It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a woman returning from a funeral. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked her: "Where have you come from?" She said: I am coming from offering condolences to the family of this deceased. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By Allah, if you had gone with them as far as the graveyard, you would not have seen Paradise until your father's grandfather sees it." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the women who visit graves, and those who build mosques over them (the graves) and light lamps. Imam al-Hakim says: This Abu Salih is not "al-Samman", who is used as evidence; rather he is Badhan, whom the two Shaykhs did not use as evidence. However, this hadith is accepted and in circulation among the Imams, and I found a corroborating narration (mutabi') for its text from the hadith of Sufyan al-Thawri, so I have recorded it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the women who visit graves. Imam al-Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) says: These hadiths narrated concerning the prohibition of visiting graves are abrogated, and the hadith that abrogates them is that of Alqamah bin Marthad, which he narrated from Sulayman bin Buraydah, from his father, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I had forbidden you from visiting graves; listen, now visit them, for Allah Almighty has granted His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permission to visit his mother's grave." And this hadith is recorded in both Sahih books of the two Shaykhs.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I had forbidden you from visiting graves; now visit them, for in it there is a lesson. And I had forbidden you from nabidh (fruit drinks); so now you may prepare it, but I do not make any intoxicant lawful. And I had forbidden you (to store) the meat of sacrificial animals; now eat it and store it too." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Muslim, but they did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I had forbidden you from visiting graves, from eating the meat of sacrificial animals beyond three days, and from preparing nabidh in certain vessels. Listen! Now visit the graves, for they create detachment from the world and remind of the Hereafter; and eat the meat of sacrificial animals and keep as much of it as you wish. I only forbade you at a time when good things were scarce (due to hardship), so that there would be ease for the people. Listen! No vessel by itself makes anything unlawful; rather, every intoxicant is unlawful."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I had forbidden you from visiting graves; now visit them, for they remind you of death."

Sayyiduna Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited his mother's grave amid a thousand veiled horsemen, and no one was ever seen weeping more than on that day. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) visited his mother's grave, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) wept and made those around him weep too. Then he said: "I asked my Lord for permission to visit her grave, and He gave me permission; and I asked permission to pray for forgiveness for her, but I was not given permission. So visit the graves, for they remind of death." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Muslim, but they did not record it.

Sayyiduna Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the company of about a thousand riders. He (peace and blessings be upon him) halted with us and led us in two rak'ahs of prayer. Then he turned his radiant face towards us, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) had tears flowing from his eyes. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went forward to him (peace and blessings be upon him) and, offering his mother and father as ransom for him (peace and blessings be upon him), said: O Messenger of Allah, what is the matter with you? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I asked my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, for permission to seek forgiveness for my mother, but He did not give me permission, so my eyes filled with tears out of love for her. And I asked Him for permission to visit her, and He gave me permission. And I had forbidden you from visiting graves; now visit them, and let your visiting them be a means of increasing you in good." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abi Mulaykah narrates that one day Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was coming from the direction of the graveyard. I said to her: O Mother of the Believers, where are you coming from? She said: From the grave of my brother Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Bakr. I said: Did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) not forbid visiting graves? She said: Yes, he (peace and blessings be upon him) had forbidden it, but later he commanded that they be visited.