[Visiting Graves, and the Rulings on Seeking Blessing from Them, Touching Them, and Praying Near Them]

Answer—and Allah is the One who grants success: In summary, visiting graves should be like visiting the living: the visitor stands or sits facing the deceased, does not raise his voice, and observes proper etiquette, as a visitor does with the living—with courtesy and dignity. He greets the deceased, then after the greeting he supplicates for him, asking forgiveness and mercy. It is narrated that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) used to say when visiting graves: “Peace be upon you, O abode of a believing people. Indeed we, if Allah wills, will join you …,” and so on.

Ruling on seeking blessing (tabarruk): Seeking blessing from the graves of the prophets and the righteous is permissible. Abū Bakr and Omar bequeathed that they be buried next to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace), seeking blessing by being near the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace), and none of the Companions objected.

Ruling on touching graves: Touching the graves of the prophets and the righteous is permissible. What is prohibited is worship of graves; touching is not worship.
Ruling on praying near graves: The ruling is detailed:

1. Praying on top of a grave is prohibited. As for the grave of a Muslim, because that entails violating the sanctity of the grave; and as for the grave of a disbeliever, because prayer requires avoiding impurity.

2. Praying among graves is forbidden.

3. Praying beside a grave is permissible.

The prohibition of praying among graves may be due to harm caused to other visitors, or because it may suggest worship of graves.

As for praying beside graves—if the worshipper is not facing the grave—there is no objection. Muslims, from the time of the Companions until today, have prayed beside the grave of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) without anyone objecting.

The meaning of tabarruk is: seeking blessing and an increase of good in this world and the Hereafter. Worldly blessing includes: soundness of bodies, safety from afflictions, increase of lifespans, rectitude of crops, increased fertility, increased profits, reconciliation between people, the righteousness of spouses and children, and so on.

Otherworldly blessing includes: forgiveness of sins, expiation of misdeeds, increase of good deeds, multiplication of reward, and the like.

In the ḥadīth: “A prayer in this mosque of mine is worth a thousand prayers in other mosques …,” and that is only due to the blessing of the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace).

Allah, Exalted is He, urged His Messenger (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) to pray in Masjid Qubāʾ—for the auspiciousness and blessing of its people—and He warned him against praying in Masjid al-Ḍirār—of ill omen are its people.

And by the auspiciousness and blessing of the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace), Allah blessed Madīnah: He lifted from it the epidemic, made it a sacred sanctuary, and so forth of the virtues that accrued to Madīnah by the blessing and auspiciousness of the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace).

Yes, there is a general blessing and particular blessings. The general blessing is what Allah placed in the earth when He created it: “And He blessed it and determined therein its sustenance in four days …” [Fuṣṣilat:10]. The particular blessings include what He placed in the land of al-Shām: “the land which We have blessed for the worlds,” [al-Anbiyāʾ:71], and: “to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā whose surroundings We have blessed.” [al-Isrāʾ:1]

Allah caused Nūḥ and those with him to alight from the Ark with peace and blessings upon them and upon nations of those with them.

And in the story of Ibrāhīm (May the blessing of Allah be upon him) and his family: “[The angels said,] ‘The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O people of the House. Indeed, He is Praiseworthy, Glorious.’” [Hūd:73]

And in the formula of sending prayers upon the Prophet (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace): “O Allah, send prayers upon Muḥammad and upon the family of Muḥammad, and bless Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, as You sent prayers and blessings upon Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm; indeed You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.”

Friday is a blessed day—and likewise the night of Friday. Ramaḍān is a blessed month; Laylat al-Qadr; the Day of ʿArafah and its night; the first ten days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah; the days of the two ʿĪds and of al-Tashrīq; Monday and Thursday; and the last hour remaining of the night. “Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night.” [al-Dukhān:3]

And the supplication of the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace) for Yemen and al-Shām for blessing—his supplication is answered—along with more than what we have mentioned of things in which Allah placed blessing.

Allah, Exalted is He, placed blessing in what we have mentioned so that His servants may benefit thereby. He explicitly stated some of this, as in His saying: “the land which We have blessed for the worlds.” [al-Anbiyāʾ:71].

Thus Allah wants us to seek blessing, to pursue it, and to obtain it. What has come of encouragement to seek out Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights, to supplicate in the last part of the night and on the Day of
ʿArafah, and so on—all testifies to that.
Source : Min Thimār al-ʿIlm wa al-Ḥikmah vol.1