Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

If someone has laid the foundation for a Mosque few days before his death his siblings are insisting to fullfil his wish but his widow does not want to respect it with the excuse that she want to invest the funds and if there is any punishment for this she will take its responsibility ? please note that they are very well off that she does not need new busisness for survival ? does the deceased get the reward for his intentions ? please explain with details, Thans 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

The reward for deceased intentions

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.1 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.”

If one intended to build a masjid, or if one laid the foundations to build a masjid for the Sake of Allah Subhanah and was overtaken by death before the building was complete…..he will have his full and due reward in the Presence of his Lord for the Messenger of Allah (saws) said that the reward of deeds depends upon one’s intentions.

If all the legal heirs of the deceased agree to fulfill the intentions of their deceased loved one and build the masjid, there is absolutely no harm and it would only be piety and righteousness on their part if they did so.

But if one amongst the legal heirs has any reservations whatsoever, or for whatever reason they do not wish to participate in the building of the masjid….they are well within their rights in Islam to demand that their share of the inheritance of the deceased be paid to them in full….and there would be absolutely no sin upon them.

The other legal heirs are well within their rights to fulfill the intentions of their deceased loved one on their own or from their share of the inheritance, if they wish to do so….but in all circumstances, absolutely regardless of whether the legal heirs build the masjid or not, the deceased will have his full and due reward for his intentions in the Presence of His Lord Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan