Bismillah a request from Sister Rejia about her question about Death and some useful links.

Death, Benefiting the dead, Burial customs and Isaal-e-thawaab

Contents of this Post:
i. Links to Isaal-e-thawaab.
1. About Death & Grave Questions and Answers
2. Funeral Prayer - Salatul Janazah from Rasaile Attariya by Allama Muhammad Illyas Attar Qadri.
3. What Surahs to recite over the Dead.
4. Instructing the dead after burial so 'Munkar and Nakir [the angels of the questioning in the grave] hold each other back, saying: Let us go; there is no need for us to tarry here, for he has been instructed his argument'.
5. In addition these practices, there are some reported to Free someone from the hell-Fire:
5. How to Avoid Grave Punishment - Inshallah.
6. The Excellence of Surah Mulk(67) Surah of Protection from Grave Punishment.
7. Concerning The Ritual Prayer For The Removal Of The Torment Of The Tomb [As-Salat Li-Raf' 'Adhab Al-Qabr]by Shaykh Abdal Qadir Jilani.


Blessing for dead and the Living with Thawab-reward of 70,000 la-e-laha ill-lal-lah

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How the living may help the dead from 'The Lives of Man by Imam 'Abdallah Ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad'

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Isaal-e-thawaab a Must read- The Conveyance of the Reward of Worship to the Souls of the Deceased by
Shaykh Muhammad Shafi Okarvi al-Qadri

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How Living can benefit the dead - Isaal-e-thawaab

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Death And Acts That Benefit To The Dead (Esaale Sawaab) by Maulana Shafi Okarvi al-Qadri

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Isaal-e-thawaab 2

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Isaal-e-thawaab 3

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Ethal At Thawaab (making dua for forgiveness of ones sins or the sins of others )

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Ihda' - Donating the reward of Qur'an- Sunnah.org

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FATEHA AND ESAALE SAWAAB

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The Permissibility of Reciting Azaan at Graveside

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To Read Dua After Funeral Prayer (Namaz-e-Janazah)

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The Hearing Power of the Deceased

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Death and the Grave

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ABOUT DEATH & GRAVE

Q 1: What is death?
A. Everyone has a particular age, when his predestined time is over (Hadrat) Izraeel visits him and takes soul out of his body. This is death.

Q 2: What does a dying man see?
A. At the time of death one sees plenty of angels at his right and left sides to the extent of his sight-range. The believer observes the angels of mercy whereas the angels of torment look-on to a disbeliever.. They take the soul of believer with respect and of disbeliever with disdain and hatred.

Q3: Where are the souls kept?
A. There are different places where the souls are kept. The souls of virtuous believers have their different places than those of disbelievers and sinful believers. Some souls of Muslims live at their graves, some at sacred well of "Zam Zam"(blessed water), of some in between the earth and the heavens and of some in the 1st sky, second and also upto the seventh heaven and even higher than that.

Q 4: Where are the souls of unbelievers kept?
A. The impure and wretched souls of unbelievers live in their graves, cremation ground, from 1st layer of the earth to the lowest one and even deeper than the bottom of the earth.

Q 5: Does the soul maintain any link with the body after death?
A. Yes, after death the soul has a link with the body. If the body is comforted or tormented the soul feels it.

Q 6: Is the soul perishable like the body?
A. Death means separation of the soul from the body. It does not mean that the soul is annihilated. He who believes in perish of soul is a disbeliever and misguided.

Q 7: What does happen to the dead in grave?
A. Grave squeezes believer with affection like a mother who hugs her loving child and squeezes an unbeliever so much so that his ribs and bones get intertwined.

Q 8: Can the soul of any dead enter into other's body?
A. No, absolutely not. No soul can enter into the body of any humanbeing or animal. There is no concept of reincarnation in Islaam. Hindus believe in such absurdities which are false and infidelity.

Q 9: Who are Munkir Nakeer?
A. When people leave the graveyard after having buried the dead, he hears the sound of their steps and then two angels who are called "Munkir" and "Nakeer" enter the grave cleaving through the earth with their big teeth. They have dreadful appearance i.e. cauldron-like burning eyes and the whole body (from the head to the toe) covered with big hairs. They ask the dead in stern rebuke to sit and harshly question him.

Q10: What questions do Munkir & Nakeer ask of the dead?
A. 1st question: "Mar-Rabbuka" (Who is your Creator)?
2nd question: "Maa Deenuka" (What is your faith)?
3rd question: Pointing towards the Holy Prophet Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa (may Allah's choicest blessings & peace be upon him), they ask: "Maa Kunta Taqoolu Fee Haazar Rajul" (What did you use to say about him)?

Q11: How will a Muslim answer these questions?
A. If the dead is believer he will say: (answer to first question) "Rabbi-yal Laah" (my creator is Allah), (answer to second question) "Deeni-yal Islaam" (my faith is Islaam) and (answer to third question) "Huwa Rasoolul Laah (Sallal Laahu 'Alaihe wa Sallam" (He is the true Messenger of Allah).

Q12: What will be the reaction of the angels to these answers?
A. The angels will say that we had an idea that you would say so. Then a proclaimer will proclaim from the sky that "My servant has spoken the truth". Let the heavenly bed be spread for him and clothe him with the heavenly garment. A window will be opened to the paradise and grave enlarged to the extent of sight-range. The angels will say "now you have rest" and then leave. The dead will keep enjoying the fragrance and beautiful spectacles of paradise till the Doomsday. His virtues will adopt elegant and graceful forms to comfort and please him.

Q13: What treatment will be meted out to an unbeliever and a hypocrite?
A. If the dead is an unbeliever or a hypocrite he will answer every question saying: Alas! I know nothing. I used to say what I heard people said. Then a proclaimer will proclaim from the sky that he is a liar. Let the bed of hell-fire be spread for him and clothe him with the garment of fire. A hole will be opened to the hell to chastise him. Two angels will be detailed to beat him with iron mallets. His grave will be full of frightful snakes and scorpions and his sins will also take the shapes of dreadful dog and wolf to torment him.

Q14: Will the sinful Muslims be chastised in grave?
A. Yes, some sinful believers will face torment in grave because of their disobedience. However, they will be absolved either by the supplications and intercession of their spiritual guides, Allah's saints or by the grace of Allah Almighty.

Q15: Are those dead questioned who are not buried?
A. All dead are questioned irrespective of burial or being eaten away by animals and also get reward of their goodnesses and chastisement of sins.

Q16: Can the living ones benefit their dead or not?
A. Yes, the good deeds of living people benefit their dead. We should recite the Holy Qur-aan, Durood Shareef (invocation of Allah's blessings on the Holy Prophet), Kalimah Shareef and give alms and offer "Sawaab" (reward of virtue) thereof to our dead ones which is proved by the Sunnah.

Q17: Is it lawful or not to utter "Azaan" on grave?
A. Yes, uttering Azan (words of call to prayer) on grave is lawful. It comforts the dead in the horrid loneliness of grave.

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Funeral Prayer - Salatul Janazah from Rasaile Attariya by Allama Muhammad Illyas Attar Qadri

Salatul Janzah is Fard Kafayah, that is, if one prays the prayer than all are bareeuz zimma [free of the responsiblity] otherwise all those who received the news but did not come are sinners. Jammat is not a condition for this prayer, it is sufficient even if one person prays, and to deny the fardiat, compulsion, of this salah is kufr, an act of disbelief.

There are two parts of this Salah:
1) To say Allahu Akbar four times
2) Qayam which was three Sunnat Mukeda: Sana, Durood Shareef, and Duaa for the deceased

How to pray

Muqtadee should make the niyyat, “I make the niyyat for the prayer of this janaza for Allah, duaa for this deceased, behind this imam.” Now the Imam and muqtadee should raise their hands to their ears and fold their hands underneath the navel as usual whilst saying Allahu Akbar and read Sana, a slight difference is that after wa ta’ala jadduka one must read wa jalla sanauka wa laailaha gairuk. Then without raising the hands, say Allahu Akbar and read duroode Ibraheem; then without raising the hands, say Allahu Akbar and read the duaa. The Imam must say all the takbeer aloud whereas the muqtadee must say it slowly, the rest of the azkar (supplications) are to be read slowly by the Imam and Muqtadee. After the duaa, say Allahu Akbar and now drop the hands and then turn the head both sides for salaam.

Sana:



Glory be to You Oh Allah, and praise be to You, and blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your Majesty, and there is none to be served besides You.

Duroode Ibraheemi:


O Allah! shower Your mercy upon Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad , as You showered Your mercy upon Ibrahim and the followers of Ibrahim. Behold, Your are Praiseworthy, Glorious.

Oh Allah! Shower Your blessing upon Muhammad , and the followers of Muhammad as You showered Your blessings upon Ibrahim and the followers of Ibrahim. Behold, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.

Duaa for an adult man or woman:


Oh Allah! Forgive those of us that are alive and those of us that are dead; those of us that are present and those of us who are absent; those of us who are young and those of us who are adults; our males and our females. Oh Allah! Whomsoever You keep alive, let him live as a follower of Islam and whomsoever You cause to die, let him die a Believer.

Duaa for a boy:


Oh! Allah, make him (this child) a source for our salvation and make him a source of reward and treasure for us and make him an intercessor for us and one whose intercession is accepted.

Duaa for a girl:


Oh! Allah, make her (this child) a source for our salvation and make her a source of reward and treasure for us and make her an intercessor for us and one whose intercession is accepted.

