Muslim women visiting graves?

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Re: a muslim woman is...

Hi

I hope this helps:

Question :

Could you please back this up with the hadeeth to make things clearer and also please try to give full reference of the hadeeth to everything you state ?
(But with regard to the prayer (women praying the funeral prayer), there is nothing wrong with that. Women may join the funeral prayer. The prohibition applies only to visiting the graves. Women should not visit graves according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, because of the ahaadeeth which indicate that that is forbidden. She does not have to offer any kafaarah, all she has to do is repent.)
Can you tell me if women prayed Funeral Prayers in the times of our prophet(P.B.U.H)?

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Praying the janaazah (funeral) prayer is prescribed for both men and women, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever attends the janaazah until he offers the prayer will have one qeeraat (of reward), and whoever attends until (the deceased) is buried will have two qeeraats.” It was said, “O Messenger of Allaah, what are the two qeeraats?” He said, “Like two great mountains,” meaning, of reward. (Saheeh – agreed upon). But women should not follow the funeral procession to the graveyard, because they are not allowed to do that, as it was reported in al-Saheehayn that Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “We were forbidden to follow the funeral procession but it was not made absolute on us.” (narrated by Muslim). But women are not forbidden to offer the janaazah prayer, whether it is offered in the mosque, in a house or in a prayer-place. Women used to offer the janaazah prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his mosque and after his lifetime. Visiting graves, however, is something which is only for men, as is following the funeral procession, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed women who visit graves. The reason for that – and Allaah knows best – is that there is the fear that if women were to follow funeral processions to the graveyard or visit graves, that would cause fitnah (temptation) to others or to themselves. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I have not left behind any fitnah more harmful to men than women.” (Saheeh – agreed upon). And Allaah is the Source of strength.



Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 13, p. 133 (www.islam-qa.com)
 
Re: a muslim woman is...

This is all so new to me. Is there any explaination on why that would cause fitnah? I can imagine not being able to go to my parents funeral :(
 
Re: a muslim woman is...

But women are not forbidden to offer the janaazah prayer, whether it is offered in the mosque, in a house or in a prayer-place. Women used to offer the janaazah prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his mosque and after his lifetime.
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Hiya

One can still attend the janaazah prayer, where you pray over them (if they are Muslims). Its only going to the grave women are forbidden from.
 
Re: a muslim woman is...

But what about if it isn't an islamic funeral?
Say if I converted and then my dad died. His funeral would be held beside his grave. Would I be unable to attend?
 
Re: a muslim woman is...

Attending the funeral of a non-Muslim neighbour

Question


Attending a non-Muslim neighbor's funeral:
According to one hadith of the Prophet(pbuh)ralated by Tabarani regarding the rights neighbors it says: "The rights of the neighbor is that, when he is sick you visit him; when he dies, you go to his funeral;........"
Since this hadith is talking about neighbors and the neighbor can be a non-muslim, so is it permissible for the Muslim to attend a non-Muslim's funeral? Please shed light on this issue in accordance with the Qur'an and the Hadith.
Also this issue is very important for the new Muslims whose parents have not accepted Islam. Is it permissible to attend a funeral for the non-Muslim parents?
May Allah (swt) bless you. Ameen


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible for a Muslim to attend a kaafir’s funeral if the kaafir is a relative, such as a mother, father, brother or other relative, but it is not permissible to join in the prayers or any other rites of their religion.

Zakariya al-Ansaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “He may (i.e., it is allowed for the Muslim and is not makrooh) attend the funeral of a kaafir relative, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood from ‘Ali who said, ‘When Abu Taalib died, I came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, ‘Your uncle, the misguided old man, has died.’ He said, ‘Go and bury him.’” (Reported by al-Nisaa'i, 190). Al-Adhraa’i said: “It is possible that this includes permission to attend the funeral of a wife or slave…”

As for visiting graves, in al-Majmoo’ it says: “The correct view is that this is permissible, and most scholars said this, because of the hadeeth narrated by Muslim in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘I asked my Lord for permission to ask for forgiveness for my mother, and He did not give me permission; I asked Him for permission to visit her grave, and He gave me permission.’ It was reported that he also said: “Visit the graves, for they remind you of death.” (Asnaa al-Mataalib Sharh Rawd al-Taalib, part 1, Fasl: Mashiy al-Mashee’ li’l-Janaazah).

