Praying Two Raka'as in the Mosque upon Coming from a Travel and Visiting the Graves

Ka'ab ibn malik narrated....".....It was in the morning that Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) arrived in Al-Madinah. It was his habit that whenever he came back from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and perform two Rak`ah (of optional prayer) and would then sit with the people....."

Visiting graves:

1- Abu Hurirah narrates: “The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited his mother’s grave, so he cried and all those around him cried too. Then he said I asked my lord to permit me to ask for forgiveness for her, he did not permit me. I asked him to visit her grave so he permitted me. Then he said: visit the graves since they remind you of death.”²

2- Narrated Buraydah Ibn Al-Hasib (ra) that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “I forbade you to visit graves, now you may visit them. I forbade you to eat the meat of sacrificial animals after three days, but now you may eat and enjoy it. I forbade you drinks except from skin vessels, but now you may drink from any kind of vessels, but do not drink an intoxicant.”³

 In another narration of the hadith: “I forbade you to visit graves, now you may visit them, for in visiting them there is admonition.”⁴

3- Narrated Marthad Al-Ghanawi (ra), that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Don not sit on the graves nor pray in their direction.”⁵

4- Narrated Abu Hurirah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "Allah curses the women who frequently visit the graves"⁶

5- The mother of believers, 'Aisha (ra) reported that, whenever it was her turn to spend the night with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), he used to go to the baqie (graveyard in al-Madinah) at the last part of night and say, "as-salaamu ‘alaykum abode of the believing people. What you have been promised has come to you. You are tarried till tomorrow and certainly we shall follow you if Allah wills. O Allah, forgive the inmates of Baqie-Al-Gharqad.''⁷

---------------------------------------------------

([1]) Sahih Al-Bukhari – Kitab Al-Maghazi (8144), Sahih Muslim – Kitab Salutu Al-Musafereen (617) And Kitab Al-Tawbah (9672)

([2]) Sahih Muslim – Kitab Al-Jana'iz (679)

([3]) Sahih Muslim – Kitab Al-Adhahi (7791)

([4]) Sunan Abi Dawoud – Kitab Al-Jana'iz (5323)

([5]) Sahih Muslim – Kitab Al-Jana'iz (279)

([6]) Sunan Al-Termidhi – Kitab Al-Jana'iz (6501), Sunan Ibn Majah – Kitab Al-Jana'iz (6751), Al-Termidhi said about the hadith: “This hadith is hassan (good) sahih (authentic), some scholars see that this hadith was narrated before the Prophet (pbuh) allowed Muslims to visit graves. When it was allowed to visit graves, it became permissible for both men and women to visit them. Some of the scholars said: “He prohibited women from visiting graves because of their lack of patience and strong distress.”

There are subsequent narrations of hadith that abrogated the narration that expresses prohibition.  This is confirmed by Al-Hakim who narrated the hadith: "Allah curses the women who frequently visit the graves" then said: "Those narrations pertaining to prohibition from visiting the graves are abrogated, the abrogator is the hadith of Alqama Ibn Marthad, from Sulayman Ibn Burayda, from his father, from the Prophet (pbuh) “I forbade you to visit the graves but [now] do visit them!”

([7]) Sahih Muslim – Kitab Al-Jana'iz (479)