Ruling on walking in the graveyard wearing shoes

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

The Sunnah for the one who enters the graveyard is to take
off his shoes when he enters, but if the ground is thorny and will hurt him
and so on, then there is nothing wrong with keeping his shoes on.

Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
al-Mughni (2/224): He should take off his shoes when he enters the
graveyard. This is mustahabb, because of the report narrated by Basheer ibn
al-Khasaasiyah who said: Whilst I was walking with the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), we saw a man who was
walking among the graves, wearing shoes. He said: “O you with the two shoes,
take them off.” The man looked, and when he recognized the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) he took them off and
threw them aside. Narrated by Abu Dawood. End quote.

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas
were asked: Is taking off one’s shoes in the graveyard Sunnah or bid’ah (an
innovation)?

They replied: It is prescribed for the one who enters the
graveyard to take off his shoes, because of the report narrated by Basheer
ibn al-Khasaasiyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: … and they
quoted the hadeeth. Then they said: Ahmad said: The isnaad of the hadeeth of
Basheer ibn al-Khasaasiyah is jayyid and I would follow it unless there was
a reason not to. And the reason referred to by Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy
on him) is things such as thorns or the ground being too hot to walk on and
the like, in which case there is nothing wrong with wearing shoes when
walking between the graves, so as to avoid harming oneself.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send
blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
End quote.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Ifta
(9/123-124).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Walking between the graves wearing shoes is contrary to the Sunnah, and it
is better to take off one’s shoes when walking between the graves, except in
cases of necessity, such as if there are thorns in the graveyard or it is
very hot, or there are pebbles which will hurt one, in which case there is
nothing wrong with it, i.e., wearing shoes when walking between the graves.
End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen
(17/202).