donkeys and dogs”—that is, with respect to invalidating the prayer when a woman passes in front of someone praying—even though the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, explicitly stated: “A black dog, a donkey, and a woman invalidate the prayer.” (2) Thus, she was not infallible, and her action cannot be used as evidence in opposition to the statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

If it is said: What do you say concerning the established hadith in Sahih Muslim, in which Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, lost sight of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, one night and went looking for him; then she found him in al-Baqi, where he was greeting its inhabitants. He then returned from al-Baqi, and she returned ahead of him, until he caught up with her in the house. … She said, “Messenger of Allah, if I were to go out, what should I say?” He replied, “Say: Peace be upon you, abode of a believing people …” (3), and so forth?

The answer is that a distinction must be made between a woman who goes out intending to visit, and one who passes by a cemetery without intending a visit. If she passes by a cemetery without intending to visit, there is no harm in her greeting the inhabitants of the graves and supplicating for them with the words the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her.

But if she goes out with the intention of visiting, then she is a woman visiting the cemetery, and the curse applies to her.

If it is said: What do you say regarding the wording reported in the hadith: “Allah has cursed women who frequently visit graves, and those who take them as places of worship and place lamps upon them” (4)—the phrase “women who frequently visit,” being an intensive form?