Women attending funerals and visiting graves

Question:

Is it permissible for women to attend funerals and visit graves? In some schools of thought, women do visit graves freely while in others, women are discouraged from doing so. What is the Islamic ruling on this?

Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

Thank you for your question.

Generally women are recommended to avoid frequenting the graveyard. However, it is permissible for women to attend funerals and visit the cemetery provided the following conditions are met:

• no acts contrary to the Shariah are practiced (eg. wailing and loud crying etc.)
• all rules of Islamic gender relations are adhered (thus avoiding intermingling of sexes)
• Islamic attire is adopted.

And Allah knows best.

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Badat
Hadith of the Day Imam
Imam of the Islamic Foundation of Toronto and Director of Mathabah institute