THE DEAD CHAPTER 26 – OFFERING CONDOLENCES
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
We accompanied the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) in burying a deceased person. When we separated from the burial, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) turned back, and so did we. He stopped at the door of the deceased’s house. Then, behold, a woman was coming towards us. Abdullah said: I think the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) recognized her. As she approached, it became clear that it was Fatima.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) asked her: “Fatima, what brought you out of your home?”
Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Messenger of Allah, I came to the people of this house, asking for mercy from Allah for their deceased, or offering condolences. I advised them to be patient."
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said to Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her): “It may be that you have accompanied them to the grave.”
Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I seek refuge in Allah from accompanying them to the grave. I have indeed heard from you the objections regarding women going to the graves."
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: – “If you had accompanied them to the grave,” he then uttered harsh expressions on this topic. The narrator, Rabia, asked me, "What is *Kuda*?" I said, "According to my understanding, it means graves.” [55]
**EXPLANATION:**
*Kuda*: It signifies a hard place. Graves are opened in hard ground, hence its use here to mean “graves.” At the end of this hadith, the harsh words that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) used towards Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) are as follows, according to the narration of Nasa’i: "If you were to go to the grave, you would not enter until my grandfather's grandfather entered." This hadith expresses the undesirability of women visiting cemeteries because women have delicate hearts and may cause lamentation and disorder.