Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

is it ok to go to tombs & mausoleums & take flowers or things like that to decorate it? (not answered)

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Answer:

Is it permissible to take flowers to decorate tombs?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: is it ok to go to tombs & mausoleums

Visiting the graves is permissible for the men in Islam, but the Messenger of Allah (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on the women who are frequest visitors to the graves, but there is no harm if a woman occasionally visits the graveyard.

Abdallah ibn Buraidah reported from his father that the Prophet (saws) said: "I had forbidden you to visit graves, but now you may visit them. It will remind you of the Hereafter."

Related by Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan.

It is reported in an authentic narration that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “, "May Allah curse the women who are frequent visitors of the graves."

Related by Ahmad, Ibn Maajah, and Tirmidhi.

In the beginning at the time of the Prophet (saws), he (saws) prohibited the believers from visiting the graves because of their proximity to the ‘jahiliyyah’ (Days of Ignorance). After the believers had fully entered the fold of Islam, became well pleased with it, and had fully accepted its laws, the Prophet (saws) permitted them to visit graves.

Q-2: take flowers or things like that to decorate it? 

Aishah reported: "Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah mentioned to Allah's Messenger (saws) a church in which they saw drawings while in Abyssinia, whereupon he (saws) said: 'Those people used to build a place of worship over the grave of a righteous man among them when he died, and make such drawings in it. These will be the worst of people in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection.''

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

The scholars of Islam are unanimous in their opinion that the raising of the grave, building domes over graves, building shrines on graves, and erecting mosques around graves is absolutely prohibited in Islam. The Prophet (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on those who did that. The practice of erecting buildings around graves and beautifying them causes corruption, which Islam seeks to eliminate.

Placing flowers on the graves is a custom and ritual of the pagans, the idol-worshippers, and the People of the Book, etc.; and not a practice which behoves the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.780 Narrated by Nafi

Ibn Umar said: “The Prophet (saws) said, "Do the opposite of what the pagans do.”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan