There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding the ruling on women attending funerals:
Those who prohibit it:
The Ḥanafiy scholars disallow women from attending funerals based on the following Ḥadīth, addressing women: “Return with sins, not rewards.” It is known that the punishment is only applicable to what is forbidden. They also use the Ḥadīth of Fāṭimah, which is narrated by An-Nasāʼiy and others on the authority of ʽAbdullāh ibn ʽAmr that he said: While we were walking with the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him), he saw a woman whom he did not recognize. When she came closer, he stopped and waited for her. It turned out that she was Fāṭimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him). He asked her, “What brought you out of your house, O Fāṭimah?” She replied, “I came to visit the family of this deceased person and offer my condolences.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Perhaps you went with them to the burial ground.” She replied, “May Allāh forbid that, I did not go with them to the burial ground, especially since I heard you mention something about it. He said, “If you went there, you would not enter Paradise until your grandfather sees it [i.e., you will never see it].”. However, some scholars have rendered this narration as weak.
They also rely the Ḥadīth of ʼUmm ʽAṭiyyah, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) disallowed following funerals but did not emphasize it. This Ḥadīth is recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāriy.
Those who permit it:
The Mālikiy scholars allow women to attend funerals if there is no fear of sedition. They said that it is permissible for an elderly woman to attend any funeral, and a young woman may attend a funeral if she sedition is secured, especially if it is the funeral of a close family member such as a father, mother, spouse, son, daughter, brother or sister. If she fears sedition, then it is prohibited for her to attend.
Those who abhorred it:
These are the Shāfiʽiy and Ḥanbaliy scholars. An-Nawawiy said: “The view of our scholars is that it is abhorred but not forbidden.” He explained the statement of ʼUmm ʽAṭiyyah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, disallowed it out of indecisive abhorrence rather than decisive prohibition. The same is narrated on the authority of the Ḥanbaliy scholars.
Ash-Shawkāniy preferred this opinion as a reconciliation between the conflicting Ḥadīths in his book (Nayl al-ʼAwṭār).
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr