What is the ruling on men visiting graves?
Short answer
Visiting graves is prescribed for men for taking lesson, remembering the Hereafter and supplicating for the dead, without supplicating the occupants of the graves or seeking their help.
Evidence and explanation
The Shaykh cited the hadith ordering visiting graves to remember the Hereafter, and mentioned the prescribed supplication for the occupants of the graves, distinguishing between the lawful visit and the prohibited practices.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz
حكم زيارة الأضرحة والقبور — مجموع فتاوى ومقالات الشيخ ابن باز (٢٨/١١١).- Question
«هل زيارة القبور وأضرحة الأولياء جائزة في الإسلام؟»
English translation (unreviewed): Is visiting graves and the shrines of 'saints' permissible in Islam?
- From the text of the answer
«الزيارة فيها تفصيل: إن زار القبور، قبور الأولياء وقبور المسلمين عموما، للاعتبار والذكرى في الموت والآخرة، والدعاء لهم، والترحم عليهم، فهذه مشروعة، لقول النبي ﷺ: زوروا القبور فإنها تذكركم الآخرة [١] ، وكان النبي ﷺ يعلم أصحابه إذا زاروا القبور أن يقولوا: السلام عليكم أهل الديار من المؤمنين والمسلمين وإنا إن شاء الله بكم لاحقون، نسأل الله لنا ولكم العافية [٢] .»
English translation (unreviewed): Visiting has detail: if he visits graves, the graves of 'saints' and the graves of Muslims generally, for taking lesson and remembrance of death and the Hereafter, and supplicating for them and asking mercy for them, this is prescribed, because of the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Visit the graves, for they remind you of the Hereafter” [1]. And the Prophet ﷺ used to teach his Companions when they visited graves to say: “Peace be upon you, people of the abodes, of the believers and Muslims; and we, if Allah wills, will join you. We ask Allah for well-being for us and for you” [2].
- Evidence as the shaykh cited it
«هذه الزيارة الشرعية وهي تخص الرجال دون النساء؛ لأنه ﷺ لعن زائرات القبور فدل ذلك على أن هذه الزيارة تخص الرجال.»
English translation (unreviewed): This is the lawful visit, and it is specific to men and not women, because he ﷺ cursed women who visit graves, which indicates that this visit is specific to men.
«وأقر هذا للرجال خاصة، فهي يقصد منها الذكرى والترحم على الموتى والاستغفار لهم وتذكر الآخرة، حتى لو كانوا كفارا (الميتين) إذا زار القبور للذكرى فقط لا يدعو لهم ولا يسلم عليهم؛ لأنهم كفار، إنما يزور للذكرى كما زار النبي ﷺ أمه، وكانت ماتت في الجاهلية، واستأذن ربه أن يستغفر لها فلم يؤذن له، فزارها فقط مجرد اعتبار.»
English translation (unreviewed): And this was approved for men specifically. It is intended for remembrance, asking mercy for the dead, seeking forgiveness for them and remembering the Hereafter, even if they were (deceased) disbelievers; if he visits the graves only for remembrance he does not supplicate for them or greet them, because they are disbelievers; he only visits for remembrance, as the Prophet ﷺ visited his mother, who had died in the pre-Islamic period; he asked his Lord's permission to seek forgiveness for her and was not permitted, so he only visited her for mere lesson.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
Ruling on visiting shrines and graves
Title of the original page (Arabic): حكم زيارة الأضرحة والقبور
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him