Second, the Prophet’s statement, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is specific to women:

“Allah has cursed women who frequently visit graves”—or “women who visit graves.”

As for his words, “So visit them,” any inclusion of women is only by extension, through a weak claim to general applicability: the wording may be restricted to men, or it may include women. According to the majority of scholars, a general ruling does not abrogate a specific ruling even when it is known to have come later. This is the position of al-Shāfi‘ī and of Ahmad, according to the better-known of the two opinions transmitted from him, and it is the position recognized among his followers. How much more so when it is not known that this general ruling came after the specific one? His statement, “Allah has cursed women who frequently visit graves,” may have come after he permitted men to visit them.

Supporting this is the fact that he coupled it with the condemnation of those who establish mosques and place lamps over graves. He referred to the latter using the masculine form, which includes men, whereas he made the curse upon female visitors specific to women. It is well known that the prohibition on establishing mosques and placing lamps over graves remains in force and has not been abrogated, as the authentic hadiths indicate. The same therefore applies to the other prohibition.

As for the report from ‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, Ahmad cited it as evidence according to one of the two opinions transmitted from him, because his independent juristic reasoning led him to that conclusion. The other opinion transmitted from him contradicts it, and this is the position chosen by al-Khiraqī and other early followers of his.

The report from ‘Ā’ishah, however, provides no proof for that position. The person who challenged her cited the general prohibition, and she answered that this prohibition had been abrogated. It is indeed as she said, may Allah be pleased with her. But the person challenging her did not mention the prohibition specific to women, which contains a curse upon them for visiting graves.

Her words, “He commanded that they be visited,” make this clear. This shows that his command to visit them was one that