According to a tradition, it is mustahabb provided that, like men, they read beside the grave surahs of at-Tawhid ( al-Ikhlas ) and Ya Sin , and ayat al-Kursi , but according to another tradition, it is not permissible. In case of its permissibility, man and woman should recite this salutation: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ أهْلَ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ، إنَّا إنْ شَاءَ اللهُ بِكُمْ لاَحِقُونَ، نَسْألُ اللهَ لَنَا وَلَكُمُ العَافِيَةَ.
“Peace be upon you, O believers and Muslims who inhabit these graves. We will join you, God willing. We pray Allah for wellbeing for you and us.” ^2 Ibn al-Qudamah does not regard the ziyarah as permissible for women, saying: وَتُكْرَهُ لِلنِّسَاءِ، لأنَّ النَّبِيَّ قَالَ: لَعَنَ اللهُ زُوَّارَاتِ القُبُورِ… Ziyarah for women is makruh (dis commended) because the Prophet said, 'Allah curses the women who visit the graves'.
He believed that the Prophet (s) initially prohibited ziyarah for women and the phrase, “Allah curses…” bespeaks of this fact. But afterward, he considered the ziyarah for women as permissible, saying: كُنْتُ نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ زِيَارَةِ القُبُورِ، فَزُورُوهَا. I was prohibiting you from visiting to grave in the past, but now you may do so. Ibn al-Qudamah also says: وَرَوَى التِّرْمِذِيُّ أنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَارَتْ قَبْرَ أخِيهَا.
Tirmidhi narrated that 'a'ishah visited the grave of her brother ('Abd ar-Rahman). In the end, Ibn al-Qutadah concludes from the set of the decrees on the permissibility and honor (of ziyarah ) in the quoted hadith s that it is loathsome for the women to perform ziyarah .[^3] The view of ‘Allamah Majlisi In this regard, 'Allamah Majlisi expresses thus: Ziyarah is good and recommended for men… But concerning the ziyarah for women, there are two pertinent opinions.
One opinion is that ziyarah for women is loathsome… and the other opinion is that it is permissible provided that they cover themselves from the sight of strangers { ghayr mahram }.[^4] According to the belief of the Shi`ah, visiting the grave of the faithful is part of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (s) and all Muslims have consensus of opinion that at the time of death of a believer, he would go to his grave and express condolences to the bereaved ones.