82 - Chapter on Women Visiting Graves

3236 - Muhammad ibn Kathir narrated to us: Shu'bah informed us, from Muhammad ibn Juhadah: I heard Abu Salih narrating from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, cursed women who visit graves, and those who take graves as places of worship and set lamps upon them.

(1) This is sound due to corroborating evidence, except for the mention of lamps; this chain is weak due to the weakness of Abu Salih — who is Badham, the freed slave of Umm Hani'.

It was also recorded by Ibn Majah (1575), al-Tirmidhi (320), and al-Nasa'i (2543) via the path of Abd al-Warith ibn Sa'id, with this chain. Ibn Majah did not mention in his narration the taking of graves as places of worship and setting lamps upon them. Al-Tirmidhi said: A sound hadith.

It is also found in the Musnad of Ahmad (2530) and (2603), and in Sahih Ibn Hibban (3179) and (3180).

Corroborating the cursing of women who visit graves is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in Ibn Majah (1576) and al-Tirmidhi (1077), and al-Tirmidhi said: Sound and authentic, and Ibn Hibban declared it authentic (3178).

Also the hadith of Hassan ibn Thabit in Ibn Majah (1574).

As for the cursing of those who take graves as places of worship, there is the hadith of Ibn Abbas and A'ishah in al-Bukhari (435) and (436) and Muslim (531), that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "May the curse of Allah be upon the Jews and Christians; they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship."

And the hadith of Abu Hurayrah previously mentioned by the author under number (3227).

It has been authentically established from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, what contradicts this hadith regarding permission for women to visit graves. Al-Bukhari (1252) and Muslim (926) recorded from the hadith of Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by a woman at a grave who was weeping, and he said: "Fear Allah and be patient." And Muslim recorded from A'ishah (974) that she followed him to al-Baqi', then asked him: How should I say [the greeting]? He said: "Say: Peace be upon the inhabitants of this abode from among the believers and Muslims..." =