For whom is the prayer for the absent one performed?

Question:
May Allah reward you. This questioner asks: For whom is the prayer for the absent one performed?

Answer:
There are three opinions on this. The first opinion is that the prayer is performed for the absent one in all cases. Some say it is performed for the absent one if it was not performed for him in his country, such as in the case of the Negus. Others say it is performed for him if he has a status in Islam, such as a scholar or the ruler of the Muslims who has a status in Islam, like the Negus, for whom the prayer is performed. As for the ordinary Muslim, it is sufficient that those who prayed for him in his location have done so; that is sufficient. This is the correct opinion, and it is the one preferred by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah.