Islamic Question Please help me out!

[YoungMuslima]

Salaam aleikoem wr wb,

Dear brothers and sisters i had few questions and maybe one of you can help me with it.

For those of our dear ones who have passed away, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and giving it as Hadiya to them, Gives them light (noor) in the Grave.

^ i just found that out....My Question is do you have 2 recite the whole ayatul kursi or just some juz's?

My second question is

Any person who dies on the night of friday or on friday will remain safe from the torment of the grave ( ahmad, tirmidhi)
^

i just found that out aswell... can someone explain that?..i think that i kinda know what it means but i just wanna be sure.

JazaKallah Khair

 

[ShaheedU]

wa alaikumassalaam wahramatullaahi wabarakatuhu.

Can you explain what the first question means? I dont quite get it.

 

[YoungMuslima]

wa alaikumassalaam wahramatullaahi wabarakatuhu.

Can you explain what the first question means? I dont quite get it.

For those of our dear ones who have passed away, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and giving it as Hadiya to them, Gives them light (noor) in the Grave.




Well it says that you have 2 recite ayatul kursi.

My Question was do you have 2 recite the whole sura? or just parts of it?

Jazakallah Khair

 

[junaid hasan]

Salaam aleikoem wr wb,

Dear brothers and sisters i had few questions and maybe one of you can help me with it.

For those of our dear ones who have passed away, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and giving it as Hadiya to them, Gives them light (noor) in the Grave.

^ i just found that out....My Question is do you have 2 recite the whole ayatul kursi or just some juz's?

My second question is

Any person who dies on the night of friday or on friday will remain safe from the torment of the grave ( ahmad, tirmidhi)
^

i just found that out aswell... can someone explain that?..i think that i kinda know what it means but i just wanna be sure.

JazaKallah Khair

ayatul kursi is not sura bakara.
its the large and best ayaat of quran which number is 254.

so you need 2 min to read this ayaat .

 

[ShaheedU]

Ayat -ul -Kursi is just one verse,


Allahu la ilaha illa Huwa, Al-Haiyul-Qaiyum
La ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm,
lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-'ard
Man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnihi
Ya'lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum,
wa la yuhituna bi shai'im-min 'ilmihi illa bima sha'a
Wasi'a kursiyuhus-samawati wal ard,
wa la ya'uduhu hifdhuhuma Wa Huwal 'Aliyul-Adheem

Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter . And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursî extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursî.]

Check this out: http://www.mounthira.com/learning/ayat/alkursi/

Does anyone know who the recitor is for the above, cos he sounds great!

 

[Bluegazer]

Assalamu Alaikum sister YoungMuslima,


The following is a religious opinion [fatwa] of Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid. It's an answer to question no. 9211 [Virtues of Friday]. Please take extra note of the last part, which I emphasized in bold letters:

Question:
What is the merit of Friday over other days ? and why ?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Friday has many distinguishing features and virtues that Allaah has bestowed upon this day and not others.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah and Hudhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah led those who came before us away from Friday. The Jews had Saturday, and the Christians had Sunday. Then Allaah brought us and Allaah guided us to Friday. So there is Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and thus they will follow us on the Day of Resurrection. We are the last of the people of this world but we will be the first on the Day of Resurrection, and we will be dealt with before all others.”

Narrated by Muslim, 856.

Al-Nawawi said:

Al-Qaadi said: The apparent meaning is that it was obligatory for them to venerate Friday but this was not stated clearly; the matter was left to their own reasoning… But they did not manage to work it out and Allaah did not guide them to it. It was enjoined clearly upon this ummah, and was not left to their own reasoning, thus they were blessed with it … It was narrated that Moosa enjoined Friday upon them and told them of its virtues, but they disputed with him and argued that Saturday was better, and it was said to him, ‘Let them be.’ Al-Qaadi said: if there had been a clear command, their arguing with him would not have been valid, rather it would have been said to him that they were going against the command. I say: it may be that that was clearly enjoined upon them but they disputed as to whether it was something they had to adhere to or they could change it to another day; they decided to change it to another day and they erred greatly thereby.

