From Which Side to Stand When Visiting a Grave
Question
(1) Zayd stood on the east side of a grave facing the qibla — the way one stands for the funeral prayer — and recited al-Fatiha. Bakr says that this causes discomfort to the deceased, and that one should recite facing east or some direction near the east. What standing does Bakr’s statement have according to the Shari‘a? (2) When there are graves on all four sides and this person goes to the grave of a relative to recite al-Fatiha, which direction should he choose for reciting al-Fatiha?
Answer
(1, 2) If the visit is made standing on the side of the deceased’s head, this causes difficulty for the deceased; therefore one should stand on the side of the feet when visiting and reciting al-Fatiha: [ar]يأتي الزائر من قبل رجلي المتوفى لا من قبل رأسه لأنه أتعب لبصر الميت بخلاف الأول لأنه يكون مقابل بصره[/ar] “The visitor comes from the side of the deceased’s feet, not from…
Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya
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