Question.
Is it permissible to enshroud qabr with chaadar?
Is it permissible for woman to visit the qabarastaan?
Answer.
It should be known that when it comes to any aspect of Shariah, weather it be worshiping Allah or anything, we cannot use our puny logic or adopt any haphazard way of going about it. We have to abide by the laws laid by Shariah (Allah and his messenger “Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam”). Allah mentions in the holy Qur’aan;
وما خلقت الجن والإنس إلا ليعبدون
Translation; I did not create jinn and mankind except for my worship.
Allah Ta’âla has sent his Messenger (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) to teach us how we should go about worshiping Allah, and ask from Him our needs and also taught us what we are allowed to do and what we have to refrain from.
Therefore to consider anyone else to be equal to Allah in regard to His Being, Qualities, etc is shirk. And to do such things that which was not done by our Prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), Sahaabah (Radiyallâhu An hum) and Taabieen (Rahmatullahi Alaihim) and to consider it to be part of deen is an innovation (bid’ at) and a great sin.
Imam Bukhari and Muslim (Rahmatullahi Alaihimaa) made mention in their Sahih narrated with the authority of Hazrat Aisha (Radiyallâhu A’nha) that Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam mentioned that, the person who innovates anything in our religion which does not have any connection with it is rejected (it will not be accepted and not considered to be a part of deen).
Therefore if one does such an act (which has no connection with Dîn) then he will be considered as though he is opposing Allah, because Shariah is something that originated from Allah, no one has the right of adding or decreasing anything, therefore that person who innovates anything in it is as though he is considering the Shariah to be incomplete, and this is a very great crime.
Briefly an innovator is opposing Allah and he is claiming equality with him, which in turn is a great sin and deviated act, even though outwardly he is worshiping Allah.
Since he is considering it to be an act of worship therefore he will not have the opportunity of making tawbah also. Therefore we should not be deceived from such act.
Enshroud the grave:
As far as the chaadar is concerned, it is such a chaadar, which she received from a grave. In Islam there is no such thing as placing chadars over a grave, so how can such a chaadar be made into an object of veneration and worship?
Hazrat Aisha (Radiyallâhu A’nha) mentioned in a hadith, which is in Muslim Shareef that, Allah Ta’aala did not command us to enshroud stone, brick and sand.
In this hadith we are being told that not to enshroud stone, wall etc, wherein apparently there is no doubt of shirk etc, therefore to enshroud Qabr with chaadr in which there is a doubt of shirk and is an act of showing veneration to someone other than Allah Ta'aala, will not be permissible to a greater extent.
How can the act of enshrouding a grave be termed as worship!!!!
To enshroud the grave will be either showing respect to the person in the grave or worshipping him. Both these acts are most definitely not permitted in Islam.
Only those things will be considered as the act of worship that which Allah Ta’aala and Rasulullâh sallallâhu alaihi wasallam have told us and commanded us to do.
By one considering the act of enshrouding the grave as worship will mean that he is changing the meaning of worship (may Allah Ta’aala save us).
Once it is known that there is no basis in Shariah in enshrouding a grave, then all those things related to it will not be permissible and will be considered as bida’t as well. E.g. to take blessing from it, to give it to people as tabarruk and waseelah, to make dua under it and claim its acceptance etc.
women visiting qabarastaan:
As far as the visiting of the qabr is concerned, it is prohibited for women to do so, especially in today's time, it is aggravated even more due to the intermingling of different sexes that is generally the case in these types of functions.
Then how will one be blessed and gain proximity to almighty Allah.
The permissibility of visiting the graveyard is for remembrance of death by which a person will stay away from the disobedience of Allah Ta’aala thereby gaining proximity unto him.
If one wishes to make dua for the person in the grave then this can be done at anytime and anyplace where one is allowed to make dua, not necessarily by the grave only, because dua is asked from Allah Ta’aala only and Allah Ta’aala is omni-present and sees everything. However to ask from the person in the grave is an act of shirk and totally haram in Islam.
The conclusion is that all these acts are baseless in Shariah and it may lead one to kufr and shirk, therefore we should abstain from it and prevent others from it by using the word of wisdom (hikmat).
We ask Allah Ta’aala to save us and guide us at every step of our life.
And Allah Ta'aala Knows Best.