12 Ahkam of Janazah

1) Some people pray while wearing shoes and many people pray Janzah while standing on the shoes. If one prays wearing the shoes then it is necessary that the shoes and the earth underneath be pure and if one stands on the shoes then it is necessary that the shoes be pure.
2) There is more ihtiyat (care) that one does not pray while standing on the shoes. Stand on the earth, if you want you can stand upon your handkerchief.
3) It is necessary for the body of the deceased to be present; the janzah of the absent is not permissible
4) It is mustahab that the Imam stand in front of the chest of the deceased.
5) Several janzah maybe prayed at the same time; there is the option of putting the deceased in a row so that the chest of all is in front of the imam or in a line so that ones’ head is in line with the other’s feet and the others’ feet is in line with the others’ head. Wa ala hazal qayas (and presume the rest on this)
6) It is better to make three saf (rows) as it is mentioned in the Hadith that, “Whosevers’ salatul janzah was read by three saf, they will be forgiven.”
7) If there are, for example, seven people, then one should become the Imam, three people should stand in the first saf, two in the second saf, and one in the last saf (Guniyah)
In Janzah, the last saf is the best out of all the saf. [Durre Mukhtar]
9) Masbooq, one who missed some takbeer, should say the rest of his takbeer after the Imam says salaam, and he should say only the takbeer without the supplicatoins if he fears that people while start to give shoulder to the janzah before he finishes all the supplications. [Durre Mukhtar]
10) One can join the janzah even after the fourth takbber until the Imam has not said salaam. After the salaam of the Imam, he should say Allahu Akbar thrice (Duree Mukhtar) and say salaam.
11) The duaa for a boy or girl will be read for whoever died in a condition of madness in which they were born in or madness which occurred before puberty and lasted until death.
12) There is Gusul, Kafan, and Janzah for the child of a muslim whose akhtar (most) body had come out otherwise the child will be bathed, covered in sheet, and buried without gusul, kafan and salah. Akthar (most), from the head, means from the head to the chest; so there is no janzah for the child who was born crying from the head but passed away before the chest came out, and from the feet, akthar means from the feet to the back. A child born alive or dead will be given a name and on the day of Qayamat the child will be resurrected. (Durre Mukhtar, Raddul Muhtar)

The Order of Going with the Janzah Procession

1) It is an act of ibadat to give shoulder to a janazah
2) It is sunnat to give shoulder to all four legs ten steps each in such a manner that one shoulders the top head-right first, bottom leg-right second, then top head-left third, and then bottom-leg left last making a total of forty steps. It is in a Hadith Shareef that, “Whoever took the Janzah forty steps, his forty large sins will be forgiven.” It is also in a Hadith Shareef that, “Whoever shoulders all four legs, Allah will give him permanent magfirat (forgiveness).” [Alamgeeri]
3) There is no harm if one person holds a small child in his arms and people hold the deceased one after the other. [Alamgeeri]
4) It is not permissible nor allowed for ladies to go with the Janzah. [Bahare Shariat]
5) One should not return without praying the Janzah if he is with the Janzah, and he may return after the prayer with the permission of the awliyae mayyat and there is no need for permission after the burial. [Alamgeeri]
6) A husband may shoulder his wife’s janazah, lower it into the grave, and see the face. He may not give his wife gusul or touch her without anything between the body. The wife may give her husband gusul. [Bahare Shariat]

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What to Surahs to recite over the Dead

* Surat al-Fatiha
* Surat al-Baqara, beginning, Ayat al-Kursi, and amana al-rasul
* Surat Ya Seen
* Surat al-Mulk
* Surat al-Takathur
* Surat al-Ikhlas 12 or 11 or 7 or 3 times
Then let him say: allahumma awsil thawaba ma qara'tuhu ila fulan aw ilayhim: O Allah, convey the reward of what I have recited to So-and-so [one or many].


Ibn `Abbas narrates: The Prophet once passed by two graves and said, "These two persons are being tortured not for any major sin. One of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine, while the other used to spread calumnies." The Prophet then took a green date-palm stalk, split it into two pieces, and fixed one on each grave. They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Why have you done so?" He replied, "I hope that their punishment might be lessened until these two pieces become dry." Bukhari and Muslim narrated it. (Cf. (English Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 4, Number 217.)

Nawawi said in commenting on the above in his Sharh Sahih Muslim (al-Mays ed. 3/4:206): "The scholars have declared desirable -- mustahabb -- the recitation of the Qur'an over the grave due to the above hadith, because if relief from punishment is hoped for through the glorification of date-palm stalks, then the recitation of the Qur'an is more deserving yet, and Allah knows best."

Ibn Taymiyya in his Majmu` al-fatawa (24:300, 24:317) said: "The sound position is that the deceased gets the benefit of all kinds of bodily worship whether prayer, fasting, or recitation, just as he gets the benefit of acts of monetary worship such as sadaqa and its like and just as if one supplicated on his behalf."

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OTHER INSTANCES WHERE AZAAN CAN BE GIVEN: With the exception of Namaaz, it is also Mustahab (desirable) to give Azaan in the following instances:-
1. To give Azaan at times of fear brings tranquillity.
2. During an uncontrollable fire. Insha-Allah, the fire will be quickly extinguished.
3. Azaan can be given in the ears of a person to remove fear and sadness.
4. At the birth of a child, Azaan should be given in the right ear and Iqaamah in the left ear.
5. Azaan can be given at the grave-side to give Sukoon (tranquillity) to the deceased.
6. Give Azaan to cure somebody who is affected by Jinnaat or Shaitaan.
7. During the time of storm.
8. To ask for rain during drought, or to stop a heavy storm.
9. When lost in a forest, by giving Azaan, someone will show you your way.
10. Giving Azaan in your business or residence, will increase Barakah (blessings).

