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:

ASSALAMUALIKUM WARAHMATULAHI WABARAKATU,

I have two questions and please answer these with the reference of Quran and sahih hadith.

1) I wanted to ask that while asking ALLAH(swt) for something in the sake of prophet Muhammad ( PBUH) when making duA is right or not. for example like, if i ask ALLAH to forgive me then can i say ALLAH plz forgive me for the sake of prophet Muhammad (phub?

2) In pakistan many people have this great gathering (where people meet and make dua, recite Quran and then there is this great feast) after 40 days of the deceased. My question is that is it right to make dua and recite Quran after a specific 40 days as ALLAH has said that dua for deceased should be make everyday? is that anywhere in Quran?

JAZAKALLAH KHAIRAN

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Answer:

Fatiha after forty days deceased

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.

Your Question: I wanted to ask that while asking ALLAH(swt) for something in the sake of prophet Muhammad ( PBUH) when making duA is right or not. for example like, if i ask ALLAH to forgive me then can i say ALLAH plz forgive me for the sake of prophet Muhammad (phub?

It is permissible and encouraged in Islam to make dua or supplications for the deceased, but to invoke the deceased, or to make a supplication to or through the deceased is a clear and manifest act of the unforgivable and heinous crime of ‘shirk’ in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 110:

110 Say: "Call upon Allah or call upon ‘The Rahman’ (The Most Gracious): by whatever Name ye call upon Him (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.

Beloved Brother in Islam, it is absolutely fine, permissible, acceptable and encouraged to implore and beseech Allah Subhanah through His Noble Names and Attributes when supplicating to Him; but it is absolutely impermissible in Islam to use a creation of Allah (even if that creation happens to be a Prophet, or an Angel, or a Saint, etc.) as an intermediary when supplicating the Lord Most Gracious.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 186:

And if My servants ask you, O Prophet, concerning Me, tell them that I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant, when he calls on Me. So let them respond to My call and believe in Me. (Convey this to them), perhaps they may be guided aright!

Our Lord is indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, and He indeed hears and responds to those who call upon Him in humility and in hope. The Messenger of Allah (saws) himself called upon His Lord directly and without any intermediary day and night, standing, sitting and lying down; and encouraged the believers to do the same. Never ever did he encourage or endorse supplicating Allah Subhanah through an intermediary! In fact, asking or supplicating Allah Subhanah through dead or absent intermediaries is regarded as a form of ‘shirk’ and ‘disbelief’ in Islam.

Instead of adding ‘weight’ to one’s supplication by using the name of a dead or absent creation of Allah, the Messenger of Allah (saws) guided the believers that if indeed they wished to add ‘weight’ to their supplications to their Lord Most Gracious, they should humbly and in fear, indicate some amongst their good deeds which they have done purely for the Sake and Pleasure of Allah Subhanah; for it is one’s own belief and one’s own deeds which indeed add ‘weight’ to one’s supplications in the Presence of the Lord Most Merciful.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.671 Narrated by Ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Once three persons (from the previous nations) were traveling, and suddenly it started raining and they took shelter in a cave. The entrance of the cave got closed while they were inside. They said to each other, 'O you! Nothing can save you except the truth, so each of you should ask Allah's help by referring to such a deed as he thinks he did sincerely (i.e. just for gaining Allah's pleasure).' So one of them said, 'O Allah! You know that I had a laborer who worked for me for one Faraq (i.e. three Sas) of rice, but he departed, leaving it (i.e. his wages). I sowed that Faraq of rice and with its yield I bought cows (for him). Later on when he came to me asking for his wages, I said (to him), 'Go to those cows and drive them away.' He said to me, 'But you have to pay me only a Faraq of rice,' I said to him, 'Go to those cows and take them, for they are the product of that Faraq (of rice).' So he drove them. O Allah! If you consider that I did that for fear of You, then please remove the rock.' The rock shifted a bit from the mouth of the cave.

The second one said, 'O Allah, You know that I had old parents whom I used to provide with the milk of my sheep every night. One night I was delayed and when I came, they had slept, while my wife and children were crying with hunger. I used not to let them (i.e. my family) drink unless my parents had drunk first. So I disliked to wake them up and also disliked that they should sleep without drinking it, I kept on waiting (for them to wake) till it dawned. O Allah! If You consider that I did that for fear of you, then please remove the rock.' So the rock shifted and they could see the sky through it.

