Permissible ways to Visit the Graveyard

Visit graves for the following reasons:

1. To learn a lesson, take heed, remember death and the hereafter, as advised by the Prophet (peace be upon him). He said, “I forbade you to visit the graves, you may visit them now, for they remind you of the hereafter.” (Ahmad 23005)
2. To hope for the reward and blessing from Allah the Exalted during the visit.
3. Sending peace and supplications and asking for forgiveness for the dead is an act of kindness towards them.

How to Give Salam to the People of the Graves:

• When a Muslim reaches the graveyard, it is prescribed for him to give Salam to its dead as narrated in the hadith: “May you be safe, O abode of the believing people. What you have been promised has come to you. You are tarried till tomorrow and certainly we shall follow you if Allah wills. O Allah, forgive the inmates of the Baqi’-al-Gharqad”. (Muslim 102)

Note: it is not permissible for women to visit the graves due the prohibition within the following hadith, “The prophet (peace be upon him) cursed women who visit the graves” (Ahmad 8449, Tirmidhi 1056)

Impermissible Ways to Visit the Graveyard

Polytheistic Ways to Visit the Graveyard

• It is considered Shirk to supplicate towards the dead instead of Allah the Exalted and ask them for support and refuge. Moreover, making them intermediaries and intercessors, asking them for help, assistance, sustenance, cure for illness, protection from distress, and tossing letters towards them, all of these things are not from Islam according to the consensus of Muslims. Furthermore, it destroys Tawheed from its foundation and removes its roots from the heart of a Muslim. And this is in itself ignorance.

Examples of Innovations Related to Graveyards

1. Fixing specific timings to visit the graves within the year whether on Eid days, monthly, or on weekdays just like some people who visit specifically on Fridays only and adhere to these timings.
2. Standing in front of the grave with arms folded like the one praying Salah.
3. Taking the Quran to the graves to gain blessings or recite it in front of the graves to send its reward to the dead.
4. Throwing grains, flowers, and sprinkling perfume.
5. Specifying supplications for each inhabitant of the grave which the Shari’ah has not specified.