78- Ruling on Washing Graves and Wiping Oneself on Them
Q: At a fixed time every year, people from Hadramawt, especially the city of Si'un, flock to visit the dome over the grave of Ali Habashy. It is claimed that this person was a Waliy (pious person) and that the concerned dome encloses his grave. Upon visiting it, people usually wash and clad the grave in some cloth. Then, just before sunrise of the next day, they sit and listen to a Khutbah (sermon) delivered by a scholar. Could you please advise us of the ruling concerning visiting the graves and wiping oneself on them, or the knowledgeable Waliy (pious person)?
A: I have not ascertained information about the grave referred to in the question, but it can be generally indicated that the construction of buildings over graves, allocating a specific day for visiting them, and holding feasts in their names, these are acts of Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect). The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not hold feast by my grave nor turn your homes into tombs (by not offer in g Prayer at them). Thus, it is impermissible to venerate graves by constructing buildings or Masjids (mosques) over them or by holding feasts by them celebrated once or twice a year. Doing so is Bid`ah (heresy in religion). Rather, it is permissible to visit graves on any random day without specification. Upon visiting the graves, a person may invoke Allah (Exalted be He) to forgive and be merciful with the deceased. For the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: Visit the graves, for this reminds you of the Hereafter. According to another version of this Hadith, he said:... for they remind you of death. Permission for visiting the graves is only given to male, not female, Muslims. Men may go to visit the graves and greet the dead with Salam (Islamic way of greeting) and invoke Allah for their sake. These are the Islamic manners of visiting the graves. However, travelling for long-distances to solely visit the graves of pious people is not permissible in Islam, as doing so is only permissible for visiting three Masjids i.e. Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy (the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah), and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem). Evidence for this is the Hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: Do not set out on a sole journey to visit a mosque except for three Masjids: Al-Masjid Al-Haram, my Masjid, and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa. Departing exclusively to visit a particular grave or graves is thus Munkar. The same applies to visiting graves for making Dua`a 1 (supplication), offering Salah (Prayer), or reciting the Holy Qur`an near them. Doing so is a means to Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and a way of using graves as if they were Masjids which is not permissible. Moreover, it is not permissible to construct domes or roofs over graves, or to furnish or perfume them. All these are acts that lead to Shirk and are a manifestation of showing excessive reverence to graves which is not permissible. Accordingly, the practices mentioned by the questioner i.e. washing the concerned grave, its veneration, seeking blessings from it, or gathering by it are all acts of Munkar that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) and His Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited. Hence, it is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians for they built places of worship over their Prophets' graves. And, Verily, people who came before you used to take the graves of their prophets and pious people as places of worship. You should not build Masjids over graves. I forbid you to do so. Depending on this Hadith, it is not permissible to construct Masjids or any other buildings over graves or to offer Salah in nearness of them. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) also said in a Hadith Sahih (authentic Hadith): Offer some of your (voluntary) Salah (Prayer) at your homes. Do not let your homes be like graves. Verily; Satan turns away from homes inside which Surah (Qur`anic chapter) Al-Baqarah is recited. This Hadith signifies that graves are neither places for worship nor are they for reciting the Holy Qur`an. Besides, it is narrated on the authority of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ):... Forbade plastering graves, sitting on them, and constructing buildings over them. (Related by Imam Muslim in his Sahih (authentic collection of Hadith). Nevertheless, it is permissible for passers-by and persons who live in the same town where graves are to greet the dead buried therein and to ask Allah (Exalted be He) to forgive and have mercy upon them. It is worth mentioning that lawful visits to graves give people admonition remind them of death and the Hereafter, and make them do their best to prepare for meeting Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). On the other hand, Muslims should be vigilant and not show excessive reverence towards...
