The questioner asks: Does the Qur'an benefit the deceased or not? Some people have insisted, or rather affirmed, that the Qur'an does not benefit the deceased.
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The questioner : Regarding whether the Qur'an benefits the deceased or not, some people have insisted that the Qur'an does not benefit the deceased. We request your guidance, and thank you?
The Shaykh : This matter falls into two categories.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The first is that one comes to the grave of the deceased and recites beside it. In this case, the deceased does not benefit from it, because the listening that benefits the listener only occurs during life, where what is written for the listener is also written for the reciter. Here, the deceased is dead, and his deeds have been cut off, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Riyad as-Salihin 1383.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The second category is that a person recites the Qur'an as an act of drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and dedicates its reward to his Muslim brother or relative. This is a matter in which the scholars have differed. Some hold that purely physical acts of worship do not benefit the deceased, even if they are dedicated to him, because the principle is that acts of worship are tied to the person performing them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is because they consist of humility and fulfilling what one is obligated to do, which is only for the doer. However, if there is an explicit text stating that the deceased benefits from it, then according to that text, it serves as a specification of this principle. Other scholars hold that the texts indicating that reward reaches the deceased in certain cases imply that the reward of other acts of worship also reaches the deceased if it is dedicated to him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Based on this disagreement among the scholars, we say to him: If you recite the Qur'an as an act of drawing near to Allah and then dedicate the reward to the Muslim deceased, this depends on the aforementioned disagreement. If we say that he benefits from it and the reward reaches him, then it reaches him; otherwise, it does not.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, the question remains: Is this among the recommended matters or among the permissible matters? That is, do we say that a person is required to draw near to Allah the Exalted by reciting the Qur'an and then dedicating it to his relative or Muslim brother, or is this among the permissible matters that are not recommended to be done? We see that this is among the permissible matters that are not recommended to be done.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Rather, it is recommended to make du'a' (supplication) for Muslims and seek forgiveness for them, and the like of that, whereby one asks Allah the Exalted to benefit them. As for performing acts of worship and dedicating them, the least that can be said is that it is merely permissible.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not among the recommended matters. Yes.
The questioner : You have done well.
His second question says.
The Shaykh : This matter falls into two categories.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The first is that one comes to the grave of the deceased and recites beside it. In this case, the deceased does not benefit from it, because the listening that benefits the listener only occurs during life, where what is written for the listener is also written for the reciter. Here, the deceased is dead, and his deeds have been cut off, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased).
إذا مات ابن ءادم انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاث صدقة جارية أو علم يُنتفع به من بعده أو ولد صالح يدعو لهThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The second category is that a person recites the Qur'an as an act of drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and dedicates its reward to his Muslim brother or relative. This is a matter in which the scholars have differed. Some hold that purely physical acts of worship do not benefit the deceased, even if they are dedicated to him, because the principle is that acts of worship are tied to the person performing them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is because they consist of humility and fulfilling what one is obligated to do, which is only for the doer. However, if there is an explicit text stating that the deceased benefits from it, then according to that text, it serves as a specification of this principle. Other scholars hold that the texts indicating that reward reaches the deceased in certain cases imply that the reward of other acts of worship also reaches the deceased if it is dedicated to him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Based on this disagreement among the scholars, we say to him: If you recite the Qur'an as an act of drawing near to Allah and then dedicate the reward to the Muslim deceased, this depends on the aforementioned disagreement. If we say that he benefits from it and the reward reaches him, then it reaches him; otherwise, it does not.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, the question remains: Is this among the recommended matters or among the permissible matters? That is, do we say that a person is required to draw near to Allah the Exalted by reciting the Qur'an and then dedicating it to his relative or Muslim brother, or is this among the permissible matters that are not recommended to be done? We see that this is among the permissible matters that are not recommended to be done.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Rather, it is recommended to make du'a' (supplication) for Muslims and seek forgiveness for them, and the like of that, whereby one asks Allah the Exalted to benefit them. As for performing acts of worship and dedicating them, the least that can be said is that it is merely permissible.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not among the recommended matters. Yes.
The questioner : You have done well.
His second question says.