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To place the Shajrah and Ahad Nama, etc. in the grave is allowed. To also place flowers or green plants on a grave is permissable. It is the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). It is also permissable to put water on the grave. This act benefits the deceased since fresh flowers and plants recite the Tasbih. To give Azaan at the grave-side after burial is permissable and a means of great blessings.

Instructing the dead after burial (talqin al-mayyit)

Abu Umama al-Bahili said: Allah's Messenger said: "When one of you dies and you have settled the earth over him, let one of you stand at the head of his grave and then say: O So-and-so, son of So-and-so [name of the mother]! for he will hear him even if he does not reply.

Then let him say a second time: O So-and-so, son of So-and-so [name of the mother]! whereupon he will sit up (in his grave).

Then let him say: O So-and-so, son of So-and-so [name of the mother]! At this the other one will say: Instruct me, and may Allah grant you mercy! even if you cannot hear it (wa lakin la tasma`un) -- or [in Ibn Hajar's narration]: even if you cannot notice it (wa lakin la tash`urun).

Then let him say: Remember the state in which you left this world, which is your witnessing that there is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger; that you are pleased with Allah as your Lord, Islam as your religion, Muhammad as your Prophet, and the Qur'an as your book.

At that Munkar and Nakir [the angels of the questioning in the grave] hold each other back, saying: Let us go; there is no need for us to tarry here, for he has been instructed his argument. [In Tabarani's and Ibn Qudama's narration:] And Allah will accept his argument without the two of them." A man said: O Messenger of Allah, what if his mother's name is not known?" He replied: "Then let him say: Son of Hawwa' [Eve]."



Instructing the dead after burial (talqin al-mayyit)
from

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In addition these practices, there are some reported to Free someone from the hell-Fire:
How to Avoid Grave Punishment - Inshallah

1. Saying "La ilaha illa'llah" 70,000 times

No god except God" and lengthens his pronounciation intending thereby to magnify God, God will forgive for him Four thousand grave sins with it, and if he did not commit Four thousand, God will forgive the difference for his
7. Reciting 100 or 1000 prayers on the Prophet using any of the expressions related from him.

8. Reciting the basmala 12,000 times

9. Saying " al-hamdu lillah " 1000 times after the Subh prayer.

10. Saying " Ya Latif " 16,641 times.

A Practical guide of asking Forgiveness of Wrong Actions –Sins Part 2 of section of Tawba - repentance

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How to Avoid Grave Punishment - Inshallah

.....In a book by Shaykh Muzaffer Ozak Jerrahi, called The Dervishes in the Garden, there is a similar section at the send of the book. There is a secret or knowledge I learnt from it, it says there was a boy who was crying at the grave of this mother the boy wasn’t a Shaykh or anything but he was given the gift of Khasf – seeing the Unseen-(Khasf is Unveiling the Unseen) only the Khasf of seeing this mother being punished in the grave he saw, which was so much bear for him that he weeped, then Muhyid-den ‘Ibn Arabi was walking pass and saw the whole thing he then send the Thawab-reward of 70,000 la-e-laha ill-lal-lah to her, she was then place in mercy and her grave punishment stop.

Also it says its good to send 10,000 salawat ala rasul (durood Shareef) upon the person as a guarantee protection. More about the salawat ala rasul (durood Shareef) stories really need to be added from the other book of Shaykh Ozak Muzaffer Jerrahi, Called Irshad-(Irshad is Spiritual guidance ) were Shaykh Hassan basri the student of Sayyid Ali ibn Talib, was asked by an old women, about seeing the state of her daughter in the grave, the Shaykh gave her a dua, after she came back and crying and told the Shaykh about her dream seeing her in a terrorable state and punishment. They all prayer and weep for her, then later the Shaykh had a dream and saw a beauty a young women dress in Nur and crowned with heavenly beauty, don't you recognise me ya Imam no? he said which prophets wife or daughter are you? You taught a mother a so she could see her daughter, I'm her! But she said you're in great pain and punishment the grave! How is this your station now? A Wali-allah – True Friend of Allah passed by our grave and sent only 3 salawat ala rasul (durood Shareef) upon us 550 in the graveyard were forgiven. There are so many stories like this one, insh'allah I might put some of those stories up as links if people would like to read them, but I ready don't want add too many stories here, other wise I'll go off in a tangent.

Send the reward of 70,000 la-e-laha ill-lal-lah to yourselves before you die, a very good way Insh’allah as a down payment and security from punishment in the grave. And don’t forget the insurance policy of 10,000 salawat ala rasul (durood Shareef) upon one self as a guarantee protection. The reason why I call the above a secret is not many people know of it, that is common people as well as learnt ones thus I’m calling it secrets or gems would be better, and not hidden secrets. Other ibadah that’s more commonly known to many people is to read Surah Mulk, every day and there is a tradition that every Muslim should memorise these 30 verses, as they will be a source of protection in the grave.

