Passing over good deeds to the deceased
Question-
What actions can we pass over to the deceased which will be of benefit to them?
Answer:-
It is proven from the Ahadith of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam that we should make Dua, seek forgiveness and pass over rewards of our good actions to the deceased.
عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- إِذَا فَرَغَ مِنْ دَفْنِ الْمَيِّتِ وَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ « اسْتَغْفِرُوا لأَخِيكُمْ وَسَلُوا لَهُ التَّثْبِيتَ فَإِنَّهُ الآنَ يُسْأَلُ ». قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ بَحِيرُ بْنُ رَيْسَانَ. (ابو داود)
Uthmaan Bin Affaan Radiallahu Anhu narrates, when Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam would finish burying the deceased, then he would stand by him and say, “Seek forgiveness for your brother and ask Allah Ta’ala for steadfastness for him, for verily he is being questioned now.”
It is also recorded in Muslim Sharif that whenever it was Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam’s turn to spend the night with Aisha Radiallahu Anha, then he would depart in the last portion of the night to Baqee and make Dua for forgiveness for the dwellers of Baqee.
عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- – كُلَّمَا كَانَ لَيْلَتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- – يَخْرُجُ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ إِلَى الْبَقِيعِ فَيَقُولُ « السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ دَارَ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَتَاكُمْ مَا تُوعَدُونَ غَدًا مُؤَجَّلُونَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لاَحِقُونَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لأَهْلِ بَقِيعِ الْغَرْقَدِ (صحيح مسلم)
It is recorded in Kitaabur Rooh that a certain person would visit the grave of his mother every Jumuah and recite Surah Yaseen. He then came on one of the days, recited Surah Yaseen and said, “O Allah, if I distribute the reward of this Surah, then let it be (shared) amongst the people of this Qabrastaan. On the following Friday a woman came and said, “You are so and so, the son of a certain woman?” He said, “Yes!” She said, “Verily my daughter has passed way, I saw her in a dream sitting at the edge of her grave, so I asked her, what makes you sit here? She said, “Verily so and so, the son of a certain woman visited the grave of his mother and recited Surah Yaseen. He then passed over the rewards to the people of the Qabrastaan, thus the soul of it has reached us, or we were forgiven, or something similar. [Kitaabur Rooh Pg.11]
اخبرني الحسن بن الهيثم سمعت ابا بكر بن الاطروشابن بنت ابي نصر بن التمار يقول كان رجل يجيء الي قبر امّه يوم الجمعة قيقرأ سورة يٰس فجاء في بعض ايامه فقرأ سورة يٰس ثم قال : اللّٰهمّ ان كنت قسمت لهٰذه السورة ثوابا فاجعله في اهل هذه المقابر فلمّا كان يوم الجمعة التي تليها جاءت امراة فقالت : انت فلان ابن فلانة فقال : نعم قالت : ان بنتا لي ماتت فرايتها في النوم جالسة علٰي شفير قبرها فقلت ما اجلسك ههنا؟ فقالت : ان فلان ابن فلانة جاء الي قبر امّه فقرأ سورة يٰس وجعل ثوابها لاهل المقابر فاصابنا من روح ذلك او غفر لنا او نحو ذلك (كتاب الروح ص11)
It is recorded in I’laa-us-Sunan that, whoever passes by a Qabrastaan and recites Surah Ikhlaas 11 times and passes the reward over to the dead, then he will rewarded in accordance to the number of deceased. [I’laa-us-Sunan 343; Vol.8] Although the above narration is classified as weak, it will be correct to act upon it with the intention of attaining the virtue. It is for this reason that the Fuqaha have quoted it. [Fataawa Darul Uloom Zakariyya Pg.841 Vol.2]
Hadrat Abu Hurairah Radiallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “Whoever, after entering the Qabrastaan and reciting Surah Fateha, Ikhlaas and Takathur, says, ‘O Allah, I pass over the rewards of whatever I have recited from your Kalaam (words) to the believing men and women of the Qabrastaan,’ then the people (of the Qabrastaan) will intercede for him before Allah Ta’ala.” [Sharhus Sudur Bi Sharhi Haalil Mawta Wal Quboor Pg.303]
Hadrat Anas Radiallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “Whoever enters the Qabrastaan and recites Surah Yaseen, then Allah Ta’ala will make it easy for them (the inmates of the grave), and the reciter will attain reward according to the number of inmates of the graves.” [Sharhus Sudur Bi Sharhi Haalil Mawta Wal Quboor Pg.304]
It is recorded in some Kitaabs that if one recites Kalimah-e-Tayyiba 70 000 times and passes the rewards over to the deceased, then he (the deceased) will be forgiven. [Re:- Fataawa Mahmoodiyya Pg.384 Vol.13]
Our Ulama have written in the chapter of performing Hajj on behalf of another, that it is permissible to pass over the rewards of one’s deeds to another, whether Salaah, fasting, Sadaqah, etc. It is recorded in the chapter of Zakaah in Fataawa Taatarkhaaniyyah, that it is most virtuous to discharge Nafl charity making an intention for all the believing men and women, as the reward reaches them (all) without any decrease in the reward of the reciter. This is the view of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa’ah.
في الْحَجِّ عن الْغَيْرِ الْأَصْلُ في هذا الْبَابِ أَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ له أَنْ يَجْعَلَ ثَوَابَ عَمَلِهِ لِغَيْرِهِ صَلَاةً كان أو صَوْمًا أو صَدَقَةً أو غَيْرَهَا كذا في الهدتية بل في زكوة التاتارخانيه عن المحيط : الافضل لمن يتصدق نفلا ان ينوي لجميع المومنين والمومنات لانها تصل اليهم ولا ينقص من اجره شي – هو مذهب اهل السنة والجماعة ( شامي ص243 ج2 / وكذا في فتاوي الهنديه ص257 ج1)
ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai
Date: 07 Jumad-al-Ula 1443 / 12 November 2021
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