Question 103: Assalaamualaikum. What is the Shia view on visiting non-muslim graves and praying for dead non-muslims?
Answer 103: According to the verses of the Holy Quran, if those non-Muslim who have not fought Muslims on the account of Religion and have not driven us out of our Homeland, Allah (SWT), the Almighty does not forbid us from doing good and regarding justice to them.

Therefore, we can visit their graves and ask Allah, the Almighty for His forgiveness and pray for them. On the other hand, Allah (SWT) forbids us only from having Friendship with those who fought us on the account of Religion and Drove us out of our homeland; and helped one another in driving us out. As a result, we are forbidden to have friendly Relation with them; and whoever among us does so, then he is regarded as one of the disbelievers. Because, in the Holy Quran Allah (SWT) says: “The Prophet and the faithful may not plead for the forgiveness of the polytheists, even if they should be [their] relatives, after it has become clear to them that they will be the inmates of hell”.[1]

Conclusion: If you come to know that they won’t be the inhabitants of the Fire there would be no problem to visit their graves and pray for them.

Index: Praying for non-Muslim Parents, answer 516.

Index: Barzakh / Whoever dies shall see the Infallibles (pbuth) in His Grave, answer 564.

Index: Barzakh / Everyone Shall Enter the Hell, answer 326.

[1] . Surah Mumtahina, verses 8 & 9; Surah Tawbah, verse 113.