I have a son who passed away at the age of thirty-two. He did not perform the obligatory prayer or the obligatory fast during his lifetime. I ask you to inform me what I should do.
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The questioner : I have a son who was thirty-two years old. He did not perform the obligatory prayer or the obligatory fast during his lifetime. I ask you to inform me what is the method by which I can perform these acts of worship so that they reach him. I ask you for guidance?
The Shaykh : What is understood from this question is that this son has died. If he has died, then the stronger opinion in our view is that one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever. And if a person is a disbeliever, it is not permissible to supplicate for him with mercy or forgiveness, or to give charity on his behalf, because this does not reach him and he does not benefit from it. Indeed, Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:[At-Tawbah 9:113-114].
However, in this matter, it is possible that this person who did not pray or fast lived in an environment that knew nothing about Islam, or about fasting and prayer. Or he may have lived among people who did not consider one who abandons these things to be a disbeliever. Or he lived among people who did not consider one who abandons these things to be a disbeliever. Based on this, he does not die in a state of disbelief due to his ignorance or his figurative interpretation by following these people. So his case remains doubtful. If his mother were to say: “O Allah, if my son is a Muslim in Your knowledge, then forgive him and have mercy on him,” and she conditioned her supplication for him with this condition, then that would be permissible and beneficial for him, if he is a Muslim in the knowledge of Allah. Indeed, there is no harm in conditioning a supplication, as this has come in the Qur'an in the words of the Exalted in the verses of li'an:[An-Nur 24:6-9] This is a supplication conditioned by a condition.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his book I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in about his teacher, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him): “He had a difficulty in his mind regarding some issues, among which was that funeral processions would be brought to him and he would doubt their Islam. So he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a dream and asked him about it. He said: ‘Stick to the condition, O Ahmad. Stick to the condition, O Ahmad.’” This means that you supplicate for this deceased person with a conditional supplication, saying: “O Allah, if this man is a believer, then forgive him and have mercy on him,” or “If this woman is a believer, then forgive her and have mercy on her.”
And this vision has a basis in the Shari'ah, as we referred to earlier in the verse of li'an. Although visions in the original sense do not establish the rulings of the Shari'ah, because the rulings of the Shari'ah are established by the texts that are in the hands of people, which they read and hear in a state of wakefulness, but if there is a circumstance indicating the truth of this vision, and it contains nothing that contradicts the Shari'ah, then it becomes a true vision. Just as if a person sees the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a dream with the known description of his attributes, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him, then he has truly seen him, as this is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The conclusion is that we say to this woman questioner whose son died while not praying or fasting: There is no blame on you to supplicate to Allah for him, but with the condition that you say: “O Allah, if my son is a Muslim in Your knowledge, then forgive him and have mercy on him,” and the like of that.
The Shaykh : What is understood from this question is that this son has died. If he has died, then the stronger opinion in our view is that one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever. And if a person is a disbeliever, it is not permissible to supplicate for him with mercy or forgiveness, or to give charity on his behalf, because this does not reach him and he does not benefit from it. Indeed, Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:
(113) It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire. (114) And the request of forgiveness of Abraham for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became apparent to Abraham that his father was an enemy to Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed was Abraham compassionate and patient.
ما كان للنبي والذين آمنوا أن يستغفروا للمشركين ولو كانوا أولي قربى من بعد ما تبين لهم أنهم أصحاب الجحيم وما كان استغفار إبراهيم لأبيه إلا عن موعدة وعدها إياه فلما تبين له أنه عدو لله تبرأ منه إن إبراهيم لأواه حليمHowever, in this matter, it is possible that this person who did not pray or fast lived in an environment that knew nothing about Islam, or about fasting and prayer. Or he may have lived among people who did not consider one who abandons these things to be a disbeliever. Or he lived among people who did not consider one who abandons these things to be a disbeliever. Based on this, he does not die in a state of disbelief due to his ignorance or his figurative interpretation by following these people. So his case remains doubtful. If his mother were to say: “O Allah, if my son is a Muslim in Your knowledge, then forgive him and have mercy on him,” and she conditioned her supplication for him with this condition, then that would be permissible and beneficial for him, if he is a Muslim in the knowledge of Allah. Indeed, there is no harm in conditioning a supplication, as this has come in the Qur'an in the words of the Exalted in the verses of li'an:
then the witness of one of them [shall be] four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the truthful. (7) And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allah be upon him if he should be among the liars. (8) But it will prevent punishment from her if she gives four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the liars. (9) And the fifth [oath will be] that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was of the truthful.
فشهادة أحدهم أربع شهادات بالله إنه لمن الصادقين والخامسة أن لعنة الله عليه إن كان من الكاذبين ويدرأ عنها العذاب أن تشهد أربع شهادات بالله إنه لمن الكاذبين والخامسة أن غضب الله عليها إن كان من الصادقينIbn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his book I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in about his teacher, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him): “He had a difficulty in his mind regarding some issues, among which was that funeral processions would be brought to him and he would doubt their Islam. So he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a dream and asked him about it. He said: ‘Stick to the condition, O Ahmad. Stick to the condition, O Ahmad.’” This means that you supplicate for this deceased person with a conditional supplication, saying: “O Allah, if this man is a believer, then forgive him and have mercy on him,” or “If this woman is a believer, then forgive her and have mercy on her.”
And this vision has a basis in the Shari'ah, as we referred to earlier in the verse of li'an. Although visions in the original sense do not establish the rulings of the Shari'ah, because the rulings of the Shari'ah are established by the texts that are in the hands of people, which they read and hear in a state of wakefulness, but if there is a circumstance indicating the truth of this vision, and it contains nothing that contradicts the Shari'ah, then it becomes a true vision. Just as if a person sees the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a dream with the known description of his attributes, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him, then he has truly seen him, as this is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The conclusion is that we say to this woman questioner whose son died while not praying or fasting: There is no blame on you to supplicate to Allah for him, but with the condition that you say: “O Allah, if my son is a Muslim in Your knowledge, then forgive him and have mercy on him,” and the like of that.