In our town, when a person dies, the relatives bring a man to read the Qur'an for a fee for three days, the days of condolence. What is your opinion?
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The questioner : In our town, when a person dies, the relatives bring a man to read the Qur'an for a fee for three days, the days of condolence. What is your opinion, O honorable scholar, of this practice?
The Shaykh : Our opinion is that this is a religious innovation and that it benefits neither the deceased nor the living. This man who reads comes to read for a wage, and taking a wage for reading the Qur'an invalidates the reward. Consequently, this man's reading remains without reward, so the deceased does not benefit from it. If the payment comes from the estate and there is a minor among the heirs, there is another prohibition in this, which is destroying the minor's money without right. It is obligatory to abandon this custom and to abandon gathering at the home of the deceased. The deceased has gone and departed, and our position is to say: "Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace for me something better than it." Yes.
The questioner : Finally, O honorable Shaykh, the questioner asks and says.
The Shaykh : Our opinion is that this is a religious innovation and that it benefits neither the deceased nor the living. This man who reads comes to read for a wage, and taking a wage for reading the Qur'an invalidates the reward. Consequently, this man's reading remains without reward, so the deceased does not benefit from it. If the payment comes from the estate and there is a minor among the heirs, there is another prohibition in this, which is destroying the minor's money without right. It is obligatory to abandon this custom and to abandon gathering at the home of the deceased. The deceased has gone and departed, and our position is to say: "Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace for me something better than it." Yes.
The questioner : Finally, O honorable Shaykh, the questioner asks and says.