Covid-19: Visiting Cemetery on Eid day
Question
What is the Islamic position on visiting graveyards on Eid day? Is it Sunnah? If the local council and Muslim burial organisations discourage people from visiting cemeteries on Eid day, what do you advise?
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Answer
Visiting the cemetery is generally recommended. However, it is not a specific Sunnah of Eid day. Thus, it is permissible to visit the cemetery on Eid day, however, one should not regard it a specific Sunnah of the day. This is the default position.
Currently, our understanding is that it is legal to visit cemeteries, as long as social distancing is maintained. However, if the local council and Muslim burial organisations are discouraging people from visiting cemeteries on Eid day, this should be respected. This is because if large numbers of people visit the cemeteries on Eid day, social distancing may be difficult to maintain. The most important priority is to ensure that burials are not affected in any way. Therefore, if Muslim burial organisations are advising that people spread out their visits rather than all visiting on one day, this advice should be considered.
Nevertheless, if someone does visit the cemetery on Eid day or thereafter, the necessary precautionary measures should be adopted.
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
29 Ramadan 1441 / 22 May 2020
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmad and Mufti Muhammad Tahir