The ruling on scattering seeds on a grave for the birds to eat
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. The questioner says: What is the ruling on one who comes to the grave of a relative and scatters seeds on it so that the birds may eat from it, and that this would be a reward for the deceased?
Answer:
My brother, why not give charity to the poor instead of the birds? If he has seeds, he gives them to the poor person who has nothing. He does not give them to the birds, nor does he place them at the grave. This is a means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). Does he give charity at the grave? No, he does not give charity at the grave. He gives charity in places of need where there are those in need. The fact that he comes to the grave is evidence that he is attached to the grave and exalts the grave. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. The questioner says: What is the ruling on one who comes to the grave of a relative and scatters seeds on it so that the birds may eat from it, and that this would be a reward for the deceased?
Answer:
My brother, why not give charity to the poor instead of the birds? If he has seeds, he gives them to the poor person who has nothing. He does not give them to the birds, nor does he place them at the grave. This is a means to shirk (associating partners with Allah). Does he give charity at the grave? No, he does not give charity at the grave. He gives charity in places of need where there are those in need. The fact that he comes to the grave is evidence that he is attached to the grave and exalts the grave. Yes.
Source
شرح إغاثة اللهفان من مصائد الشيطان لابن القيم، فصل ومن أعظم مكايده التي كاد بها أكثر الناس — islamhouse.com (57:23)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.