Does the reward of prayer reach the deceased?
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The questioner : Your Eminence, I heard that you permit praying for the deceased.
The Shaykh : For the deceased?
The questioner : For the deceased, I ask for clarification?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is true. What you heard from me is correct: if a person prays two rak'ahs for his father or his mother or the like, there is no harm in it. But this does not mean that we ask people to do it. We say that this is a weaker position, and it is better to make du'a for them. Making du'a for them is better than giving charity on their behalf, better than performing 'Umrah for them, better than performing Hajj for them, better than sacrificing an animal for them, and better than any other deed. This is because this is what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) guided us to. I do not think anyone doubts that the greatest person to guide to good is whom?
The Messenger. He cannot possibly withhold good from us. And he said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1376Sahih (Darussalam) Meaning: he himself, during his lifetime, performs a deed that becomes a continuous charity for him.
Sahih Muslim 1631 What did he say?
A righteous son who makes du'a for him, or one who works for him?
He said:, even though the context of the hadith is about deeds. If doing deeds for the deceased were a prescribed matter, he would have said: "or a righteous son who works for him," or "prays for him," or "gives charity," or the like. But the problem is that the common people say: "They are insects. The common people are insects. Do they eat you, or do you eat them?" Meaning: they insist that a person should give charity, or go perform 'Umrah for his father, or perform Hajj, or the like. If you looked into it, you would find that few of them make du'a for their father. This is undoubtedly choosing the weaker position over the stronger one. We say: O my brother, you will perform 'Umrah for yourself. Perform 'Umrah for yourself and make du'a for your father during the tawaf, the sa'y, and the prayer. As for making your acts of worship—which you will need one day—belong to these dead people whose deeds have ceased, and leaving what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) guided you to? That is a mistake. But:
"I have heard, if I had called one who was alive *** But there is no life for one whom you call".
However, the people, praise be to Allah, have now made things very easy for us because they have started to pay attention. We used to know in the past that there was no sacrifice except for a deceased person. Even if you sat down to sacrifice for yourself, they would say: "In the name of Allah, you are dead. The sacrifice is for the deceased." They did not know that the sacrifice is for the living. But now, praise be to Allah, they have paid attention and come to know that sacrifices are for the living, and the deceased are included incidentally if you say: "O Allah, this is from me and from my family," and among them is a deceased person, he is included incidentally. Or if they have bequests—they made bequests—yes, a sacrifice is made for them with it. Do you understand?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For the deceased?
The questioner : For the deceased, I ask for clarification?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is true. What you heard from me is correct: if a person prays two rak'ahs for his father or his mother or the like, there is no harm in it. But this does not mean that we ask people to do it. We say that this is a weaker position, and it is better to make du'a for them. Making du'a for them is better than giving charity on their behalf, better than performing 'Umrah for them, better than performing Hajj for them, better than sacrificing an animal for them, and better than any other deed. This is because this is what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) guided us to. I do not think anyone doubts that the greatest person to guide to good is whom?
The Messenger. He cannot possibly withhold good from us. And he said:
When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three: Continuing charity
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث: صدقة جاريةor knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious child, who prays for him
أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو لهA righteous son who makes du'a for him, or one who works for him?
He said:
who supplicates for him
يدعو له"I have heard, if I had called one who was alive *** But there is no life for one whom you call".
However, the people, praise be to Allah, have now made things very easy for us because they have started to pay attention. We used to know in the past that there was no sacrifice except for a deceased person. Even if you sat down to sacrifice for yourself, they would say: "In the name of Allah, you are dead. The sacrifice is for the deceased." They did not know that the sacrifice is for the living. But now, praise be to Allah, they have paid attention and come to know that sacrifices are for the living, and the deceased are included incidentally if you say: "O Allah, this is from me and from my family," and among them is a deceased person, he is included incidentally. Or if they have bequests—they made bequests—yes, a sacrifice is made for them with it. Do you understand?
The questioner : Yes.