Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked about women visiting graves: “Is there any hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning this?”

He replied:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds.

It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), in a hadith narrated by Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he said:

“Allah has cursed women who visit graves.”

This was reported by Ahmad, Ibn Mājah, and al-Tirmidhī, who graded it as authentic.

Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed women who visit graves and those who establish places of worship over them and place lamps upon them.”

This was reported by the four compilers of the Sunan: Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasā’ī, al-Tirmidhī, and Ibn Mājah. Al-Tirmidhī graded the hadith as good, and Abū Hātim included it in his Sahīh.

According to the stronger of the scholars’ two views, the ruling followed is that he forbade women from visiting graves. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“I had forbidden you to visit graves, but now visit them, for they remind you of the Hereafter.”

If it is said, “The prohibition has therefore been abrogated,” as those holding the other view maintain, the answer is:

This is not a sound argument, because his words, “I had forbidden you to visit