581/1 - Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I forbade you from visiting graves, but now you can visit them.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) The wisdom behind the initial forbiddance of visiting the graves was to protect people from committing Shirk (associating partners with Allah). This is because people at that time were new converts to Islam. So, the ban was intended to protect their state of monotheism. Belief was not yet ingrained into their hearts, so it was feared that they might commit acts of Shirk, such as asking the dead to help them or fulfill their needs. Those acts frustrate one’s good deeds and are a cause for entering Hellfire.
2) Then visiting the graves was sanctioned for the benefits it has to the visitor and the visited. The visitor takes lessons as he remembers death and the Hereafter; whereas the visited benefits from the supplication made for him, not to him. It behooves us to correct our monotheistic beliefs.
582/2 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that whenever it was her turn that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) spends the night in her home, he would go out to the Baqī‘ (graveyard in Madīnah) in the last part of night and say: “Peace be upon you, O abode of a believing people. What you have been promised has come to you. You are tarried till tomorrow, and we shall certainly follow you, Allah willing. O Allah, forgive the dwellers of Baqī‘ al-Gharqad.” [Narrated by Muslim]
583/3 - Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach them to say upon going to the graves: “Peace be upon you, dwellers of these abodes from amongst the believers and Muslims. We, Allah willing, shall definitely join you. I ask Allah to grant us and you well-being.” [Narrated by Muslim]
584/4 - Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) passed by the graves of Madīnah and he turned towards them and said: “Peace be upon you, O dwellers of the graves. May Allah forgive us and you. You have preceded us, and we are to follow.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; he classified it as Hasan (sound)] [4]
Baqī‘ al-Gharqad: It is the cemetery of the people of Madīnah, situated next to the Prophet’s Mosque. It was called so because it used to have Al-Gharqad trees, which were later cut off. Al-Gharqad is a kind of thorny trees.
1) It is recommended to visit the graves in the lawful manner, without specifying certain days for doing so.
2) A person is advised to make the reported supplications upon visiting the graves, as blessing lies in them. However, if he does not memorize any of the reported supplications, he can supplicate as he wishes.
3) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to teach his Ummah what is beneficial for them. Knowledge precedes words and deeds.
4) It is a right of the believers in general to receive supplication for them to be forgiven and shown mercy. This is one of the rights of brotherliness that last after death.
Benefit:
Visiting the graves falls under three categories: lawful, innovative, and polytheistic. These were extensively explained by the erudite scholar Hāfiz Hakami (may Allah have mercy upon him) in his work Sullam al-Wusūl Fi Tawhīd Allah wa Ittibā‘ al-Rasūl.