Ayaz Malik from London asks, ‘Are women permitted to visit shrines?’
Everything has to do with one’s intentions.
‘Innamal a'malu binniyat’ [Prophetic Tradition].
The question is what is the purpose for a woman to go to a shrine?
Are Women Permitted to Visit Shrines?
Ahmed Raza Khan Fazil e Barelvi from India,
who is also known as Aala Hazrat to Muslims,
has declared it forbidden for women to visit shrines of saints.
He wrote it in the Bahari Sharif
that women are prohibited from going to the shrines.
Now, the reason why he said this is that back then the young girls would sneak out to the shrines for a date.
They would go and meet with boys and so there were indecent activities happening at the shrines.
This is why he [Aala Hazrat] said that women should not go to the shrines.
But he should have clarified that it is wrong to go to the shrines if they have indecent intentions.
But he did not explain it all.
Therefore, I believe that it is absolutely permissible if a woman goes to a shrine with the intention of prayers.
She can pray and come back.
If women are prohibited from going to the shrines
then why do the women go to the holy site of Medina?
Why do they go to Mecca?
The things that tend to happen there, like men bumping into women - everyone circumambulates together, men and women.
This also should have been prohibited.
So these are just the self-fabricated fatwas by the clergymen.
However, there are some Prophetic Traditions that state it is not good for women to go to cemeteries.
The reason is that when a person dies and is buried in the grave, their Lower Self remains in the grave.
The satanic armies circle around the cemeteries to steal their Lower Self.
The graves of those who were not true believers and did not have divine energy in their hearts
such graves become the hub of satanic spirits.
The satanic spirits take over such graves.
So if a woman goes to a cemetery she may become possessed by an evil spirit.
This is why women shouldn't go to the cemeteries.
However, the shrines of saints are being showered with the divine energy.
No evil spirit will attack you there.
Therefore, stopping women from going there is unjust and nonsensical.
You don't know whose grave is occupied by satanic spirits in the cemetery
but if it is a shrine of a saint of God, it is full of divine energy and divine blessings so stopping women from going there is highly unjust.
As far as indecent activities are concerned, well, an indecent activity is wrong no matter where it happens.
Whether at a shrine or elsewhere.
What is wrong is wrong everywhere.
Whether it is done on a street or at a shrine.
If something is wrong, it is wrong no matter where it happens.