Short answer
Yes. In the relied-upon Hanafi position it is not disliked to recite the Quran at graves, and Hanafi books recommend reciting Yasin, al-Mulk, al-Ikhlas and others and gifting the reward to the dead. Recite quietly and respectfully, not sitting on the grave. The Maliki school dislikes it.
Reciting the Quran at a grave is not makruh, following Imam Muhammad's view, on which the fatwa is given; Abu Hanifa had disliked it. It is recommended to recite and gift the reward (isal al-thawab) to the dead. Reciting from a mushaf or from memory are both fine.
Other madhhabs
- Maliki
- Reciting at the grave is disliked in the well-known Maliki position.
Explanation
Visiting a parent's grave and reading some Quran there is something many Muslims do from love. In the Hanafi school it is allowed and good. Abu Hanifa disliked it, but his student Muhammad allowed it, and later Hanafi scholars gave the fatwa on Muhammad's view.
Why it is allowed. The Prophet ﷺ passed two graves and placed a fresh palm branch on each, saying their punishment might be lightened as long as the branches did not dry. Scholars reasoned that if the tasbih of a green branch can benefit the dead, the recitation of a believer is more fitting. Hanafi scholars also hold that the reward of any good deed can be gifted to the dead; see reciting Quran for the dead.
How to do it:
- Greet the people of the graves first; see dua for visiting the grave.
- Stand or sit near the grave, not on it.
- Recite what you can: al-Fatiha, al-Ikhlas three times, Yasin, al-Mulk, or the beginning and end of al-Baqarah.
- Then say: "O Allah, give the reward of what I recited to (name)."
Points of care. Recite in a low voice and avoid loud group sessions. Women follow the Hanafi rules on visiting graves; see women visiting graves. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools also allow recitation at graves, while the Maliki school dislikes it. Whatever your practice, dua for the dead is agreed to be beneficial.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Hashr 59:10
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّۭا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٠﴾
And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful."
Believers pray for those who died before them.
Sahih al-Bukhari 216
Sahih... لعله أن يخفف عنهما ما لم ييبسا ...
"Perhaps it will be lightened for them as long as these do not dry."
Scholars reasoned from this that remembrance at a grave benefits the dead.
Sahih Muslim 975
Sahih... السلام عليكم أهل الديار من المؤمنين والمسلمين ...
"Peace be upon you, people of these dwellings, believers and Muslims."
The sunnah greeting when you arrive at the graves.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, Bab Salat al-Janazah, visiting graves. Recitation at graves is not makruh according to Muhammad, and the fatwa is on this.
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Karahiyah, chapter on visiting graves and reciting Quran. Recommended surahs and gifting the reward.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.