Full article see Blessing for dead and the Living

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4 Extra Notes worth Reading:

1. It is related in the hadith: "Whoever says La-e-lahaa ill-lal-lah=No gods except The-God(Allah)" and lengthens his pronounciation intending thereby to magnify God, God will forgive for him Four thousand grave sins with it, and if he did not commit Four thousand, God will forgive the difference for his family and neighbors. It is related in the hadith: "Whoever says " No god except God" and lengthens his pronounciation intending thereby to magnify God, Four thousand of his sins are astruck thereby from the register of his sins." see article lengthens his pronounciation.

2. Whoever wants Allah to rescue him from the 19-nineteen Zabaniyya [ tormenting angels within the Fire of Hell ], should recite, 'In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, Most Merciful- Bismillah-hir-rahman-nir-raheem ' so that Allah will make each letter a shield for him against one of them. The basmala contains nineteen letters according to the number of the angels of the Fire who Allah says are also nineteen . See (74:30)

Allah has caused this ayat to be effective as a cure for every sickness, an aid to every kind of healing treatment, a relief from every form of poverty, a shield against the Fire of Hell, and a guarantee of security from degradation, misrepresentation and slanderous accusation, as long as they [His believing servants] keep up the practice of reciting it .

Your ‘awra – Nakedness is hidden from Jinns when you say bismillah when you undress or go to the toilet, otherwise they see you nakedness.

On the Day of Resurrection, the members of my Community will be saying: "In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate [Bismillah-hir-rahman-nir-raheem," and so, when their deeds are placed in the balance, their good deeds will outweigh [their bad deeds ]. full Article The Bismillah - 19 letters - also called –[ayatul-aman]. verse of Scripture that Guarantees Protection

3. Reciting the Opening Chapter (Surah Al-fatiha) with In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, The Compassionate Bismillah-hir-rahman-nir-raheem in ONE breath without stopping.!

And the reward is;
...... bear witness that I have forgiven him, accepted his good actions and overlooked his evil actions and I will not burn his tongue with the fire and I will protect him from the punishment of grave, the punishment of Fire, the punishment of the Rising and the Greatest Terror. He will meet me before all the Prophets and Saints.

From P174 of Ibn Al-rabi :-The Mysteries of Bearing Witness to the Oneness of God and Prophethood - translated by Aisha Bewley

So Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Al hamdu lillaahi rabbil 'alameen
Ar-Rahman ar-Raheem Maaliki yaumid Deen
Iyyaaka na'abudu wa iyyaaka nasta'een
Ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem
Siraatal ladheena an 'amta' alaihim
Ghairil maghduubi' alaihim waladaaleen
Aameen in one breath without stopping ..!

4. why read Dala'il ul-Khayrat and Durood Shareef salawat ala Rasul The Messenger of Allah, Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, said, ‘For the one asks for blessings upon me there is a light on the Bridge, and whoever is on the Bridge from the People of Light will not be among the People of the Fire".

And he said, Allah's blessings and peace be upon him:"Whoever deliberately neglects to ask for blessings upon me has missed the path to The Garden, for the route to The Garden is barred for such a neglectful one, whereas it is open for him who asks blessings upon me".

Allah's blessings and peace be upon him:"Gabriel, peace be upon be him said,' O Muhammad, whenever someone from your nation asks for blessings upon you, seventy thousands angels bless him, and whoever is blessed by angels is one of the People of The Garden".

Allah's blessings and peace be upon him: "Whenever someone asks for blessings upon me, extolling my right, Allah, Mighty and Sublime is He, creates from his words an angel with wings stretching from the East to the West, with feet connected to the nethermost part of the seventh earth and a neck bent beneath The Throne. Allah, Mighty and Sublime is He, Says to him, ‘Bless My slave as he asks for blessings upon My Prophet and thereupon the angel will bless him until the Day of Resurrection".

Allah's blessings and peace be upon him:"Whoever asks Allah to bless me, Allah will bless him ten times, and whoever asks ten times to bless me, Allah will bless him one hundred times, and whoever asks Allah one hundred times to bless me, Allah will bless him one thousand times, and whoever asks Allah to bless me one thousand times, Allah will prohibit The Fire from touching his body, his word on any matter will be made enduring in this world and the next, he will enter The Garden, on the Day of Resurrection his request for blessings upon me will be a light for him on The Bridge, a light visible at a distance of five hundred years, and Allah will grant him for every blessing upon me asked for a palace in The Garden, regardless of how many".

Allah's blessings and peace be upon him:"Whenever a slave asks for blessings upon me, his request leaves him quickly and passes over land and sea, through East and West, saying ‘I am the blessing upon Muhammad, the Chosen One, the Best of Allah's Creation, asked for by so and so' and everything asks for blessings upon him.

