Is it permissible, when a person dies, for someone—whether his son or another—to give charity on his behalf, such as performing voluntary prayers and intending their reward for the deceased? Please issue a ruling for us.
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The questioner : The question of the listener Muhammad al-Abd al-Aziz al-Tuwajiri from Buraydah, his third question, is: Is it permissible, when a person dies, for someone—whether his son or another—to give charity on his behalf, such as performing voluntary prayers and intending their reward for the deceased? Please issue a ruling for us. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : As for giving charity on behalf of the deceased, there is nothing wrong with it; it is permissible to give charity It is permissible for a person to give charity on behalf of his father if he has died, and on behalf of his mother, his brothers, and his relatives, as well as on behalf of other Muslims.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for praying on his behalf, the scholars have differed on this. Some hold that it is permissible for a person to pray for a deceased person and assign the reward of the prayer to him, drawing an analogy between this and charity. Others have said that it is not permissible.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is because the principle in worship is that the servant is the one obligated to perform it, and he does not perform it for another. And because of His saying, the Exalted:[An-Najm 53:39] However, the well-known position in the school of Imam Ahmad is that it is permissible to pray and assign the reward to one’s deceased relative, provided he was a Muslim.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for giving charity on behalf of the deceased, there is nothing wrong with it; it is permissible to give charity
A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, my mother has died suddenly, and I think that if she had been able to speak, she would have said to give charity on her behalf. May I give charity on her behalf?” He said, “Yes.”
فإن رجلا جاء إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال يا رسول الله إن أمي قد افتُلِتت نفسها وأظنها لو تصدّقت لتكلمت أفأتصدق عنها قال نعمThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for praying on his behalf, the scholars have differed on this. Some hold that it is permissible for a person to pray for a deceased person and assign the reward of the prayer to him, drawing an analogy between this and charity. Others have said that it is not permissible.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is because the principle in worship is that the servant is the one obligated to perform it, and he does not perform it for another. And because of His saying, the Exalted:
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
وأن ليس للإنسان إلا ما سعىThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.