The (third) one said, 'O Allah! You know that I had a cousin (i.e. my paternal uncle's daughter) who was most beloved to me and I sought to seduce her, but she refused, unless I paid her one-hundred Dinars (i.e. gold pieces). So I collected the amount and brought it to her, and she allowed me to sleep with her. But when I sat between her legs, she said, 'Be afraid of Allah, and do not deflower me but legally. 'I got up and left the hundred Dinars (for her). O Allah! If You consider that I did that for fear of you then please remove the rock. So Allah saved them and they came out (of the cave)."

Allah’s Messenger (saws) guided the believers on how to best supplicate their Lord Most Merciful:

1. Call upon the Lord Most Merciful through His Noble Attributes and Praise Him.
2. In absolute humility, fear and hope declare one’s own servitude and utter helplessness in the Presence of their Majestic Lord.
3. If one wishes, one may, in humility and in fear, indicate one’s own good deeds one may have done for the Sake and Pleasure of Allah Subhanah Alone.
4. Then, beseech the Lord Most Gracious for whatever one wishes.
5. And then in conclusion to the supplication, recite the ‘durood’ or salutation to the Noble Prophet and his family.

Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "If any servant of Allah afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, his supplication will be accepted: 'O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of your maidservant. My forehead is in Your hand. Your command conceming me prevails, and Your decision concerning me is just. I call upon You by every one of the beautiful names by which You have described Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your book, or have taught anyone of Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Qur'an the delight of my heart, the light of my breast, and remover of my griefs, sorrows, and afflictions'." A supplication in these words will be answered. Allah will remove one's affliction and replace it with joy and happiness.

Salman reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Your Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."

Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban.

Your Question: …In pakistan many people have this great gathering (where people meet and make dua, recite Quran and then there is this great feast) after 40 days of the deceased. My question is that is it right to make dua and recite Quran after a specific 40 days as ALLAH has said that dua for deceased should be make everyday? is that anywhere in Quran?

Abu Hurairah reported that The Prophet (saws), said, 'When a person dies all his good deeds cease except for three: a continuous act of charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous offspring who prays for him'.''

Related by Muslim and Abu Dawood.

For absolutely all acts of worship, it is absolutely imperative that the believers always follow what is Declared by Allah and practiced by His Messenger (saws). There is absolutely no evidence that the Messenger of Allah (saws), his noble family, or any of his noble companions ever gathered people at the house of the deceased after a certain number of days (9, 10, 11, 40, etc.) to make dua, or recite the Glorious Quran, or perform the ‘tasbeeh’, or enjoy a feast in the name of the deceased! Without an iota of a doubt, such commemorations are no more than innovations which have unfortunately crept into the pure and perfect deen of Islam; and the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day must strive to absolutely abstain from all such innovations.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations (bida), and every innovation (bida) is an error.”

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (bida in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation (bida) or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (bida), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people!”

But what one can and must do is make constant supplication for his deceased brother/sister in faith to the Merciful Lord, and beseech Him to be Merciful on the departed soul, forgive his/her sins and grant them an honorable place in Paradise. This was the practice and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Instead of visiting, consoling, helping, and assisting the family of the deceased to come to terms with their grief, the ignorant amongst the people burden them with such innovations as ‘fatihah’ where the deceased’s family are made to run around to accommodate the gatherers, buy or borrow copies of the Quran which would be read over the deceased, and prepare an enormous amount of food to feed those who gather for the ritual!! Not satisfied with putting this physical and financial burden upon the bereaved family, some amongst the most ignorant even go to the extent of repeating this innovated ritual on the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 9^th, 10^th, 30^th and 40^th day of the death of the deceased! Allah is our witness, this innovated ritual of what is known today as ‘fatihah’ over the deceased neither helps nor consoles nor lightens the burden of the bereaved family; but rather increases it!!!

But the ‘deen’ of mercy and the one who was sent as a ‘mercy to the worlds’, Prophet Mohamed (saws) guided the believers to earnestly supplicate the Lord Most Merciful to have mercy on their deceased brother or sister, help and assist the bereaved family in any and every which way they can, feed them during these trying days, share their grief, and help them to bring their lives back to normal as soon as possible.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

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