Graves

Shaikh Mohammed Ibn Ibraheem was asked the following question:

          Are women allowed to visit the grave of the prophet Mohammed (PBUH) or they must be prohibited from doing so on the basis of the saying of the prophet (PBUH) which says, “Allah curses the ladies who visit graves”?

Answer:

          The right thing is to prohibit them from visiting graves for two reasons: firstly, because of general evidences which support prohibition.  If prohibition is general then it is not permitted to create particular permissible situations unless there is an evidence.  Here in this case the proof is manifest and regarding the grave of the prophet (PBUH), the prophet himself prohibited people from making his grave an object of worship.  He says, “O Allah, don’t make my grave like an idol worshiped”  Allah accepted his call and protected his grave and its soil by establishing a situation that forbids ignorance from doing so.  Secondly, he was buried in the cite was circled and closed and its gate is closed and walls as well as iron webs were added to protect the cite of the grave.  All these measures were made so that the weak-faiths people would not do something which the prophet himself ordered to eliminate them.  It is not ordered to visit the grave of the prophet (PBUH) his companions did not do so after his death and throughout their life.  Ibn Omer was following Sunna, and was not visiting the grave except when he wants to travel or returned from travel.  While in the city he used to surface by making prayers in Masjid.  Therefore, it would be better not allow women to visit graves.  

 

Permanent Committee of Decree was asked the following question:

          Is the woman who is menstruating permitted to bath the dead woman and enshroud her?

Answer:

          Yes it is permitted for a menstruating woman to bath the body of a dead woman and enshroud it, and a woman can bath the body of her husband only, however, menstruating does not prevent a woman from washing the body of a dead woman and cover her.

 

Shaikh Mohammed Bin Salih El-Otheimeen was asked the following question:

What is your opinion about a person who puts two stones on the graves of a man and only one stone on the graves of a woman.  Does this discrimination on the basis of sex permitted?

Answer:

          This discrimination is not permitted, scholars advised to put a stone or two on the grave of a male or a female just as a sign of the grave so that it would not be dug again.  But to discriminate, in this regard, between man and women is baseless.

Shaikh Mohammed Ibn Ibraheem was asked the following question:

          Is it permitted that a foreign (who is not Mihram) man puts a woman in the grave and untie the knots the of the shroud which covers her?

Answer:

          It is permitted that a man who is not Mihram (a foreign) can enters the dead body of a woman into the grave and untie the knots of her cover even if a Mihram was present.

 

The Permanent Committee of Decree was asked the following question:

          Some scholar in the radio-broad casting read the saying of the prophet (PBUH) which says, “Allah curses the women who visit graves” and again another Hadith which says, “I had prohibited you from inciting graves but visit them because they remind you of the judgment” so I am perplexed which one to follow and how can I harmonize between these two sayings?

Answer:

          Women are not permitted to visit graves and the second saying (I had prohibited you…) does not cancel the essence of the meaning of (Allah curses….) due to the generality of the Hadith (I had prohibited…) whereas (Allah curses…) is dealing with women in particular.  Therefore, the meaning of both sayings can be harmonized and men can visit graves as they may remember judgment day but woman are not permitted to do so and this is according to what scholars in general say.

 

Shaikh Mohammed Bin Salih El-Otheimeen was asked the following question:

          Why a woman is covered which being entered into the grave and for how long she must remained covered?

Answer:

          Religious scholars a woman may be covered so that not trace of her body appears, but it is no a must and the covering last till the milk is scattered on it.

 

The permanent Committee of Decree was asked the following question:

          My mother says that her daughter and she was buried in the area where only men are buried.  Is it permissible to bury a woman among buried men?  Or should we transfer her?

Answer:

          It is permissible to bury a woman among men’s grave and vice versa, but every one should have his own separate grave.

 

Shaikh Salih El Fozan was asked the following question:

          Is it permissible that a man washes the dead body of a woman?

Answer:

          The body of a dead woman must be washed and wrapped-up by women only and not allowed doing so.  Only the husband can wash the body of his wife and vice versa.  In the history of Islam, Ali Ibn Abee Talib (PBUH) washed the body of Fatima (PBUH), when she died. Asmaa Bint Imais also washed the body of Abu-Baker Alsidiq (PBUH) when he died.