Visiting the graveyard
Friday, July 4, 2008
MESSENGER of Allah Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "I had prohibited you from visiting the graves, but now I encourage you to visit them, because they are a reminder of the Hereafter." (Sunan Abi Dawud and Musnad Ahmad)
The reason a Muslim is encouraged to visit the graveyard is to be reminded of the Hereafter. By seeing the deceased — by seeing what we are destined to come to — we are given a strong reminder.
Our purpose for visiting the graves is not to provide any comfort or benefit to the deceased. The dead get nothing out of our visit. As for our supplications to Allah to forgive them and to reward them, these reach Allah regardless of where we offer those supplications.
When the Prophet visited the graves, he would stand at the head of them and say a general supplication like: "Peace be upon you, believing and Muslims denizens. May Allah the first and last of us. Soon, we shall join you." (Sahih Muslim) Then he would move on.
The benefit for the person who visits the graveyard is to be reminded of the Hereafter. There are three dimensions to this reminder:
To be reminded of the state of the person in the grave. The one who is buried in the grave is either in a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hell. This is why one of the things the Prophet would say upon visiting the graveyard is another general statement: "You have received what you have been promised." In this way, he reminded himself that the person in the grave has absolute certainty of Allah's promise — certainty born of firsthand experience.
To be reminded of the family the deceased left behind. The deceased might have been the breadwinner of family, someone they looked up to and depended upon. He has now moved on without a trace. They still have their expenses and their needs. Their sustenance still comes to them. In this way, we are reminded that truly Allah alone is the Provider upon whom all of us depend. He is the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal. Everything else must sooner or later come to an end.
To be reminded that the best state in which to die is where other Muslims give us our burial rites. We will be washed and shrouded. We will have our funeral prayers offered for us, and we shall be buried.
Then, maybe, someone will visit our graves and likewise be reminded about the transience of life and the goal of the Hereafter. Islam Today
The reason a Muslim is encouraged to visit the graveyard is to be reminded of the Hereafter. By seeing the deceased — by seeing what we are destined to come to — we are given a strong reminder.
Our purpose for visiting the graves is not to provide any comfort or benefit to the deceased. The dead get nothing out of our visit. As for our supplications to Allah to forgive them and to reward them, these reach Allah regardless of where we offer those supplications.
When the Prophet visited the graves, he would stand at the head of them and say a general supplication like: "Peace be upon you, believing and Muslims denizens. May Allah the first and last of us. Soon, we shall join you." (Sahih Muslim) Then he would move on.
The benefit for the person who visits the graveyard is to be reminded of the Hereafter. There are three dimensions to this reminder:
To be reminded of the state of the person in the grave. The one who is buried in the grave is either in a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hell. This is why one of the things the Prophet would say upon visiting the graveyard is another general statement: "You have received what you have been promised." In this way, he reminded himself that the person in the grave has absolute certainty of Allah's promise — certainty born of firsthand experience.
To be reminded of the family the deceased left behind. The deceased might have been the breadwinner of family, someone they looked up to and depended upon. He has now moved on without a trace. They still have their expenses and their needs. Their sustenance still comes to them. In this way, we are reminded that truly Allah alone is the Provider upon whom all of us depend. He is the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal. Everything else must sooner or later come to an end.
To be reminded that the best state in which to die is where other Muslims give us our burial rites. We will be washed and shrouded. We will have our funeral prayers offered for us, and we shall be buried.
Then, maybe, someone will visit our graves and likewise be reminded about the transience of life and the goal of the Hereafter. Islam Today
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