One of the differences between going to a Muslim’s funeral and going to a kaafir’s funeral is what was mentioned by al-Mirdaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his book al-Insaaf, where he says in a footnote: “ ‘Those who are walking should walk in front of it [the coffin]’ means that this is better, and this is the madhhab, and this is the opinion of most of the scholars [of that madhhab]. The author of al-Ri’aayah said: “He may walk wherever he wishes.” Al-Musannif said in al-Kaafi: “Wherever he walks, it is OK… and his saying, ‘The riders [should travel] behind’ means that this is better. So there is no dispute in this matter. If he is riding, it is makrooh for him to ride in front.” This is what al-Majd said. What was meant by “the riders [should travel] behind” is that this is how it should be done in the case of a Muslim’s funeral, but if it is a kaafir’s funeral, then the rider may go in front, as mentioned previously.” (al-Insaaf, part 2, Kitaab al-Janaa’iz).

This is provided that attending the funeral does not involve doing anything haraam, such as listening to musical instruments and so on; in that case attending the funeral is haraam. And Allaah knows best.



Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
 
Re: a muslim woman is...

Al-Mu'minah said:
Hiya

One can still attend the janaazah prayer, where you pray over them (if they are Muslims). Its only going to the grave women are forbidden from.
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Where in the Quran does God say women cannot visit graves?
 
Re: a muslim woman is...

Recently, my father's mother died. My father is a Catholic. I went to the funeral mass only to please my father. I sat at the back and read my Qur'an the whole time, I did not participate in the mass at all. Now, I have read many fatwas that say I have done something bad that a Muslim should never go to mass. I was only trying to please my father which of course is to please Allah. Did I commit a sin by attending the mass?
Answer In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

There is nothing wrong for you in attending the funeral ceremony of your mother who died a Christian so long as you did not participate in the specific religious rituals. We know from the sources that the sahabah (the Prophet’s Companions) did attend the funerals of non-Muslims without observing their religious rites. So, you have not done anything wrong.

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In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear sister in Islam, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.

It goes without saying that Islam does not aim at severing the ties of kinship between its adherents and their non-Muslim relatives. Islam considers this relationship highly, particularly that between parents and their children. Islam does not reject or disregard such instinctive relationship.

Islam calls upon Muslims to be dutiful to and behave kindly towards their non-Muslim parents, no matter what their religion or lack thereof. Moreover, dutifulness to parents extends beyond their death and continues as long as we live. Hence, a Muslim is allowed and recommended to attend the funeral of his non-Muslim parents and relatives provided that he/she does not participate in any of the religious rituals.

In response to the question you raised, the European Council for Fatwa and Research issued the following Fatwa:

"Islam orders that parents be treated kindly and graciously even if they are non-Muslims. Almighty Allah says: “Your Lord has decreed that you worship Him and that you be kind to parents…” (Al-Isra': 23) Allah Almighty also says: “Consort with them in the world kindly…” (Luqman: 15) Islam also exhorts people to observe and maintain good relationship with kith and kin.

The obligation of kindness and good relationship is emphasized on the occasions of joy and merriment as well as on the occasions of difficulties and afflictions, the greatest of which is death that brings relatives together when they are bereaved of one of them. Man intrinsically tends to express his feelings towards the deceased, whether a relative or a close acquaintance. Therefore, we read in the authentic hadith on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited the grave of his mother and wept and caused those who were with him to weep, and said: "I asked my Lord to allow me to ask forgiveness for her, but He refused to given me permission. Then I asked Him to permit me to visit her grave and He gave me leave. So, visit graves for they remind one of death.” (Reported by Muslim and Ahmad and the compilers of Sunan except At-Tirmidhi)

Moreover, Islam calls for respecting any person, whether a believer or a disbeliever, in his/her lifetime and posthumously. It is reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim in an authentic hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up when a Jewish funeral proceeded in front of him. Somebody informed him that the dead person was a Jew. The Prophet replied: “Is it not a soul?”