It comes as no surprise that Friday was specifically enjoined upon them and they went against that.

Al-Haafiz said: How can it be otherwise when they are the ones who said “We hear and we disobey”?

It was narrated from Aws ibn Aws that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of your days is Friday. On that day Adam (peace be upon him) was created; on that day he died; on that day the Trumpet will be blown and on that day all of creation will swoon. So send a great deal of blessings upon me, for your blessings will be shown to me.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, how will our blessings upon you be shown to you when you have turned to dust?” He said, “Allaah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets, peace be upon them.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1047; classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Qayyim in his comments on Sunan Abi Dawood, 4/273; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 925.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On it Adam was created, on it he was admitted to Paradise and on it he was expelled therefrom.”

Narrated by Muslim, 1410.

This hadeeth includes some of the reasons why Friday is regarded as special.

Al-Nawawi said:

Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad said: The apparent meaning is that these virtues do not mean that Friday is regarded as special because Adam was expelled on a Friday and the Hour will begin on a Friday. Rather it is meant to explain what momentous events took place and will take place on this day, so that people will make the most of this day to do righteous deeds, so as to attain the mercy of Allaah and ward off His punishment. This is the view of al-Qaadi. Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi said in his book al-Ahwadhi fi Sharh al-Tirmidhi: All of these events are good and add to the virtue of Friday. The expulsion of Adam from Paradise is the reason why his offspring and the Messengers, the Prophets, the righteous and the awliya’ exist. He was not expelled from it as such, but rather it was for a purpose, then he will return to it. With regard to the Hour beginning on a Friday, the reason is so that the reward may be hastened for the Prophets, believers in truth, awliya’ and others, and their honour and high status may be made manifest. This hadeeth points to the virtues of Friday and its high status in relation to the other days.

It was narrated that Abu Lubaabah ibn ‘Abd al-Mundhir said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Friday is the master of days, and the greatest of them before Allaah. It is greater before Allaah than the day of al-Adha and the day of al-Fitr. It has five characteristics: on this day Allaah created Adam, on it He sent Adam down to the earth, on it Allaah caused Adam to die, on it there is a time when a person does not ask Allaah for anything but He gives it to him, so long as he does not ask for anything haraam, and on it the Hour will begin. There is no angel who is close to Allaah, no heaven, no earth, no wind, no mountain and no sea that does not fear Friday.”

Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1084; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 2279

Al-Sanadi said:

“They fear Friday” means they fear the onset of the Hour. This indicates that all created beings are aware of the days and they know that the Day of Resurrection will come on a Friday.

The virtues of this day include the following:

1 – On it is Salaat al-Jumu’ah (Friday prayer), which is the best of prayer.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu‘ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu‘ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if you did but know!”

[al-Jumu’ah 62:9]

Muslim (233) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The five daily prayers and from one Jumu’ah to the next is an expiation for whatever sins come in between them, so long as one does not commit a major sin.”

2 – Praying Fajr in congregation on Fridays is the best prayer that the Muslim can pray during the week.

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best prayer before Allaah is Fajr prayer on Friday in congregation.”

Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Eemaan; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1119

One of the special features of Fajr prayer on Friday is that it is Sunnah to recite Soorat al-Sajdah in the first rak’ah and Soorat al-Insaan in the second.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite in Fajr prayer in Fridays Alif-Laam-Meem Tanzeel (Soorat al-Sajdah) in the first rak’ah and Hal ata ‘ala’l-insaan heenun min al-dahr lam yakun shay’an madhkooran (Soorat al-Insaan) in the second.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 851; Muslim, 880.

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:

It was said that the reason why these two soorahs are recited is because they mention the creation of Adam and what will happen on the Day of Resurrection, because that will come to pass on a Friday.

