In our village, some women, when their husband dies, pay large sums of money to a Quran reciter as his wage for reciting the Quran over the deceased in its entirety.
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The questioner : In our village, some women, when their husband dies, pay large sums of money to a Quran reciter as his wage for reciting the Quran over the deceased in its entirety. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah in your view regarding this action?
The Shaykh : This action is forbidden for the reciter and for the one who pays the money. As for its prohibition for the reciter, it is because he sought his share of this world through a righteous deed. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:[Al-Baqarah 2:200] meaning a share. And He, the Exalted, said: [Hud 11:15-16] As for the one who pays, the aspect of prohibition in his case is that he assisted in a forbidden act and incited this reciter to a forbidden recitation. Furthermore, the deceased will not benefit from this recitation because it is a recitation with no reward and no wage. Thus, he has wasted the money and spent it without benefit. If the money is from the estate and the deceased left a bequest of one-third, it becomes a transgression against the deceased by reducing his one-third. If it is from the estate and the deceased has minor heirs, it becomes a transgression against the minor heirs. For this reason, we say to this woman and to anyone else who does what she does: Fear Allah in your wealth. Fear Allah in your brothers whom you have incited to recite the Quran, which brings no benefit to them and no benefit to the deceased, seeking the reward of this world. [Ash-Shuraa 42:20]
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : This action is forbidden for the reciter and for the one who pays the money. As for its prohibition for the reciter, it is because he sought his share of this world through a righteous deed. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:
And among the people is he who says, "Our Lord, give us in this world," and he will have in the Hereafter no share.
فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلاقٍ(15) Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. (16) Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do.
مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لا يُبْخَسُونَ * أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ إِلَّا النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَAnd whoever desires the harvest of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share.
وَمَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنْ نَصِيبٍThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.