The Ruling on Reciting al-Fatihah and Other Surahs for the Dead
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Question:
In the Islamic conference held in Ta'if, it was said: They paused for a moment at the end of the session and recited Surat al-Fatihah for the soul of King Faisal. Is this type of recitation permissible, whether by a group or an individual?
Answer:
We do not know of any basis for reciting Surat al-Fatihah or other surahs for the dead. This is something the people have innovated. Some scholars have said it is permissible for a person to recite and dedicate the reward to the deceased. A group of scholars stated this, and some of them reported the opinion of the majority, comparing it to fasting on behalf of the deceased or giving charity on his behalf. They analogized this to that, saying: There is no harm in reciting for the dead and dedicating the recitation to them. However, I do not know of any indication in the Shari'ah for this, and it is better to leave it.
It is better to recite for oneself, make du'a for oneself, and make du'a for the Muslims. There is no harm in doing so when completing the recitation of the Qur'an. As for reciting a specific recitation and dedicating it to the deceased, such as al-Fatihah, al-Baqarah, or a complete khatmah, I do not know of any basis for it. However, the majority of scholars said: There is no harm in this, and it is like giving charity on behalf of the deceased, or making du'a for him, or performing Hajj on his behalf. They considered this analogous to those acts. Some scholars did not approve of this analogy and said: One does not make analogies in acts of worship. It is better that no one recite for another, but rather that one recite for oneself and make du'a at the completion of the recitation with whatever good supplications are easy, for oneself and for the Muslims. This is the most cautious and preferable course, as mentioned. The matter is broad, if Allah wills.
Question: Why is al-Fatihah specifically singled out??
Answer: Because it is the greatest of the surahs, the best of the surahs. The greatest surah in the Qur'an is al-Fatihah.
In the Islamic conference held in Ta'if, it was said: They paused for a moment at the end of the session and recited Surat al-Fatihah for the soul of King Faisal. Is this type of recitation permissible, whether by a group or an individual?
Answer:
We do not know of any basis for reciting Surat al-Fatihah or other surahs for the dead. This is something the people have innovated. Some scholars have said it is permissible for a person to recite and dedicate the reward to the deceased. A group of scholars stated this, and some of them reported the opinion of the majority, comparing it to fasting on behalf of the deceased or giving charity on his behalf. They analogized this to that, saying: There is no harm in reciting for the dead and dedicating the recitation to them. However, I do not know of any indication in the Shari'ah for this, and it is better to leave it.
It is better to recite for oneself, make du'a for oneself, and make du'a for the Muslims. There is no harm in doing so when completing the recitation of the Qur'an. As for reciting a specific recitation and dedicating it to the deceased, such as al-Fatihah, al-Baqarah, or a complete khatmah, I do not know of any basis for it. However, the majority of scholars said: There is no harm in this, and it is like giving charity on behalf of the deceased, or making du'a for him, or performing Hajj on his behalf. They considered this analogous to those acts. Some scholars did not approve of this analogy and said: One does not make analogies in acts of worship. It is better that no one recite for another, but rather that one recite for oneself and make du'a at the completion of the recitation with whatever good supplications are easy, for oneself and for the Muslims. This is the most cautious and preferable course, as mentioned. The matter is broad, if Allah wills.
Question: Why is al-Fatihah specifically singled out??
Answer: Because it is the greatest of the surahs, the best of the surahs. The greatest surah in the Qur'an is al-Fatihah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.