What are the acts of worship that can be dedicated to the deceased?
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The questioner : What are the acts of worship that can be dedicated to the deceased?
The Shaykh : The stronger opinion is that all acts of worship can be dedicated to the deceased, such as Hajj, fasting, charity, freeing a slave on his behalf, reciting the Qur'an for him, and so on, as well as 'Umrah and Hajj. However, what the Sunnah indicates is that one should not dedicate good deeds to the dead, meaning that this is not prescribed (mashru') nor is it required of a person to dedicate acts of worship to the dead, even though it is permissible. What is prescribed is to make du'a' for them, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Riyad as-Salihin 949.
And on this basis, if a person comes and asks, saying: Is it better for me to perform 'Umrah for my father, or is it better for me to make du'a' for him?
We said: It is better for you to make du'a' for him, because this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided to.
The Shaykh : The stronger opinion is that all acts of worship can be dedicated to the deceased, such as Hajj, fasting, charity, freeing a slave on his behalf, reciting the Qur'an for him, and so on, as well as 'Umrah and Hajj. However, what the Sunnah indicates is that one should not dedicate good deeds to the dead, meaning that this is not prescribed (mashru') nor is it required of a person to dedicate acts of worship to the dead, even though it is permissible. What is prescribed is to make du'a' for them, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
When a man dies, his deeds come to an end, except for three: A continuous charity, knowledge by which people derive benefit, pious son who prays for him.
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث : صدقة جارية أو علم ينتفع به أو ولد صالح يدعو لهAnd on this basis, if a person comes and asks, saying: Is it better for me to perform 'Umrah for my father, or is it better for me to make du'a' for him?
We said: It is better for you to make du'a' for him, because this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided to.