A bird is created from these blessings with seventy thousand wings, each of which has seventy thousand feathers. Each of the feathers has seventy thousand heads on each of which are seventy thousands faces. Each face has seventy thousands mouths and in every mouth there are seventy thousand tongues. Each tongue glorifies Allah the exalted in seventy thousand languages and Allah will then write for him the reward for all of that" see Monday section of Dalail al Khayrat

The Excellence of Surah Mulk ( 67 ) Surah of Protection from Grave Punishment

According to one hadeeth Rasulullah sallallau-alayhiwasallam said " It is my desire that Suratul-Mulk should be in the heart of every Mu'min-(believer) ".!!!

( That is commit to memory, to learn off-by-heart.) Accordingly to one hadeeth when punishment is given to a person in the grave from the legs, they (the legs) say : " you may not punish him for he used to recite Surahtul-mulk through me ( i.e by standing in Salaah and reciting it); then when punishment is given out to him through his chest, stomach and head each of them say: " you may not punish him for he used to recited Surahtal-Mulk through me." Hence this Surah saves him from the punishment of the grave.!!!

The virtue of this Surah is mentioned in the Tauraah as well. anyone who recites it in the night, he has accomplished a great deal and has excelled.!

Virtues of reciting the Holy Qur' an, and certain of its Surahs and Verses of Muhammad Sajad Ali

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CONCERNING THE RITUAL PRAYER FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE TORMENT OF THE TOMB [AS-SALAT LI-RAF' 'ADHAB AL-QABR].
According to a traditional report, transmitted on the authority of 'Abdu'llah ibn al-Hasan, 'Ali (may Allah be well pleased with him) stated that Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

If someone performs two cycles of ritual prayer[rak'atain]--reciting in one of the two cycles the last part of [the Sura of] the Criterion [al-Furqan], from "Tabaraka 'lladhi ja'ala fi 's-sama'i burujan [Blessed is He who has placed in the heaven mansions of the stars]" until he reaches the end of the Sura

--then starting into the second cycle, and reciting in it, after the Opening Sura [al-Fatiha], from the beginning of the Sura of the Believers [Surat al-Muminin] until he reaches "Fa-tabaraka 'llahu Ahsanu 'l-khaliqin [So Blessed be Allah, the Fairest of creators]"--he will be safe from the double-dealing of the jinn and of humankind.

He will receive his record sheet with his right hand on the Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama]. He will be safe from the torment of the tomb, and safe from the greatest terrror [al-faza' al-akbar].

The Book will teach him, even if he is not an eager student. He will be relieved of poverty. Allah will bring him [into compliance with] the law [hukm]. He will give him insight into His Book, which He has sent down to His Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).

He will instill in him the evidence he will need [in order to make his case] on the Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama]. He will install a light in his heart. Thus he will not grieve when other people grieve, and he will not be afraid when they are afraid. Light will be installed in his faculty of vision, the love of this world will be extracted from his heart, and he will be recorded in the presence of Allah as one of the champions of truth [as-siddiqin].

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Also see
Powerful Ghawth 'Azam's Special prayers

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Duas' Taken from Al-Fuyudat al-Rabbaniyya (Emanations of Lordly Grace)

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Muhammad Sajad Ali

Q: “that donating the reward of our worship to the dead is permissible. But where does it say this in a specific Shafiite fiqh reference?”

“Didn’t the Qur’an say: “And that man can have nothing but what he does”? Is there an ahl tafsir who says that one can donate the reward of our worship to the dead? Can you please clarify this for me? Also what is established ruling in the Shafii school regarding donating the Fatihah, for example, to the dead?”

A: According to Shaykh Zainuddin Malibari in Fath al Mu’in: “The dead is benefited by charity [sadaqa] performed on his behalf whether by the heir [of the dead; warith; meaning his relation] or by others. Among them [i.e., the sadaqa] are: (1) to endow [waqf] a Qur’an and the like, or (2) to build a mosque, to dig a well, or to plant a tree whether by him while he was alive or by others on his behalf after his death, and [the dead is also benefited by] performing supplication [du’a'] on his behalf; and all of this is agreed by the Consensus of the Muslims [Ijma’]. In a Sahih [rigorously authenticated Hadith], it is said that Allah raises the rank of a slave in Paradise by means of his son asking forgiveness [istighfar] for him. [This is the meaning of the well known Hadith of Abu Hurayra which is related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Abi Shayba.] As for the words of Allah the Most High: “wa-an laysa li-l-insAni illA mA sa’A” [That [each] man can have nothing [i.e., no right to a reward] save what he strives for] (al-Najm, 53:39), it is General [’Amm; a technical term used in Usul Fiqh to mean that this Qur’anic verse has a General meaning and that it may be subject to Takhsis [Specification of the General]; the point here is that the verse does not contain a Qarina [indication] that others might be prevented from helping him, and as it turns out, it is a verse] that has been Specified [Makhsus; i.e., it is being Takhsis] by that [rigorously authenticated Hadith and Ijma’]. It is also said, that it [i.e., this verse] had been Abrogated [Mansukh]. The meaning of “the dead being benefited by sadaqa” [as opposed to “the dead being benefited by du’a'”] is, it is as though the dead himself is the one performing the sadaqa. [Imam] al-Shafi’i (may Allah be pleased with him!) said: “[Among] the abounding favour from Allah is that He will also reward those who perform sadaqa [on behalf of the dead]. For that reason, our jurists have said that it is [legally] recommended [i.e., the hukm shar’i is Mandub/Sunna] for the one [who wishes to perform sadaqa] to intend [instead] to perform sadaqa on behalf of his parents, for example, for Allah the Most High will reward both of his parents without this decreasing in any way, his own reward.” [I’anat, 3:218-9]. (So, you should now correct the legal ruling found in your own statement from “donating the reward of our worship to the dead is permissible,” to ” is recommended!“)

