The ruling on dedicating the reward of prayer and fasting to the deceased
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Question:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. If I pray or fast with the intention that the reward of my prayer or fasting be for one of my deceased relatives, is that permissible or not? Because I read in a book a hadith narrated by al-Daraqutni in which a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: “I had two parents whom I treated with kindness during their lifetimes. How can I treat them with kindness after their deaths?” The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “Part of kindness after death is that you pray for them along with your prayer, and fast for them along with your fasting.” Also, what was narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: “O Messenger of Allah, we give charity on behalf of our deceased, we perform Hajj on their behalf, and we make supplication for them. Does that reach them?” He said: “Yes, it reaches them, and they rejoice in it as one of you rejoices in a dish when it is gifted to him.” Please guide us regarding this hadith and its meaning. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The first hadith is valid, the one concerning dutifulness to parents, which includes that you pray for them along with your prayer. It does not include that you fast for them along with your fasting; that is an addition that is not correct. The meaning of “praying for them along with your prayer” is that you make supplication for them, that you make supplication for them. The term “prayer” here means supplication. The Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:103] meaning, make supplication for them. Supplication for the deceased, and for parents in particular, is something by which Allah the Exalted benefits them. As for the second hadith, I do not know its authenticity. However, charity on behalf of the deceased, Hajj on behalf of the deceased, and 'Umrah on behalf of the deceased, all of this is something by which Allah benefits them, and for which evidence has come. Evidence has come for this other than the hadith mentioned by the questioner; these are established proofs. Yes.
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. If I pray or fast with the intention that the reward of my prayer or fasting be for one of my deceased relatives, is that permissible or not? Because I read in a book a hadith narrated by al-Daraqutni in which a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: “I had two parents whom I treated with kindness during their lifetimes. How can I treat them with kindness after their deaths?” The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “Part of kindness after death is that you pray for them along with your prayer, and fast for them along with your fasting.” Also, what was narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: “O Messenger of Allah, we give charity on behalf of our deceased, we perform Hajj on their behalf, and we make supplication for them. Does that reach them?” He said: “Yes, it reaches them, and they rejoice in it as one of you rejoices in a dish when it is gifted to him.” Please guide us regarding this hadith and its meaning. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The first hadith is valid, the one concerning dutifulness to parents, which includes that you pray for them along with your prayer. It does not include that you fast for them along with your fasting; that is an addition that is not correct. The meaning of “praying for them along with your prayer” is that you make supplication for them, that you make supplication for them. The term “prayer” here means supplication. The Exalted said:
Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase, and invoke [Allah 's blessings] upon them
خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 4115- معنى حديث: "تصلي لهما مع صلاتك ..." - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.