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:

1) During Ramadan, some people read the whole Quran and then bless it down to someone (Mostly someone who is already dead). Is this

permissible?

2) When you are reading salat with congregation and the imam makes a mistake, what should we do? (like after 2 rakah he is suppose to say attay ya tou.......... by mistake he stands up,  should we follow him or say attay ya tou billahhi...................

(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:

Reading Quran for the dead

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your comment: During Ramadan, some people read the whole Quran and then bless it down to someone (Mostly someone who is already dead). Is this permissible?

Allah Subhanah revealed the Holy Quran as a Book of Guidance for all of mankind, to show and teach the believers the Way of Life which was acceptable and pleasing to Him. If one recites the Holy Quran, he has been promised ‘ajr’ or reward from Allah Subhanah; but this ‘ajr’ or reward is not something that Allah has given the reciter control of its disposition, whereby he can choose to pass it on to anyone of his choice! The person who reads and studies the Quran will get the ‘ajr’, and it is not permissible nor possible to ‘transfer’ this ajr or reward to someone else of our choice.

Next time someone tries to tell you these types of ‘transfer’ of rewards are possible, please ask them if it is also possible to ‘transfer’ the sin one commits to someone else! If that was possible, one could eat, drink and do the haraam, and transfer the evil deeds to anyone of his choice. But the just law of Allah states that every person will be accountable for his own deeds; whether good, or bad. If a person does good, he will have the reward for it; and if he does evil, he will have to bear the punishment for that evil. No bearer of burden will bear the burden of another…. That is one of the principles of Islam.

Your comment: When you are reading salat with congregation and the imam makes a mistake, what should we do? (like after 2 rakah he is suppose to say attay ya tou.......... by mistake he stands up,  should we follow him or say attay ya tou billahhi...................

In the salaat itself, some acts (like taqbeer, qiyaam, surah fateha, ruku, sujood, etc.) are mandatory. If these acts are not done, the salaat will become invalid. The praying of the small ‘Tashahud’ after two rakahs in a four rakah prayer is not mandatory, and if one forgets to pray this small Tashahud and gets up; he should complete the prayer with four rakahs, and then make the ‘sajdah sahuu’ or ‘sajdah of correction’ at the end of the prayer.

Lets say, the imam is leading the zuhr prayers and gets up without saying the ‘small tashahud’ after two rakahs. The believers in the congregation must also get up with the imam, and complete the four rakahs with the imam. The imam should then lead the congregation and make ‘sajdah suhuu’ or ‘sajdah of correction’ at the end of the prayer.

But lets say, the imam is leading the fajr prayers and gets up after praying the second rakah for a third rakah. Since there is no third rakah in the fajr prayers, the congregation at this time will not get up and remain seated, and say ‘Subhan Allah’ aloud to make the imam realize his mistake. The imam should immediately sit down, pray the Tashahud, and then make the ‘sajdah suhu’ at the end of the prayer.

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

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan