Some Innovations Performed for the Dying Person

Q: H.A.M. from Omdurman, Sudan, says in his question: Some people recite the phrase (Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim) 786 times, and they recite Surah al-Waqi'ah 42 times, Surah al-Dhariyat 60 times, and Surah Ya-Sin 41 times, for the deceased and others. They also recite in the dhikr (Ya Latif) 16,641 times. Is this permissible or not? Please inform us; may Allah reward you.

A: I do not know of any basis in the pure Shari'ah for this practice with these specific numbers. In fact, expressing it in this way and believing it to be a Sunnah is a religious innovation. Likewise, doing this in this manner for the dying person at the time of death or after death has no basis in this form. However, it is prescribed for the believer to recite the Qur'an frequently, day and night, and to invoke the name of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) at the beginning of recitation, when eating and drinking, when entering the home, when having intercourse with one's spouse, and in other matters for which the Sunnah has provided guidance. It is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: .
Likewise, using (Ya Latif, or Ya Allah, or similar) with a specific number, believing it to be a Sunnah, has no basis; rather, it is a religious innovation. However, it is prescribed to make much du'a' without a specific number, such as saying: Ya Latif, have mercy on us, or forgive us, or have mercy on us, or guide us, and the like. And so with Ya Allah, Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim, Ya Ghafur, Ya Hakim, Ya Aziz, have mercy on us, help us, and rectify our hearts and our deeds, and the like; for the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He): [Ghafir: 60] and His saying (peace and blessings be upon him) : [al-Baqarah: 186]. But without specifying a number that cannot be exceeded or reduced, except for what has been specified from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), such as the saying: one hundred times every day. This is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And so the saying: And so after each of the five obligatory prayers, totaling ninety-nine after each prayer, and completing the hundred with his saying: . All of this is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and so is everything that comes in its meaning.
And if one recites some verses of the Qur'an for the dying person before he dies, there is no harm in it; for it is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) what indicates this. It is recommended to teach him to say La ilaha illa Allah until he concludes with it; for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. The "dead" referred to here are the dying, according to the most correct of the scholars' opinions, and because they are the ones who benefit from being taught the testimony. And success is from Allah.