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The 'Amal of the Living for the Dead

“I read in the Reliance of the Traveller (p. 928)”

[which is a complete manual of Islam consisting, in the main part of the book, a translation together with a useful explanation in English of a beginner's level textbook on Shafi'i fiqh (but a post-Fard 'Ayn text), the 'Umdat al-Salik by Imam al-Naqib; while in the other parts of the book, there are various useful selections from medieval and also modern-but-reliable texts on a number of issues including the following mas'ala which past Muslims have accepted without question]

“that donating the reward of our worship to the dead is permissible. But where does it say this in a specific Shafiite fiqh reference?”

[Since the text that the Reliance refers to for this particular issue is a modern work called the Qada' al-'Ibadat written by a modern Shafi'i Mufti, which the questioner here, for reasons unknown to us, seems unwilling to accept the conclusions of this modern Shafi'i scholar.]

“Didn't the Qur'an say: "And that man can have nothing but what he does"? Is there an ahl tafsir who says that one can donate the reward of our worship to the dead? Can you please clarify this for me? Also what is established ruling in the Shafii school regarding donating the Fatihah, for example, to the dead?”

Al-hamdulillah al-'aliyy al-kabir yarfa'u l-mutawadi'in wa-yudhillu l-murtabin fa-salawat rabbi wa-salamuhu 'ala sayyid al-mutawadi'in yad'u ila husn al-zann wa 'ala alihi wa-sahbihi wa 'ala ahl l-thiqqa ila yawm al-haqiqa ajma'in.

Allahumma ftah 'alayna futuh al-'arifin, ma sha' Allah la quwwata illa billah, wa qul: Rabbi zidni 'ilman!

My dear questioner, if I were allowed only to give you a one-line answer, it would have been sufficient for me to say only this: be humble, and learn to trust your scholars! May Allah make it easy for us to open our hearts to make us accept and trust what we have not found "proof" of, what we have not seen and what had been veiled from us; for we have been unworthy of it, Ya Rabb! Whereas if one wanted to express the epitome of the following answer in verse, I would only have to compose this for you; so learn them so you may be guided [min bahr al-basit]:

ajru l-qirA'ati ya'tI l-mayta mu'taqadu # fI mA salaf wa-khalaf wa-hum aqarrU bi-hi wa-ayatu n-nafI ma'nAhA 'adamu hudan # lA yaqbalUna wa-lam yaSghU siwA Haqqihi

[That the reward of the recitation reaches the dead is a point of belief, and both then and now, they have acknowledged this belief. Whereas the Qur'anic verse which (appears to) deny (this belief), its meaning is in fact loss of Guidance, since they can no longer receive, nor listen (to Guidance), save his own right.]

So what is there to clarify for you? Isn't the Qada' al-'Ibadat (a work of around 500 pages [in parts, reproduced in Keller, Reliance, 928-931 (w35.2)]) by Shaykh Nuh 'Ali Salman al-Qudat (may Allah protect him!), a Shafi'i mufti from Jordan, a good enough Shafi'iyya reference for you? Well, if you are finding it hard to follow his judgements then I doubt that the following medieval references will make any difference. If they will, then ask yourself what your intention was in the first place and ask that Allah purify your intentions.

Of the many "specific Shafiite fiqh reference", we only have to relate what is in the Fath al-Mu'in, a basic but important Shafi'iiyya textbook that is read widely, from East Africa to South East Asia. In fact, this is a medieval topos that appears usually in the subsection of the Bab of Wasiyya [bequests] (following the famous statement in Imam al-Nawawi's Minhaj: "wa-tanfa'u al-mayyita Sadaqatun wa-du'A'un min wArithin wa-ajnabiyyin"):

