Women Following Funeral Procession

9-12-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

Are Women allowed to visit graveyard and visit their loved ones. Also can they follow a funeral procession in a car? Please comment from Hadith and Sunnah.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) told women not to follow the funeral precession. Umm ‘Attiyah may Allaah be pleased with her narrated: “We were forbidden from following funeral processions, but that was not made mandatory upon us.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The majority of the scholars are of the view that this banning does not reach the level of prohibition; it is only dislikable for women to do so.

On the other hand, all the four Imams of the Four Schools of Fiqh dislike following the funeral while riding or driving.

So, it is more preferable for women not to follow funeral procession and if they do, it is preferable for them to do that on foot, but if they drive, it is lawful but dislikable.

For more benefit on women following the funeral procession, please refer to Fatwa 11098.

Allah knows best.

www.islamweb.net