3 – Whoever dies during the day or night of Friday, Allaah will protect him from the trial of the grave.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim who dies during the day of Friday or the night of Friday but Allaah will protect him from the trial of the grave.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1074; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 49, 50

These are some of the virtues of Friday. We ask Allaah to help us to please Him.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Source: http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=9211&ln=eng


The "Trial of the grave" refers to the questioning of the dead person in the grave by two angels, whose names are Munkar and Nakeer. The following is a saying of the Prophet [peace be upon him] regarding this subject. It's part of an answer given also by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid to question no. 843 [Al-Malaa’ikah (Angels)]:

From Abu Hurayrah, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: ‘When the deceased is buried (or he said: when one of you is buried), there come to him two blue-black angels, one of whom is called Munkar and the other Nakeer. They ask him, ‘What did you used to say about this man?’ and he says what he used to say: ‘He is the slave and Messenger of Allah: I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is the slave and Messenger of Allah. They say, ‘We knew beforehand that you used to say this.’ Then his grave will be widened for him to a size of seventy cubits by seventy cubits and it will be illuminated for him. Then they tell him, ‘Sleep.’ He says, ‘Go back to my family and tell them.’ They tell him, ‘Sleep like a bridegroom whom no-one will wake up except his most beloved,’ until Allah raises him up. If (the deceased) was a hypocrite, he says, ‘I heard the people saying something so I said something similar; I do not know.’ They say: ‘We knew beforehand that you used to say this.’ The earth will be told to squeeze him, so he will be crushed until his ribs are interlocked, and he will remain like that until Allah raises him up.’" (reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 1071. Abu ‘Isa said: It is a ghareeb hasan hadeeth. It is judged hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami‘, no. 724).

Source: http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=843&dgn=3


Regards,

Bluegazer

Wassalamu Alaikum

 

[YoungMuslima]

Ayat -ul -Kursi is just one verse,


Allahu la ilaha illa Huwa, Al-Haiyul-Qaiyum
La ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm,
lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-'ard
Man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnihi
Ya'lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum,
wa la yuhituna bi shai'im-min 'ilmihi illa bima sha'a
Wasi'a kursiyuhus-samawati wal ard,
wa la ya'uduhu hifdhuhuma Wa Huwal 'Aliyul-Adheem

Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter . And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursî extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursî.]

Check this out: http://www.mounthira.com/learning/ayat/alkursi/

Does anyone know who the recitor is for the above, cos he sounds great!

Thanks people may allah swt reward you amiin.

For those of our dear ones who have passed away, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and giving it as Hadiya to them, Gives them light (noor) in the Grave.

So i just have the read that one verse of ayatul kursi..? How many times do i have 2 recite this verse?

When they said ''for those of our dear ones who passed away'' does that also mean your parents? Cause someone told me that when your dad or mother passes away and you recite ayatul kursi 4 them that it wont get2 their grave.

I know my explanation, sounds weird but i hope someone gets what i mean

Jazakallah Khair

 

[Happy 2BA Muslim]

For those of our dear ones who have passed away, recitation of Ayatul Kursi and giving it as Hadiya to them, Gives them light (noor) in the Grave.

^ i just found that out...

Assalamu alaikum Sister,

Regarding your quote above, this is not true. This is found only in shia websites. This is not according to the Quran and Sunnah. :astag:

It is not prescribed in Islam to give the rewards for any action to a living person, but with regard to the dead it is permissible within the guidelines set out in the reports (of the Sunnah). We shall look at this matter in detail below, in sha Allaah.

1. Giving the reward of one’s actions to the living. The basic principle concerning acts of worship is that this should not be done, unless there is evidence (daleel) from the sharee’ah which allows doing so. There is nothing in the books of Sunnah or biographies (of the Salaf) to indicate that any one of the early generations (Salaf) of this ummah did any good deed and then gave the reward for that to any of the Muslims, or the Prophet or the Sahaabah.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about giving the reward for reading Qur’aan and naafil prayers to one’s mother who could neither read nor write. He said:

There is no evidence (daleel) in sharee’ah to indicate that one can give (the reward for) prayers and reading Qur’aan to another person, whether he is alive or dead.

Acts of worship are an area in which there is no room for ijtihaad, and we should not do anything except that for which there is shar’i evidence.
But it is prescribed for you to make du’aa’ for her and to give in charity on her behalf, and to do Hajj and ‘Umrah on her behalf, if she is old and cannot do Hajj and ‘Umrah.

Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 9/321.

2. With regard to giving the reward for good deeds to the dead: Islam permits doing this in the case of some deeds, so we should limit ourselves to that – it is not right to make an analogy between these and other deeds, because the basic principle concerning acts of worship is not to do anything unless there is evidence (daleel).

Among the deeds whose rewards we are allowed to give to the dead, or by means of which the dead can benefit from the actions of the living, are the following:

(i) Du’aa’

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who came after them say: “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith…” [al-Hashr 59:10]

It was reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us of the death of the Negus, the king of Ethiopia, on the day that he died, and said, ‘Pray for forgiveness for your brother.’”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1236; Muslim, 951)

It was narrated that ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan said: “When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) finished burying someone who had died, he would stand over him and say, ‘Pray for forgiveness for your brother, and ask that he may be made steadfast, for even now he is being questioned.’”

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3221. An-Nawawi classed the isnaad of this hadeeth as jayyid in al-Majmoo’, 5/292).

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“The fact that the dead benefit from du’aa’s is indicated by the consensus of the ummah on offering du’aa’ for him during the janaazah (funeral) prayer, hence we know that du’aa’ benefits the deceased… This is supported by many ahaadeeth and is in fact is the whole point of praying for the deceased. The same applies to making du’aa’ for him after the burial, and making du’aa’ for them when visiting their graves.”

(al-Rooh, 118, 119)

(ii) Making up fasts that were obligatory upon the deceased because of vows, as expiation (kafaarah) and so on

It was reported from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies and had any fasts outstanding, his heir should observe those fasts on his behalf.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1851; Muslim, 1147)

It was reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that a woman came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, ‘My mother has died and she one month’s fasting outstanding.’ He said, ‘Do you not think that if she was in debt, you would pay it off for her?’ She said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘The debt owed to Allaah is more deserving of being paid off.’”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1817; Muslim, 1148)

There is some scholarly difference of opinion on this matter. Some scholars say that no fasts should be observed on behalf of the dead apart from fasts related to vows, but the correct view is that all kinds of fasts should be observed on behalf of the dead.

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said:

The Salaf had differences of opinion concerning this matter:

Fasting on behalf of the dead was permitted by the scholars of hadeeth. Al-Shaafa'i former view was that it was allowed depending on whether or not the hadeeth was saheeh, as was transmitted by al-Bayhaqi in al-Ma’rifah. This is also the view of Abu Thawr and a group of the Shaafa'i muhaddatheen. Al-Bayhaqi said in al-Khilaafiyaat:

“This is a proven matter. I do not know of any difference of opinion among the scholars of hadeeth concerning its soundness, so we must act in accordance with this.” Then he quoted al-Shaafa'i, with an isnaad going back to him: “Concerning everything that I have said, if something different is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and is saheeh, then follow the hadeeth and do not follow me.”

Al-Shaafa'i’s later view, and that of Maalik and Abu Haneefah was that fasts should not be observed on behalf of the dead.

Al-Layth, Ahmad, Ishaaq and Abu ‘Ubayd said: no fasts should be observed on behalf of him (the deceased), apart from fasts related to vows, because the general meaning of the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah should be interpreted within the specific framework of the hadeeth narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas.

However, there is no contradiction between these two ahaadeeth that would necessitate reconciliation. The hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas is an independent matter in which he asked about something which happened specifically to him, whereas the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah is a statement of the general principle. In the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas, this general principle is referred to at the end of the hadeeth, where it says, ‘The debt owed to Allaah is more deserving of being paid off.’

(Fath al-Baari, 4/193, 194)

The Hanafis quote weak (da’eef) ahaadeeth as evidence to say that it is not permitted to fast on behalf of the dead. Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar refuted this in the source referred to above.

