It has been said that visiting graves is sunnah for women, just as it is for men.
It has also been said that it is disliked; that it is permissible; that it is forbidden; and that it is among the major sins.
The well-known position in the Hanbali school is that it is disliked, though they mean dislike in the sense of being discouraged rather than prohibited. Thus, if a woman visits graves, she incurs no sin.
The correct view is that a woman’s visiting graves is among the major sins.
The evidence for this is as follows:
- The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Allah has cursed women who visit graves.” (1)
A curse is only pronounced in connection with one of the major sins, for it means being driven away and distanced from Allah’s mercy, and this is a severe warning.
- As a matter of sound reasoning, women have less endurance, stronger emotions, and are more readily affected. They may therefore be unable to bear visiting the grave; when they do visit it, this may lead them to weeping and wailing, perhaps even tearing their garments, striking their cheeks, pulling out their hair, and the like.
Moreover, if she goes alone to the cemeteries, they are generally located in a deserted place, where she may be exposed to temptation or assault. Thus, sound reasoning accords with the reported evidence.