Smoking in the graveyard

Q: Is smoking allowed in the graveyard?

A: The Hadith encourages visiting the graveyard in order to remember death and the Hereafter. The graveyard is meant to serve as a reminder for one to realize that just as others have passed on, similarly he will also have to leave this world one day. The graveyard is not a place of amusement and entertainment. Hence, it is not in keeping with the spirit with which we are commanded to visit the graveyard that one smokes, laughs and jokes, etc. Therefore, it is better for one, at those moments, to fulfil the purpose for which one had come to the graveyard (i.e. to remember death, make dua for the inmates of the graves and take lesson from those that have passed on).

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم زوروا القبور فإنها تذكركم الآخرة (سنن ابن ماجة رقم 1569)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)