of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and they are closer to Him than others, for they are in His presence. However, your frequent talk about their lack of benefit led us to formulate several questions when we intend to visit these people. We ask you to speak the truth to us, and may Allah guide you and us; for we want, if we are not on the right path, to avoid what we are currently doing?
Answer: The questioner is to be thanked for his request for the truth, and this is what every believer should do: ask about what is unclear to him and not remain in ignorance; for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: [Surah al-Nahl: 43]. The dead in the graves are of different categories:
Some are close to Allah, in the care of Allah, and mercifully treated; they are the people of piety and faith.
And some are the tormented, those upon whom is the anger of Allah, from the people of disbelief and open sinfulness. They are not all on the same level. The good believer who died upon obedience to Allah and His Messenger is in great goodness, promised Paradise, and his grave is a garden from the gardens of Paradise. As for the one who died upon disbelief in Allah, such as those who call upon the dead and seek aid from the dead, and ask them for help, this is disbelief and misguidance. This is a great danger, and he is threatened with the Fire and painful punishment for his disbelief in Allah and his associating partners with Allah.
And likewise, the one who died upon sins without repenting, such as the one who dies upon unlawful sexual intercourse, undutifulness to parents, or upon consuming usury or interest, or upon giving false testimony, or upon drinking intoxicants, and stealing the money of people, and the like of that. These are in great danger of entering the Fire, and in danger that their graves will be a pit from the pits of the Fire, we seek refuge in Allah. So the dead are not all on the same level.
So you should know, O questioner, that the dead are of different categories:
Some are those upon whom is satisfaction, the upright one who died upon piety and faith. For him is Paradise and honor, and his grave is a garden from the gardens of Paradise.
And some are those who died upon disbelief and misguidance, such as the one who mocks the religion and insults the religion, or leaves the prayer, or calls upon the dead and seeks aid from them, makes vows to them, and asks them for help, and the like of that. This is disbelief in Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The disbelievers are threatened with the Fire if they die upon their disbelief.
And some are those who died upon sins; he is a Muslim but died upon sins. He died upon drinking intoxicants, he died upon usury or interest, he died upon unlawful sexual intercourse, he died upon theft, he died undutiful to his parents. This is a danger of entering the Fire, and even if he does not remain in the Fire eternally if he enters it, he is in danger, and in danger of punishment in his grave because of his sins. You should be cautious and be on clear guidance.
As for visiting graves, they are of different categories: If they are Muslims, they are visited to make supplication for them, to seek mercy for them, and to seek forgiveness for them, and to remember the Hereafter and have detachment from this world. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach his Companions when they visited graves to say: And he used to say: So you ask Allah for them for forgiveness, mercy, and well-being when you visit them.
As for calling upon them, saying: O my master so-and-so! Fulfill my need, heal my sick one, help, help! This is associating partners with Allah. This is not permissible. This is from the deeds of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, from the deeds of Abu Jahl and his like from the disbelievers of the pre-Islamic age, the disbelievers of Quraysh and their like. The dead are not asked for anything. It is not said to them: Help us, or Save us, or Support us, or Heal our sick ones. No. This is asked of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), not from them. He is the One capable of everything (Exalted and Majestic is He). And it is not said: Intercede for us. This is not asked from them. Rather, forgiveness is sought for them. Supplication is made for them for mercy and forgiveness. You should know that and be on clear guidance.
As for the disbelievers, they are not visited, such as the Christians, the graves of the Jews, the graves of the Christians, the graves of the polytheists who worship other than Allah, who seek aid from the dead and make vows to them. These are not visited. And if one visits them for the purpose of taking a lesson, there is nothing wrong with it. If he visits them for taking a lesson, meaning: to take a lesson and remember the Hereafter, but he does not make supplication for them, and does not seek mercy for them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited the grave of his mother, and she died upon the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. He visited the grave of his mother and asked his Lord for permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not give him permission to seek forgiveness for her (peace and blessings be upon him). But he visited her for taking a lesson and remembrance only.
So if you visit the graves of the disbelievers, from the Christians and others, for remembrance and taking a lesson, and detachment from this world and desire for the Hereafter, there is nothing wrong with it. But do not greet them and do not make supplication for them. As for the Muslims, their graves are visited, and supplication is made for them for forgiveness and mercy. And they are not called upon with Allah, nor is aid sought from them, nor are vows made to them, nor is intercession asked from them, nor is aid, nor support, nor help. All of this is not permissible. All of this is from the associating partners with Allah that Allah has forbidden, and it is from the deeds of the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance.
So you should, O questioner, preserve this, and convey it to the brothers behind you. You should preserve this well, and convey it to those around you, your neighbors, your companions, and your sitters, so that you may be on clear guidance. On insight; for Allah says: [Surah al-Jinn: 18], (Glorified and Exalted is He). So the dead are not called upon. And likewise the angels. And likewise the prophets after their death. And likewise the stars. And likewise the trees and stones. And likewise the idols. All of them are not called upon other than Allah, nor is aid sought from them, nor are vows made to them, nor is rubbing done with them. As for the living prophet and the living righteous person who hears your words, there is nothing wrong with you saying to him: Intercede for me, make supplication to Allah for me, as the Companions used to call upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his lifetime. They used to say to him: Intercede for us, O Messenger of Allah. In his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), before he died, the Companions used to ask him for supplication and intercession (peace and blessings be upon him). There is nothing wrong with that. But after death, no. And likewise your brothers, such as a righteous man from your brothers, a man of prayer and a man of worship, you say: Make supplication to Allah for me, O my brother. And he hears your words, he is alive, he asks Allah for you. That Allah forgives you. That Allah rectifies your state. Rectifies your offspring. There is nothing wrong with that.
So the point is: The living, present, capable person, there is nothing wrong with you asking him for what he is able to do, such as making supplication for you, such as lending you something from his money for your need, such as dealing with him in something. There is nothing wrong with these matters between you and the living, present, capable person. But the dead, no. The dead are not asked for anything, nor are they asked, nor is aid sought from them. And likewise the inanimate objects, such as mountains, idols, stars, and the like of that, are not asked, nor is aid sought from them. And likewise the absent ones, from the jinn and the angels, are not asked, nor is aid sought from them. All of this is from the associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It is not permissible to do it with the angels, nor with the jinn, nor with the dead, nor with the inanimate objects. But you ask your Lord for your need. You ask Him (Glorified and Exalted is He) to heal your sick one, to help you against your enemy. You ask Him for help from His bounty with aid, success, and guidance. All of this is asked of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). May Allah grant us and you uprightness and insight.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.