QUESTION:
Someone mentioned a Hadith wherein Fatima Radiallahu Anha returns to the house after visiting the bereaved. Nabi Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam asked her where she was returning from. Nabi Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam then responds something to the effect “If you were returning from the graveyard…” How authentic is this HadIth and please expound on it?
ANSWER:
This Hadith is recorded in Sunan Nasa’i and is as follows:
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ: بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ نَسِيرُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذْ بَصُرَ بِامْرَأَةٍ لَا تَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ عَرَفَهَا، فَلَمَّا تَوَسَّطَ الطَّرِيقَ وَقَفَ حَتَّى انْتَهَتْ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ لَهَا: «مَا أَخْرَجَكِ مِنْ بَيْتِكِ يَا فَاطِمَةُ؟»، قَالَتْ: أَتَيْتُ أَهْلَ هَذَا الْمَيِّتِ، فَتَرَحَّمْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَعَزَّيْتُهُمْ بِمَيِّتِهِمْ، قَالَ: «لَعَلَّكِ بَلَغْتِ مَعَهُمُ الْكُدَى؟»، قَالَتْ: مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ، أَنْ أَكُونَ بَلَغْتُهَا وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُكَ تَذْكُرُ فِي ذَلِكَ مَا تَذْكُرُ، فَقَالَ لَهَا: لَوْ بَلَغْتِهَا مَعَهُمْ مَا رَأَيْتِ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَرَاهَا جَدُّ أَبِيكِ(سنن النسائي # 1880)
Abdullah ibn Amr Radiallahu Anhuma reports, “We were travelling with Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam when he suddenly saw a woman not realizing that he knows her. When he reached the middle of the road he stopped until she reached him, it was Fatimah Radiallahu Anha, the daughter of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam asked her, “What brought you out of your house, O Fatimah?” She replied, “I came to the people of this deceased to show kindness towards them and to offer my condolences to them. Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, “Perhaps you went with them to the graveyard?” She replied, “Allah forbid! that I reach there when I have heard you saying in regards to that, what you mentioned. He said, ‘if you went there with them, you would never have seen Jannah until your father’s grandfather saw it.”
Imaam Nasa’i has stated that the Hadith is weak. However, the content of this Hadith is supported by other Ahaadith and verdicts of the Fuqaha as well, that women should not visit graves. In fact, it is mentioned in the Hadith of Tirmidhi Sharif that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam cursed those women who visit the graveyards. Majority of the scholars hold the view that the prohibition still remains.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَعَنَ زَوَّارَاتِ القُبُورِ(سنن الترمذي # 1056)
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Maulana Abdul Kader Fazlani
Date: – 23 Muharram 1444 / 11 July 2023
CHECKED AND APPROVED:
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
