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 WARHAMATULAHI WABARAKATU,

I am Pakistani and my friend is too. In their family they do chaliswan ( ie after 40 days of the deceased they have a large gathering in their house. They all make dua and recite Quran shareef and have food on just that specific day.) I explain to her that we should make dua everyday for the deceased not just on a specific day. THis is wrong if u are fixing a specific day like everytime after 40 days. Please tell me if she is right or am i right with the reference of Quran and sahih hadith.

JAZAKALLAH KHYRAN

(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:

Forty days mourn

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.

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 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