The ruling on dedicating the reward of prayer to one's parents
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Q299: The questioner, M. M. A., residing in Iraq, Baghdad, says: I pray two rak'ahs every night after the 'Isha' prayer. May I dedicate their reward to my deceased parents? Is this action permissible? I ask for guidance.
A299: Dutifulness to parents, both in their lifetime and after their death, is required of Muslims, and it is among the best of deeds. However, praying on behalf of a deceased person is not done. What you should do for your deceased parents is to give charity on their behalf, make du'a' for them,
seek forgiveness for them, and show mercy to them. When you pray, you make du'a' for yourself, for your parents, and for the Muslims, and you seek forgiveness for them and ask for mercy for them. This is what is prescribed, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1631 Therefore, what you should do for your deceased parents is to make du'a' for them, give charity on their behalf, and perform Hajj on their behalf if possible. All of these are deeds whose reward reaches them, if Allah wills. As for prayer, no one prays on behalf of another, because prayer is a physical act in which representation is not allowed.
A299: Dutifulness to parents, both in their lifetime and after their death, is required of Muslims, and it is among the best of deeds. However, praying on behalf of a deceased person is not done. What you should do for your deceased parents is to give charity on their behalf, make du'a' for them,
seek forgiveness for them, and show mercy to them. When you pray, you make du'a' for yourself, for your parents, and for the Muslims, and you seek forgiveness for them and ask for mercy for them. This is what is prescribed, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious child, who prays for him (for the deceased).
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عنه عمله إلا من ثلاثة: إلا من صدقة جارية، أو علم ينتفع به، أو ولد صالح يدعو له
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.