Some of them quote as evidence the hadeeth: “When the son of Adam dies, his deeds come to an end apart from three: sadaqah jaariyah (ongoing charity); beneficial knowledge; or a righteous son who will make du’aa’ for him.” (Saheeh Muslim, 1631). Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim refuted those who quote this hadeeth as evidence, and said:

“When you use this hadeeth ‘When the son of Adam dies, his deeds come to an end’, you are misquoting it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not say, ‘He no longer benefits at all’; what he said is that deeds of the individual come to an end. As far as the deeds of others are concerned, the (reward) is for the one who does them, and if he gives that to him, the reward of the one who did that reaches him, not the reward of his own deeds. What comes to an end is one thing, and what reaches him is something else. The same applies to another hadeeth, which is: ‘What reaches the deceased is his own hasanaat and deeds” – which does not rule out the fact that other things, the good deeds and hasanaat of others, may also reach him.”

(al-Rooh, p. 129)

(iii) Paying off debts

It was reported that Salamah ibn al-Akwa’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:

“We were sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when a funeral bier was brought to him and they said, ‘Pray over him.’ He said, ‘Does he have any debts?’ They said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Has he left anything behind?’ They said, ‘No.’ So he prayed over him. Then another funeral bier was brought to him, and they said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, pray for him.’ He said, ‘Does he have any debts?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Has he left anything behind?’ They said, ‘Three dinars.’ So he prayed over him. Then a third funeral bier was brought, and they said, ‘Pray for him.’ He said, ‘Has he left anything behind?’ They said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Does he have any debts?’ They said, ‘Three dinars.’ He said, ‘Pray for your companion.’ Abu Qutaadah said, ‘Pray for him, O Messenger of Allaah, and I will take care of his debt.’ So he prayed over him.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2169)

(iv) Fulfilling vows to do acts of worship

It was reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that a woman from Juhaynah came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “My mother vowed to go for Hajj, but she did not go for Hajj before she died. Should I do Hajj on her behalf?” He said, “Yes, do Hajj on her behalf. Do you not think that if your mother was in debt you would pay it off for her? Pay off the debt that is owed to Allaah, for Allaah is more deserving that what is owed to Him should be paid off.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1754)

(v) Performing Hajj on his behalf

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard a man saying “Labbayka ‘an Shubrumah (At your service, O Allaah, on behalf of Shubrumah).” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Who is Shubrumah?” He said, “A relative of mine.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Have you ever done Hajj before?” He said, “No.” he said, “Do this Hajj for yourself, then do Hajj on behalf of Shubrumah.”

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1811; Ibn Maajah, 2903 – this version was narrated by him. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel, 4/171).

(vi) Righteous deeds done by the children of the deceased

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“Whatever righteous deeds the righteous son does, his parents will have a reward like his, without it detracting from his reward in the slightest, because their child is part of their striving and earning. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And that man can have nothing but what he does (good or bad)’ [al-Najm 53:39]. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The best that a man can benefit from is that which he earns, and his son is also part of his earnings.’ (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2/108; al-Nasaa’i, 2/211. Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi, 2/287. There is a corroborating report in the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr, which was narrated by Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah and Ahmad (2/179, 204, 214) with a hasan isnaad).”

(Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, p. 216, 217)

With regard to giving charity and reading Qur’aan: the correct view is that nothing from these actions reaches the deceased, because there is no evidence (daleel) to that effect. The basic principle is that this should not be done. Some scholars mentioned that there was consensus (ijmaa’) to the effect that the reward for charity on behalf of the deceased reaches him, but the correct view is that there is in fact a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning this matter.

(a) Imaam Ibn Katheer said:

“‘And that man can have nothing but what he does (good or bad)’ [al-Najm 53:39 – interpretation of the meaning]. This means, just as he cannot bear the burden (of sin) of another person, so too the reward for the things he has done can only go to himself. From this aayah al-Shaafa'i (may Allaah have mercy on him) and those who followed him understood that the reward for reading Qur’aan cannot be given to the dead, because it is not something that they have done and earned. Hence the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not recommend or encourage his ummah to do this, and did not command or hint to them to do this. Nothing to this effect has been transmitted from any of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). If it was a good thing, they would have done it before us. Acts of worship are restricted to things that are indicated in the texts (Qur’aan and Sunnah), and there is no room for analogy (qiyaas) or personal opinions.”

