Q: 342 ? Title: 1. Should muslims visit the graves? 2. Should we request others to make dua for us? 3. How many times should we do raf-ul-yadain (raising the hands) in Salah?

Question

Should muslims go to graves and go to people seeking for duas and forgiveness like the way people do in Pakistan and India? Also, how many times should we do the raf-ul-yadain during our prayer?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salamu 'alaykum wa-rahmatullahi wa-barakatuh.

Your question consists of three parts?

1. Should muslims visit the graves?

2. Should we request others to make dua for us?

3. How many times should we do raf-ul-yadain (raising the hands) in Salah?

Each one will be answered accordingly.

1. It is permissible to visit the graves with the following conditions:

a.) One should visit the grave with the intention of remembering death.

b.) One should not commit any type of Bid'ah at the grave.

c.) There should be no intermingling of genders at the grave.

d.) One should not mourn loudly, cry or lose control of his/her emotions at the grave.

2. It is encouraged from the Ahadith that one may request others to make duaa for him.

3. According to the Hanafi Madhab (school of thought), Raf-ul-yadain (raising the hands) is performed only in the beginning of the Salah during Takbeer-e-Tahrimah and in the third rakah of Witr Salah before reciting Qunoot.

And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mawlana Abdul Hannan Nizami,
Student Darul Iftaa
USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.