Is it permissible to donate the prayer to one who did not pray, and likewise to donate the Hajj to one who did not perform Hajj, and so on?
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The questioner : Is it permissible to pray on behalf of a deceased person, for example, if he did not pray, and I volunteer to pray on behalf of the deceased, like those who perform Hajj on behalf of a dead person?
The Shaykh : Meaning, you pray on his behalf...
The questioner : Meaning, the obligatory prayer.
The Shaykh : You have reached this point, meaning... every question has an answer. Allah the Exalted said:[An-Najm 53:36-39] So when you want to pray on behalf of your friend who died, and perhaps he never prayed to Allah, and his face never turned toward the House of Allah, is this from his effort or from your effort?
The questioner : This is from his effort.
The Shaykh : Then he has no share of this effort.
The questioner : They say, for example, regarding Hajj...
The Shaykh : You do not say "they say"; because you are now before the word of the Lord of the Worlds, is that correct or not? One hundred percent correct. So if our Lord says:[An-Najm 53:39] you do not need to say "they say," but rather you say to me, "What is your answer? What is your opinion regarding Hajj on behalf of another?" Is that not what you want to say?
The questioner : The prayer...
The Shaykh : The prayer. I gave you the answer, but you started saying that they say.
The questioner : The scholars who say.
The Shaykh : Do you know what they say?
The questioner : Hajj is permissible, and one of them says that prayer is permissible, and they mentioned expiation...
The Shaykh : What Allah willed, and dropping the prayer is permissible?! ... When I said that, I was not far from knowing you, that you are a diplomat, meaning... Well, your question was that you want to pray on behalf of that person, but the matter ended with you wanting to drop the prayer from him, meaning you are his Lord? How can you drop it from him? Meaning, this one who left the prayer, what will be his state in the grave, may Allah protect us? So you want to save him from the punishment of Allah in the grave, by a legal stratagem called dropping the prayer. Glory be to Allah, this is truly the mockery of the age. Our Lord, in dozens of noble verses, teaches His servants that a person is burdened with what he does, as we mentioned in the previous verse. In another verse He says: This means that the spiritual aspects, or as they call them today, the spiritual ones, are exactly like the material matters. I am hungry, and you are hungry. You ate from types of food, and I did not taste anything of this food. Does my being full come from your fullness? I do not feel the pleasure of your food. Why? Because you are eating for yourself. You are praying and drawing near to Allah, and I am wretched, may Allah protect us, and I do not do what makes me fear Allah. What benefit will your prayer bring me? It does not benefit me except my own prayer, just as my prayer does not benefit you anything. And my Hajj and 'Umrah, everything is exactly the same. Then we must look into the issue of Hajj, since you started speaking by saying "they say." Also, regarding Hajj, when people expanded on it, they also erred regarding the previous verse: [An-Najm 53:39] A person died and did not perform Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah, and Hajj had become obligatory upon him, meaning he was able to afford it. And Allah says: [Ali 'Imran 3:97] Look at the completeness of the verse. How do you want to interpret it, and according to the scholars' saying: [Ali 'Imran 3:97] This is the one who died and did not perform Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah. Does the verse apply to him or not?
The questioner : By Allah...
The Shaykh : No, and may Allah forgive you. We said "whoever is able." Now, the speech you made, when you said Hajj on behalf of another, do you mean the one who was not able or the one who was able? Did you see how you distort it like this and turn it around?
The questioner : I mean that regarding the prayer, you did not understand the question.The Shaykh : They say that this Hajj and fasting is permissible to fast on behalf of the deceased; because there was a woman who returned to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)...
The Shaykh : Why did you leave the prayer now? Why did you leave the prayer? Be patient.
The questioner : Because they say fasting became obligatory and Hajj became obligatory, and meaning prayer is like them, obligatory.
The Shaykh : I am telling you, who says that a person died, and he has months of Ramadan remaining, and he was a young man full of youth, strength, and vitality, that this is fasted on his behalf? Who said that?
The questioner : By Allah, in my opinion, no. But they, the scholars...
The Shaykh : Yes, praise be to Allah... So you... mixing in the research is not permissible. A person either was able to perform Hajj or was not able. If he was not able, the verse we read just now:[Ali 'Imran 3:97] [Ali 'Imran 3:97] Who does the verse speak about? The one who is able or the one who is not able?
The questioner : The one who is able.
The Shaykh : The one who is able. So now, Abu Muhammad, do not forget to eat with your right hand. We are now speaking about the one who was able and did not perform Hajj. There may be people who traveled to Europe repeatedly, but did not perform Hajj once in their lifetime to the Sacred House of Allah. This person died, who wants to perform Hajj on his behalf? No one performs Hajj on his behalf. Allah said:[Ali 'Imran 3:97] 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "Whoever possesses provisions and a mount and then does not perform Hajj, let him die if he wishes as a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian." And some people consider it a hadith to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), but it is not authentic. The important thing is, if this person was able to perform Hajj and did not perform it, no one can ever perform Hajj on his behalf. And the one who was obligated to fast and did not fast, no one can fast on his behalf. And the prayer is the same, and everything is the same. We have left the obligatory acts of Hajj, fasting, and prayer. But the son wants to perform Hajj on behalf of his father voluntarily, he has that right. He wants to perform 'Umrah voluntarily, he has that right. He wants to fast on his behalf voluntarily, not fast on his behalf to drop his fasting, no, there is no room for that, he can never fast on his behalf to drop it.
The questioner : Whoever believes, this watch is defective...
The Shaykh : It is defective, but from your good fortune. He laughs.The Shaykh : (may Allah have mercy on him).
The questioner : Praise be to Allah, I always know that the watch is from my good fortune, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Now it is eight o'clock.
The Shaykh : Meaning, you pray on his behalf...
The questioner : Meaning, the obligatory prayer.
The Shaykh : You have reached this point, meaning... every question has an answer. Allah the Exalted said:
(36) Or has he not been informed of what was in the scriptures of Moses (37) And [of] Abraham, who fulfilled [his obligations] - (38) That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another (39) And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
أم لم ينبأ بما في صحف موسى وإبراهيم الذي وفى أن لا تزر وازرة وزر أخرى وأن ليس للإنسان إلا ما سعىThe questioner : This is from his effort.
The Shaykh : Then he has no share of this effort.
The questioner : They say, for example, regarding Hajj...
The Shaykh : You do not say "they say"; because you are now before the word of the Lord of the Worlds, is that correct or not? One hundred percent correct. So if our Lord says:
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
وأن ليس للإنسان إلا ما سعىThe questioner : The prayer...
The Shaykh : The prayer. I gave you the answer, but you started saying that they say.
The questioner : The scholars who say.
The Shaykh : Do you know what they say?
The questioner : Hajj is permissible, and one of them says that prayer is permissible, and they mentioned expiation...
The Shaykh : What Allah willed, and dropping the prayer is permissible?! ... When I said that, I was not far from knowing you, that you are a diplomat, meaning... Well, your question was that you want to pray on behalf of that person, but the matter ended with you wanting to drop the prayer from him, meaning you are his Lord? How can you drop it from him? Meaning, this one who left the prayer, what will be his state in the grave, may Allah protect us? So you want to save him from the punishment of Allah in the grave, by a legal stratagem called dropping the prayer. Glory be to Allah, this is truly the mockery of the age. Our Lord, in dozens of noble verses, teaches His servants that a person is burdened with what he does, as we mentioned in the previous verse. In another verse He says:
And whoever purifies himself, it is only for his own soul
ومن يتزكى فإنما يتزكى لنفسهAnd that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
وأن ليس للإنسان إلا ما سعىAnd [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way
ولله على الناس حج البيت من استطاع إليه سبيلاBut whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.
ومن كفر فإن الله غني عن العالمينThe questioner : By Allah...
The Shaykh : No, and may Allah forgive you. We said "whoever is able." Now, the speech you made, when you said Hajj on behalf of another, do you mean the one who was not able or the one who was able? Did you see how you distort it like this and turn it around?
The questioner : I mean that regarding the prayer, you did not understand the question.The Shaykh : They say that this Hajj and fasting is permissible to fast on behalf of the deceased; because there was a woman who returned to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)...
The Shaykh : Why did you leave the prayer now? Why did you leave the prayer? Be patient.
The questioner : Because they say fasting became obligatory and Hajj became obligatory, and meaning prayer is like them, obligatory.
The Shaykh : I am telling you, who says that a person died, and he has months of Ramadan remaining, and he was a young man full of youth, strength, and vitality, that this is fasted on his behalf? Who said that?
The questioner : By Allah, in my opinion, no. But they, the scholars...
The Shaykh : Yes, praise be to Allah... So you... mixing in the research is not permissible. A person either was able to perform Hajj or was not able. If he was not able, the verse we read just now:
And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way
ولله على الناس حج البيت من استطاع إليه سبيلاBut whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.
ومن كفر فإن الله غنيّ عن العالمينThe questioner : The one who is able.
The Shaykh : The one who is able. So now, Abu Muhammad, do not forget to eat with your right hand. We are now speaking about the one who was able and did not perform Hajj. There may be people who traveled to Europe repeatedly, but did not perform Hajj once in their lifetime to the Sacred House of Allah. This person died, who wants to perform Hajj on his behalf? No one performs Hajj on his behalf. Allah said:
But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.
ومن كفر فإن الله غنيٌّ عن العالمينThe questioner : Whoever believes, this watch is defective...
The Shaykh : It is defective, but from your good fortune. He laughs.The Shaykh : (may Allah have mercy on him).
The questioner : Praise be to Allah, I always know that the watch is from my good fortune, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Now it is eight o'clock.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.