Deeds that help the deceased.
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:
Just recently my sister lost her only son of 27 years in
an accident. Her family was devastated but have surrendered to the will
of Allah. We are not very aware of religious rites for someone who is close in
the family dies. Please guide us what we can do for Islahe sawaab for
him. Can you also tell us in details what one should do when your dead is
brought home and he is lying in the house waiting for organizing of the
janazah. Is it correct that we do "teeja" and how do we do
that. Do we also have to do duswa, beeswa and what are we suppose to do
on the fortieth day. In fact if you can guide us through the ritual of Death
and its after ritual it will be great help.
Thank you - Jazakallah Khair
(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:
Deeds that help the
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: ….Just recently my sister lost her only son
of 27 years in an accident. Her family was devastated but have
surrendered to the will of Allah.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verses 155-157:
155 Be sure We shall test you with something of fear, and
hunger, some loss in goods, or lives, or the fruits (of your toil); but give
glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.
156 Who say when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong and
to Him is our return."
157 They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and Mercy; and
they are the ones that receive guidance.
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1736 Narrated by AbuMusa al-Ash'ari
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "When a child of a servant of Allah passes away, Allah Asks
to the Angels (although He Knows Best): 'Did you take the soul of My servant's
child?' They say: 'Yes.' He, the
Almighty, Asks (although He Knows Best) : 'Did you take away the apple of my
servant's eye?' They say: 'Yes.' He, the Almighty Asks (although He Knows
Best): 'What did My servant say at this?'
They say: 'He praised You and said: "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi
rajeoon” (Verily we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return)." At this Allah Declares: 'Build for My servant
a mansion in
Your Question: ….We are not very aware of religious rites
for someone who is close in the family dies. Please guide us what we can
do for Islahe sawaab for him.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah
Anaam verse 164:
Every soul draws
the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of
burdens can bear the burden of another.
Your goal in the end is toward Allah: He will tell you the truth of the
things wherein ye disputed.
Abu Hurairah reported that The Prophet (saws), said, 'When a
person dies all his good deeds cease except for three:
1.
a
continuous act of charity,
2.
beneficial
knowledge, and
3.
a
righteous offspring who prays for him'.''
Related by Muslim and Abu Dawood.
In light of the above guidance of the Quran it is absolutely
clear that every soul will draw the meed or merit of its own deeds; and in
light of the absolutely clear guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) all the
deeds of a deceased are ceased except for three:
- continuous
act of charity: ie. the charity done by the deceased like building a
school, or a hospital, or a mosque, or a well, etc. which is still being
utilized for the good of man even after his death….the deceased shall earn
a reward for such continuous deeds of charity even after his/her death.
- beneficial
knowledge: ie. if the deceased strove and exhorted someone to believe and
obey their Lord Creator, or the deceased gave someone a copy of the
Glorious Quran, or some good advice, etc….then he/she will continue to
receive the rewards of every good that person did on his/her advice.
- righteous
offspring: ie. the near and loved ones who constantly supplicate their
Lord to forgive their deceased loved one.
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 (1,3, 9, 10, 11, 40, etc.) to
collectively make dua, or recite the Glorious Quran, or perform the ‘fatihah’,
or recite the ‘qull’, 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 their deceased brother/sister in faith to the Merciful Lord, and beseech Him to have Mercy 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’, and ‘qull’, and
‘tasbeeh’, etc., 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 as a feast for
those who gather for such self-invented rituals!! 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 1st, 2nd,
3rd, 9th, 10th, 30th and 40th
day of the death of the deceased! Allah
is our witness, this innovated ritual of what is known today as ‘fatihah’ or
‘qull’ over the deceased neither helps the deceased in any way whatsoever, nor
does it help console nor lightens the burden of the bereaved family!
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, share their grief, and help them to bring their lives back to normal as
soon as possible.
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