VISITING THE GRAVES ON SHAB E BARAAT

Visiting the graves is unanimously regarded as a Prophetic Practice and is recommended. The Holy Prophet usually went to Baqi to visit the graves. He also commanded that, visit the graves because it reminds you about the hereafter and of death and it causes one to be less inclined towards this world (i.e. it creates awareness about the transitory and momentary phase of this world). Visiting the graves on the blessed nights is more virtuous. It has thus been mentioned in the Hadith Shareef that Hazrat Aayesha Radi Allahu Anha states that the Holy Prophet came to me on the 15th night of Sha’baan and He had not as yet completed removing (changing) his clothing, when he again put them on and left, so I too followed Him:

I found Him in Baqi ul Gharqad (The Graveyard of Madina). He was supplicating for the forgiveness of the Muslim males, the females and the Martyrs. (Al-Dur al-Manthur Volume 6 page number 27 with reference to Bayhaqi, Mubarak Raataiñ page number 59) From the aforementioned Hadith it is clear that going out to visit the graves on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'baan is proven from the Hadith Shareef and it is the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet . The respected jurists say that it is better to visit the graves on the blessed days and blessed nights, as it is in Fataawa Alamgiri:

K K JK 6 ) =>? @ AB C D1(! 6 ) E!F 8GH;I 7)( ,7 J ( 6 ) 8. + 9 D1(! ,7 J ( = > 1245ٕ 6 ) ,7).( 8. + 9 6 + :;< K b 7% ,LMK( N/ O7P Q- R( > , .45 CS TU - 8ٔ V( QW * XYZ 45 Q- R( > C[ W CS - . \] ^ٓ CS :: # . \] a CS = >J (. '( % 8. +. n +( /, v wx n - ٤٣٠ q ٥ h( i2 j 'N # ) "Dn oٔ $% CS - cd Vٔ e ء. f g There are four days which are better (more virtuous) for visiting the graves, a Monday, a Thursday, a Friday and a Saturday. So, on a Friday, it is better to visit the graves after Jum’uah Salaah, and on a Saturday until sunrise and on a Thursday in the first portion of the day and some have said in the last portion of the day. In the same way visiting the graves is

better on the Blessed nights, especially on the night of Bara-at (the 15th night of Sha’baan). Similarly, visiting the graves is better on auspicious occasions, such as the ten days of Zil Hajj, on both Eids and on the day of Aashurah and during all other occasions (seasons). This is in Ghara’ib. (Fataawa Alamgiri Volume 5 page number 430 / Chapter of Visiting the graves).

The Summary: Visiting the graves on the eve of the 15th of Sha’baan is undoubtedly proven from the Hadith Shareef (i.e. it is the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ). It is better and more virtuous to visit the graves on blessed days and blessed nights. In other words, these days and nights are the best times to visit the graves. Therefore, every Muslim should visit the graves, especially on the eve of Me'raj, the eve of the 15th of Sha’baan and the night of Qadr and one should ask for the forgiveness of the deceased Muslims.