The Ruling on Offering a Complete Recitation of the Qur'an to the Dead

Question:
In the last of this questioner's questions from Libya, he says: I am asking about the khatmah (complete recitation) of the Qur'an that is performed for a deceased person by his family, and they consider it a sadaqah (voluntary charity). It consists of a group of reciters who complete the Qur'an, and afterwards they eat lunch. It is undoubtedly a sadaqah, and any person may attend it. What is the ruling on doing this for reward?

The Shaykh:
I do not know of any basis for this, a khatmah of the Qur'an for so-and-so or so-and-so; I do not know of any basis for it. Some scholars permit it, but I do not know of any basis for it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , and he said (peace and blessings be upon him): . The fact that they gather to recite for so-and-so or so-and-so, I do not know of any basis for this. A person reads for himself, seeking reward from Allah for himself. He reads the Qur'an, or two or three people study it together, and there is no harm in that; they seek reward from Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). It is not for the sake of so-and-so or so-and-so, or a recitation for so-and-so. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to study the Qur'an with Jibril (peace be upon him) every night in Ramadan.
So the conclusion is: studying the Qur'an together is permissible, but their gathering to recite a khatmah for so-and-so or so-and-so, I do not know of any basis for this in the Shari'ah, so it is obligatory to leave it.

The presenter: May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.