can women visit grave

A few days ago I was discussing in chat room regarding this issue, so I sendquestion to www.islamtoday.com to get a second opinion. Herewith I enclosed my Question and the answer they gave me :

Question :
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuuh I have a question which i knew several women have asked about this before, which is can women visit grave, i've been asking abt this n was given various answers. But those who said no were saying that women can't visit grave because they will bring fitnah since they will encounter other people with different gender, which are male. But here in our family, we make a private graveyard for family only. Therefore i'm assuming tht we wont bring fitnah since we wont meet any other people besides our own family. This will be all. Jazakallah Khairan for the help.

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Answer:

Dear questioner:

Al-Salam `Alaykum wa Rahmah Allah wa Barakatuh.

Al-Alb�n� is of the opinion that women may visit the graves, and that is preferred for them to do so, but that they should not do so excessively.

Evidence that women are encouraged to visit the graveyard

He supported his opinion that women are encouraged just like men to visit the graves with the following evidence:

1. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I had prohibited you from visiting the graves, but now I encourage you to visit them. [Sahih Muslim (977)]

In another narration it reads: I had prohibited you from visiting the graves, but now I encourage you to visit them, because they are a reminder of the Hereafter. [Sunan Abu Dawud (3235) and Musnad Ahmad (23005)]

In Sunan al-Nas��, it reads: �Indeed, I had prohibited you from three things: from visiting the graves, but now I encourage you to visit them, and may your visiting them increase you in goodness, [Sunan al-Nas�� (4429 and 5653)]

This encouragement includes women, because when the Prophet (peace be upon him) had been prohibiting his followers from visiting the graves, the prohibition had been meant equally for men and for women. Therefore, when he lifted the prohibition, he did so for both men and women.

2. Women are equal with men with respect to the purpose for visiting the graves: which is to be reminded of the Hereafter and to soften the hearts.

3. The Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted women to visit the graves.

`Abd Allah b. Abu Mulaykah relates: `Aishah came one day from the graveyard, so I said: O Mother of Believers, from where have you come? She said: From the grave of `Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakr.I said: Did not the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbid visiting the graves? She said: Yes, then he commanded us to visit them

[Mustadrak al- Hakim (1/376), Sunan al-Bayhaqi (4/78) and Tamhid Ibn `Abd al-Barr (3/233)]

In another narration, it reads at the end: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) permitted visiting the graves. [Sunan Ibn Majah (1570)
Al-Alb�n� comments: Al-Hakim does not talk about it and Imam al-Dhahab� says: It is an authentic hadith. Al-Busayra says: Its line of transmission is authentic and its men are trustworthy. The ruling on this had�th is as they have stated.

4. The Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a woman crying at a grave so he told her: Fear Allah and be patient. [Sahih al-Bukhari (1252)] He did not forbid her from staying at the grave.

Evidence that women are not to make frequent visits to the graveyard

The proof that they should not be frequent visitors comes in the following hadith:

1. Abu Hurayrah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed the women who are frequent visitors of the graves. [Sunan al-Tirmidhi (1056) Sunan Ibn Majah (1576)] This had�th is at least good (hasan), and it is supported by other narrations to the level of being authentic (sahih).

2. Hassan b. The bit relates: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) cursed the women who are frequent visitors of the graves. [Sunan Ibn Majah (1574)] Al-Alb�n� declares this hadith to be acceptable (maqbal) and sufficient for strengthening the hadith of Abu Hurayrah to the level of authetic (sahih).

There is a hadith related by Ibn `Abbas, which reads in certain narrations: Allah’s Messenger cursed the women who visit graves. Sunan al-Tirmidhi (320), Sunan Abu Dawud (3236), Sunan al-Nas (2034), and Sunan Ibn Majah (1575)] The word here is z�ir�t (women who visit) instead of zaww�r�t (women who are frequent visitors).

However, this hadith is weak because one of its narrators, Abu Salih, is weak.
Also, even some narrations of this hadith mention frequent visitors instead of a women who visit.On this basis, al-Alb�n� concludes: It therefore becomes clear regarding this hadith that the properly preserved wording is frequent visitors , since this is what is agreed upon in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah and the hadith of Hassan, as well as the narration of the majority of narrators of the hadith of Ibn `Abbas. He then says: The word zaww�r�t indicates that the curse is directed only at women who visit the graves excessively and no one else. Therfore, this hadith cannot be used to contradict the previously mentioned hadith that indicate it is encouraged for women to visit the graveyard, because this hadith is specific and those hadith are general. Each hadith, therefore, must be applied to its own context.

He explains the reason why women should not visit the graves excessively: This could lead them to fall into something that is contrary to Islamic teachings, like wailing, making a public display of themselves, taking the graves as places or relaxation and holiday, or wasting time in idle conversation. This is just like the situation that we see today in some Muslim countries. This is what is meant by the hadith.

[Refer to: al-Albani, Ahkam al-Janaiz (229-237)]

Fatwa Department Research Committee of IslamToday.net chaired by Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhab al-Turayr