and he himself is rewarded for his kindness towards them. How different is the intention to benefit the deceased from the intention to associate him with Allah in worship! In Sahīh Muslim, Buraydah said:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to teach them that, when they went out to the cemeteries, one of them should say: ‘Peace be upon you, inhabitants of these abodes, believers and Muslims. We shall, if Allah wills, join you. You have gone ahead of us, and we shall follow you. We ask Allah for well-being for ourselves and for you.’”

Also in Sahīh Muslim, ‘Ā’ishah said:

“I asked, ‘What should I say, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, ‘Say: “Peace be upon the inhabitants of these abodes, believers and Muslims. May Allah have mercy on those of us who have gone before and those who come later. We shall, if Allah wills, join you.”’”

It is permissible to visit the grave of a disbeliever to take a lesson, but not to seek forgiveness for him. Thus, in the two authentic hadith collections, Abū Hurayrah said:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited his mother’s grave and wept, causing those around him to weep. He said: ‘I asked my Lord for permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit me. I asked Him for permission to visit her, and He permitted me. So visit graves, for they remind you of death.’”

It is also authentically established from him, in a hadith narrated by Anas, that he said:

“I had forbidden you to visit graves; now visit them.”

As for visiting graves in order to supplicate there, to use them as a means of approaching Allah, or to seek intercession through them, Islamic law has not sanctioned this at all. All the reports narrated on this subject, such as the sayings:

“Whoever visits me and visits my father’s grave in a single year, I guarantee him Paradise with Allah,”

“Whoever performs Hajj but does not visit me has shunned me,”

and “Whoever