Now, the soul of a father, a mother or a close relative is entitled to more respect. Therefore, a Muslim may attend the funeral of his non-Muslim parents or one of his non-Muslim relatives. He may attend the religious ceremonies held for the deceased in churches and synagogues, provided that he does not participate in the prayers, rites and other religious activities. He may also attend the burial. In all that, his intention should be to do the duty of kindness (to parents) and good relationship with kith and kin, and sharing the misfortune with the family and strengthening the relationship with relatives, and avoiding what may lead to estrangement if he fails to attend such occasions."

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: http://www.ecfr.org


Dr. Salah Sultan, President of the Islamic American University and Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence, Cairo University, adds:

"A Muslim should attend the funeral of his non-Muslim parents just as a courteous gesture without participating in any of their rituals, for Islam has set certain rituals to be performed in funeral service; this leaves no room for any innovations. By attending, one shows that Islam is keen on maintaining relations. Allah Almighty says: " But if they strive with thee to make thee ascribe unto Me as partner that of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not. Consort with them in the world kindly…" (Luqman: 15)


Birr (doing good) is a right a Muslim owes a fellow Muslim and non-Muslim as well. If it's a duty for a man to sustain his non-Muslim parents, then it is his responsibility to attend their funeral prayer and accept people's condolences as a righteous deed towards parents."

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Re: a muslim woman is...

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.


All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Sister, thank you for your question, which emanates from a thoughtful heart. May Allah Almighty help us all adhere to the principles of this true religion, Islam, and make us among the dwellers of Paradise in the Hereafter. Ameen.

Generally speaking, visiting graves is permissible for the purpose of being admonished by remembering death and the Hereafter. However, Islamic ethics and morals should be considered.

In response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

“Visiting graves for women and men was prohibited in the early days of Islam. This was due to the fact that there were reasonable grounds for suspicion that the Arabs, newly converted to Islam and fresh from paganism, might associate the right to visit graves with grave worship rituals.

When the Islamic concept of Tawhid (Oneness of Allah) became deeply entrenched in the Islamic consciousness, there was no reasonable ground for such suspicions. Accordingly, the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) lifted the above ban. He then went a step further by making grave visitations a recommended practice because of the associated benefits. He said: “In the past I have forbidden you from visiting graves, but now you may do so, for it might remind you of the next world.” (Reported by Ibn Majah)

As the above statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) is stated in general terms, scholars disagreed as to its precise interpretation. One group thought that the permission was general to include both men and women, since the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) never indicated that the permission had been limited only to men.

A second group, however, said that women were excluded from the above permission and according to them women are forbidden to visit graves. They supported their view by another statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him): “Allah has cursed women who frequent graves for visitation.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)

The first group cited a number of traditions in support of their view that women are permitted to visit graves. One of them is the report in Al-Bukhari’s Sahih, which states that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) saw a woman weeping over a grave. He advised her to exercise patience. It is not stated anywhere that he told her it was forbidden for women to visit graves. It is only reasonable to assume that had visiting graves been haram (prohibited) for women, the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) would have clearly stated so in this case.

As for the hadith that the second group cited to support their view, the first group explained that it was aimed at women who frequent graves for wailing and lamenting.

The above explanation seems more plausible when we take into account the fact that pagan Arabs were in the habit of hiring professionals — who were mostly women — to practice the ritual of wailing and lamenting on the graves.

The view of the first group is further confirmed by the report from `A’ishah. When someone objected to her about her visit to her brother’s grave, she said that the prohibition was in the early days of Islam and that the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) had later allowed it. A similar view has been attributed to Umm `Atiyyah who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) had never firmly prohibited women from visiting graves.”

In conclusion, let us say that the issue of women visiting graves has been debated by scholars of the past. After having reviewed the various traditions in this respect, Imam Al-Qurtubi concluded that women are permitted to visit graves on condition that they refrain from wailing and lamenting. Both Imam Ibn Hajar and Ash-Shawkani, both of whom who were thoroughly grounded in the science of Hadith, also tend to favor this view.”

(Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.islam.ca)
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