What is the answer regarding the hadiths that permit women to visit graves, such as Aisha's visit to her brother's grave and her saying: "Yes, he [the Prophet] had forbidden it, then he commanded us to visit them"?

The visitation of graves by women is a contentious issue among scholars, with two main opinions: permissibility and prohibition.

The preponderant view is prohibition, and the arguments used to support permissibility can be refuted as follows:

1. The Hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and her visit to her brother's grave: Aisha did not intend to go out specifically to visit graves; rather, she passed by her brother's grave on her way to Hajj, which is permissible. Her statement, "Had I been present at your death, I would not have visited you," indicates her settled knowledge of the prohibition for women to visit graves. Her statement, "He [the Prophet] used to forbid [visiting graves] then ordered us to visit them," is her interpretation, and the authority lies in the words of the infallible Prophet (peace be upon him). This interpretation contradicts the hadiths of prohibition, and furthermore, the command to visit is specific to men.

2. The Hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and her question about how to visit graves: Her question can be interpreted as referring to passing by graves without intending to visit them, as the hadith does not explicitly state visitation. The hadith can be interpreted as referring to an original permissibility that was later abrogated by the prohibition for women, with the general prohibition for women remaining in effect through the hadith: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) cursed women who frequently visit graves." Her question and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) teaching to her can be understood as her being a conveyer of information from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and there are many such instances in the Sunnah.