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/259)

(b) Al-Shawkaani said:

“The ahaadeeth on this topic indicate that charity given by a son reaches his parents after they die without their making a will to that effect, and the reward for that reaches them. These ahaadeeth should be taken as excluding the child from the general meaning of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And that man can have nothing but what he does (good or bad)’ [al-Najm 53:39]. But these ahaadeeth speak only of the charity of the son reaching the parents. It was reported that a man’s son is part of what he does (or his earnings), so there is no need to suggest that the ahaadeeth are stating an exception from the general meaning of the aayah. As far as anybody apart from a man's son is concerned, what is apparent from the general meanings of the Qur’aan is that his reward does not reach the deceased, so we should accept this and not pursue the matter any further, unless we find evidence (daleel) to the contrary.”

(Nayl al-Awtaar, 4/142)

(c) Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

It was not the custom of the Salaf, when they observed voluntary prayers or fasts, or did a voluntary Hajj, or read Qur’aan, to give the reward for that to the deceased Muslims. So we should not deviate from the path of the Salaf, for it is better and more perfect.

(al-Ikhtiyaaraat al-‘Ilmiyyah, p. 54).

Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah have mercy on him) had a different opinion to those quoted above. Ibn al-Qayyim agreed with him, and Shaykh Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa refuted their view in Tafseer al-Manaar (8/254-270).

From the Fatwas of the Standing Committee:

Fatwa #2232 – Question #3:

Q#3: Does the reward for reading Qur’aan and other acts of worship reach the deceased, whether they are done by the son of the deceased or by others?

As far as we know, there is no report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to indicate that he read Qur’aan and gave the reward for that to the dead, whether they were his relatives or others. If the reward could reach them, he would have been keen to do that and would have taught it to his ummah so that they could help the dead thereby, for he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was filled with compassion and mercy towards his ummah. His successors, the Khulafaa’ al-Raashideen, and the rest of his companions, followed his guidance (may Allaah be pleased with them all), and we do not know of any of them giving the reward for reading Qur’aan to someone else. The best of all goodness resides in following the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and of the Khulafaa’ al-Raashideen and the rest of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them), and evil resides in following bid’ah and innovated matters. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us about that when he said, “Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is a bid’ah (innovation), and every bid’ah is a going astray” and, “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) that is not a part of it, will have it rejected.” So on this basis, it is not permissible to read Qur’aan for the dead or to give the reward for this reading to them. Doing that is bid’ah.

With regard to other kinds of acts of worship, wherever there is saheeh evidence to indicate that the reward for them reaches the deceased, then we should accept this, such as giving charity on their behalf, making du’aa’ for them and doing Hajj on their behalf. Anything for which there is no evidence (daleel) is not prescribed until evidence is established for it.

On this basis, according to the more sound of the two scholarly opinions, it is not permissible to read Qur’aan for the dead, and the reward for this reading does not reach them. On the contrary, this is bid’ah.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.

Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwaas.

I say: we have spoken above about giving charity. The ahaadeeth quoted not include all people, they refer only to the children of the deceased.

With regard to the Tawaaf referred to in the question, it is not prescribed to do a voluntary Tawaaf and give the reward to the dead, because no evidence (daleel) to that effect has been narrated. But if it is Tawaaf of ‘Umrah or Hajj, then it is included in those ahaadeeth and is permitted.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:

Sometimes I do Tawaaf for one of my relatives or parents or grandparents who have died. What is the ruling on that? Also, what is the ruling on completing the Qur’aan for them? May Allaah reward you with good.

He replied:

It is better not to do that, because there is no evidence (daleel) to that effect… With regard to praying (salaah) on their behalf, doing Tawaaf on their behalf and reading Qur’aan for them, it is better not to do that, because there is no evidence (daleel) to that effect.

Some scholars have permitted that, by analogy with charity and du’aa’, but to be on the safe side, it is better not to do that. And Allaah is the source of strength.

Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 8/344, 345).

And Allaah knows best.

Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 8/344, 345