The Research on Muslim Scholars’ Fatwas and Practical Traditions Concerning Graves Visiting

The term “pilgrimage” refers to the desire and intention to do something or to see someone, and visiting someone is customarily defined as going to him/her to become friends and honor him/her. The Islamic jurisprudential underpinnings for visiting graves include verses, narratives, Muslim scholars’ opinions and fatwas, as well as rational verdicts. This article examines one of the jurisprudential pillars of pilgrimage—the fatwas and practical traditions of the jurists of the five schools of thought— by using library resources and a descriptive-analytical method. The Muslims agree to the legitimacy and desirability of paying respects to the grave of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, both in words and in deeds. In addition, they find it preferable to pay respects to the tombs of the prophets, the pious, and other Muslims. The prevalence of pilgrimage among Muslims as a “religious tradition” is evidence of the validity of this practice. According to the evidence cited in this article, paying respects to the graves of the deceased- particularly the infallible and kin- is a long-standing custom that was started by the noble Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him, and followed by his beloved daughter and noble Companions. This practice was widespread during the time of the Infallible Imams (as) and then among religious scholars and it has continued up to now.