A Warning Regarding the Precedent of Substitution and That People Trade in It and Obtain Wealth Behind It [The Issue of Agency in Acts of Worship]
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The Shaykh : Also, by way of illustration, there is another matter related to the precedent of substitution, which is that the expansion of the precedent of substitution has become, in this age, one of the types of trade. This expansion has no basis in the Shari'ah. We must know that every act of worship for which Allah the Exalted has burdened His servants, He intended by it the well-being of their souls and hearts. If one person performs one of these obligations on behalf of another, that other person, if the expression is correct, does not benefit at all from the work of that person. This is due to many verses, the most famous of which is the saying of our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He: [An-Najm 53:39] and His saying, the Exalted: [Fatir 35:18] exactly as is the case with the origin of all these acts of worship, whose origin is faith, because these acts of worship do not benefit their owner at all if they are not accompanied by correct faith. This is known to everyone, as the Exalted said: [Az-Zumar 39:65] So if a person believesThe Shaykh : a person believes, if the son believes and his father remains upon shirk (associating partners with Allah), the faith of his son does not benefit his father at all, because this faith that purified his heart from the filth of shirk and misguidance is specific to him, so his father does not benefit at all from the faith of his son. Likewise, if there is a father and a son, both of whom are Muslim, but one is righteous and the other is wicked, the righteous one prays, for example, and the wicked one does not pray. If the one who prays, whether the father or the son, prays, the other one who does not pray does not benefit from his prayer. And so on with all acts of worship. And this is a rule: The matter is exactly the same as it is with material matters that strengthen the human body and give it life. If there is a father and a son, one of whom eats what sustains his health, body, and strength, and the other does not eat, then the one who eats benefits himself, and the one who does not eat does not benefit at all from the eating of the other, whether in a little or in any way. The matter is exactly the same with acts of worship and transactions. Therefore, it is authentically reported from some of the Salaf (the earliest generations), and I think it is 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them both), that he said: "No one prays on behalf of another, and no one performs Hajj (the major pilgrimage) on behalf of another".
So, does this precedent of substitution have no basis at all? This may seem so from our previous words, but we want to narrow the scope of the precedent of substitution to the limits of the texts that came with this precedent. However, I wanted to remind you of the rule: No one prays on behalf of another, and no one performs Hajj on behalf of another, except what has come in the text. So let us look at what type or category of people the precedent of substitution came for, and that it is prescribed for them.
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىAnd whoever purifies himself only purifies himself for [the benefit of] his soul. And to Allah is the [final] destination.
وَمَنْ تَزَكَّى فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّى لِنَفْسِهِ وَإِلَى اللهِ المَصِيرُthat if you should associate [anything] with Allah, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers."
لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الخَاسِرِينَAnd whoever purifies himself, it is only for his own soul that he purifies himself.
وَمَنْ تَزَكَّى فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّى لِنَفْسِهِSo, does this precedent of substitution have no basis at all? This may seem so from our previous words, but we want to narrow the scope of the precedent of substitution to the limits of the texts that came with this precedent. However, I wanted to remind you of the rule: No one prays on behalf of another, and no one performs Hajj on behalf of another, except what has come in the text. So let us look at what type or category of people the precedent of substitution came for, and that it is prescribed for them.