Deeds that benefit the deceased
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Question: My wife is attached to the custom of mourning for a deceased person for a full year, to the extent that she neglects all of my marital rights and does not care for me. This happens every time one of her relatives dies; she mourns for a year, does not adorn herself for me, and does not attend to my general or private affairs. I have tried many times to get her to abandon this bad custom, but to no avail. What is the ruling on her doing this, and when is mourning prescribed for a woman?
Answer: This action of hers is forbidden; it is not permissible for her to do it. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Umm Salimah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 5339. So, a woman is only obligated to mourn for four months and ten days if her husband dies. As for what your wife is doing, mourning for every deceased person for a year, this is a sin and is forbidden for her. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited this, as in the hadith we mentioned earlier. She must repent to Allah the Exalted and abandon this bad action.
[Deeds that benefit the deceased]
Question: If a person dies and during his lifetime he never prayed at all, or he prayed sometimes and left it off other times, is it permissible to perform the funeral prayer for him after his death? And if that is not permissible, does it benefit him if someone gives charity on his behalf or recites the Qur'an for him? What are the things that benefit the deceased after his death from those he left behind?
Answer: First: The prayer is not performed on behalf of anyone; no one prays on behalf of another; because the prayer is a physical act in which representation is not allowed, neither for the living nor for the dead.
Second: Whoever intentionally abandons the prayer and continues in that state until he dies, his ruling is that he is a disbeliever, may Allah protect us from that. It is not permissible to send blessings upon him, nor to make du'a for him, nor to give charity on his behalf; because he died in a state of disbelief.
And as for what benefits the deceased after his death from deeds,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Riyad as-Salihin 1383 ،So these are the things that benefit the deceased:
If he established an endowment (waqf) that is benefited from in the paths of good, and this endowment continues after his death, then the reward reaches him as long as this endowment remains.
Likewise, if he taught knowledge that is benefited from among the beneficial Islamic sciences, then these students who benefit people after his death, the reward returns to him while he is dead; because he taught good. And likewise, if he authored books that Muslims benefit from, then this is knowledge that is benefited from, and its reward returns to the one who benefited from these books as long as they remain. And likewise
If he printed beneficial books and endowed them for Muslims to benefit from, or copies of the Noble Qur'an, all of this is knowledge that is benefited from after his death, and the reward and recompense from Allah the Sublime and Exalted reach the one who devoted himself to it.
And likewise, the righteous offspring who make du'a for him, whether male or female, for this reaches him with reward, if Allah accepts their du'as. Likewise, charity on behalf of the deceased; because it is reported that the deceased is given charity on his behalf, and that it benefits him.
Some of the scholars, or a group of scholars, generalized that any obedience performed by a Muslim and its reward dedicated to a living or dead Muslim, that it benefits him.
Likewise, Hajj; it is reported in the evidence that it benefits the deceased, and that it clears his conscience if it was obligatory upon him, and it benefits him if it was voluntary. So, Hajj, charity, du'a, and endowment, all of this is what benefits the deceased after his death.
Answer: This action of hers is forbidden; it is not permissible for her to do it. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Umm Salimah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
It is not lawful for a Muslim woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days.
لا يحل لامرأة مسلمة تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر أن تحد فوق ثلاثة أيام إلا على زوجها أربعة أشهر وعشرًا[Deeds that benefit the deceased]
Question: If a person dies and during his lifetime he never prayed at all, or he prayed sometimes and left it off other times, is it permissible to perform the funeral prayer for him after his death? And if that is not permissible, does it benefit him if someone gives charity on his behalf or recites the Qur'an for him? What are the things that benefit the deceased after his death from those he left behind?
Answer: First: The prayer is not performed on behalf of anyone; no one prays on behalf of another; because the prayer is a physical act in which representation is not allowed, neither for the living nor for the dead.
Second: Whoever intentionally abandons the prayer and continues in that state until he dies, his ruling is that he is a disbeliever, may Allah protect us from that. It is not permissible to send blessings upon him, nor to make du'a for him, nor to give charity on his behalf; because he died in a state of disbelief.
And as for what benefits the deceased after his death from deeds,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased).
إذا مات ابن آدم انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث، صدقة جارية، أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو لهIf he established an endowment (waqf) that is benefited from in the paths of good, and this endowment continues after his death, then the reward reaches him as long as this endowment remains.
Likewise, if he taught knowledge that is benefited from among the beneficial Islamic sciences, then these students who benefit people after his death, the reward returns to him while he is dead; because he taught good. And likewise, if he authored books that Muslims benefit from, then this is knowledge that is benefited from, and its reward returns to the one who benefited from these books as long as they remain. And likewise
If he printed beneficial books and endowed them for Muslims to benefit from, or copies of the Noble Qur'an, all of this is knowledge that is benefited from after his death, and the reward and recompense from Allah the Sublime and Exalted reach the one who devoted himself to it.
And likewise, the righteous offspring who make du'a for him, whether male or female, for this reaches him with reward, if Allah accepts their du'as. Likewise, charity on behalf of the deceased; because it is reported that the deceased is given charity on his behalf, and that it benefits him.
Some of the scholars, or a group of scholars, generalized that any obedience performed by a Muslim and its reward dedicated to a living or dead Muslim, that it benefits him.
Likewise, Hajj; it is reported in the evidence that it benefits the deceased, and that it clears his conscience if it was obligatory upon him, and it benefits him if it was voluntary. So, Hajj, charity, du'a, and endowment, all of this is what benefits the deceased after his death.