"The dead is benefited by charity [sadaqa] performed on his behalf whether by the heir [of the dead; warith; meaning his relation] or by others. Among them [i.e., the sadaqa] are: (1) to endow [waqf] a Qur'an and the like, or (2) to build a mosque, to dig a well, or to plant a tree whether by him while he was alive or by others on his behalf after his death, and [the dead is also benefited by] performing supplication [du'a'] on his behalf; and all of this is agreed by the Consensus of the Muslims [Ijma']. In a Sahih [rigorously authenticated Hadith], it is said that Allah raises the rank of a slave in Paradise by means of his son asking forgiveness [istighfar] for him. [This is the meaning of the well known Hadith of Abu Hurayra which is related by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Abi Shayba.] As for the words of Allah the Most High: "wa-an laysa li-l-insAni illA mA sa'A" [That [each] man can have nothing [i.e., no right to a reward] save what he strives for] (al-Najm, 53:39), it is General ['Amm; a technical term used in Usul Fiqh to mean that this Qur'anic verse has a General meaning and that it may be subject to Takhsis [Specification of the General]; the point here is that the verse does not contain a Qarina [indication] that others might be prevented from helping him, and as it turns out, it is a verse] that has been Specified [Makhsus; i.e., it is being Takhsis] by that [rigorously authenticated Hadith and Ijma']. It is also said, that it [i.e., this verse] had been Abrogated [Mansukh]. The meaning of "the dead being benefited by sadaqa" [as opposed to "the dead being benefited by du'a'"] is, it is as though the dead himself is the one performing the sadaqa. [Imam] al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him!) said: "[Among] the abounding favour from Allah is that He will also reward those who perform sadaqa [on behalf of the dead]. For that reason, our jurists have said that it is [legally] recommended [i.e., the hukm shar'i is Mandub/Sunna] for the one [who wishes to perform sadaqa] to intend [instead] to perform sadaqa on behalf of his parents, for example, for Allah the Most High will reward both of his parents without this decreasing in any way, his own reward." [I'anat, 3:218-9]. (So, you should now correct the legal ruling found in your own statement from "donating the reward of our worship to the dead is permissible," to " is recommended!")

From this single reference in the Fath al-Mu'in, most of your questions and suspicions have been answered for you; while this will be sufficient for those who understand.

In addition to what have been said above about the verse of Sura al-Najm, I hope you have noticed that your translation of the verse is inaccurate and it can easily be misinterpreted when read literally. The preposition "lam" used in this verse is what the grammarians called "lam li-l-istihqaq" or "a lam that is used to show that one has a right [Haqq] to possession". Thus the correct sense of this verse is not simply: "That mankind can have nothing save what he strives for", but "That [each] man can have nothing [i.e., meaning that he has no right to any reward] save what he strives for". So the meaning of the verse is actually: if a person did not act righteously, he or she does not deserve to be rewarded. What is denied for in that verse is the Haqq of that person, not the Haqq of another person and certainly, never the favour and mercy of Allah. So much so, that even when a person is neglectful and did not strive to do good in this world and therefore does not have a right to be rewarded in the next world, Allah may forgive him through His abounding Fadl and by His countless Rahma to whomsoever He sees fit. Indeed, as "yakhtaSSu bi-raHmatihi man yashA'u wa-Allahu dhU l-faDli l-'aZImi" [He selects anyone He wishes for His mercy; Allah's favour is boundless!] (Al 'Imran, 3:74). In order to illustrate this mute theological point, the scholars of Tawhid like to present the following example. Given Zayd who works for 'Umar: Zayd does not have a right and does not deserve to receive any payment from 'Umar except for the work Zayd has done for 'Umar. However, this does not mean that Zayd cannot receive any gifts from 'Umar or even receive help from another co-worker, Ahmad, for example, in the case when Zayd, for whatever reason, neglected to do the work for 'Umar; for then, it is no longer a question of Zayd's rights, but it is a case of the mercy of 'Umar and the charity of Ahmad. (But living on someone else's handouts is never satisfying and wouldn't it be better for us to aim to be 'rich' before the gift that have been given to us in this world, namely to be able to do 'amal, are 'denied' from us!)

What is more, never did Allah nor His Messenger prohibited the living from giving charity on behalf of the dead. Because if there was such a prohibition (for there is none), even if it be a Hadith which is Da'if and weak, those who prohibit and dislike this practice (such as the Mu'tazila) would have used it by now. (Despite the fact that Da'if Hadiths cannot be used to derive primary rulings in fiqh but can still be used for the fada'ils and illustrations.) Owing to the fact that our Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him!) never said anything against this practice (and on the contrary, there are numerous rigorously authenticated Hadiths that encourage it), no one has therefore the right to prohibit and deny others a practice which our jurists have deemed good, and indeed, to which the Umma has recorded a Consensus over the issue.

In fact, the verse which you quoted from Sura al-Najm (and others like it), turns out to be the scriptural proof that the Mu'tazila had used in defence of their position that the dead cannot benefit from our actions (or more precisely, to put it in a theological framework: the Mu'tazila believe that a person could not dedicate the reward of his or her 'amal to others (whether dead or alive), and if it is carried out, it will not reach them, nor will it benefit them). [cf. I'anat, 3:218-9; al-Zuhayli, Fiqh al-Islam, 3:2097]. (The point being, my brother, the Ahl Sunna will shy away from using this verse as a proof.)

As the Fath al-Mu'in makes clear, there is also the position maintained by some of our scholars (if the verse is to be read literally) that this verse had been Abrogated or Cancelled by another verse. (Hint: did you not read the verse that came before this one? This episode shows that we must be careful, not to quote the Qur'an out of its original and intended context.) The scholars of Tafsir have said: "This [verse] is also [found] in the Scriptures [Suhuf] of Ibrahim and Musa [may Allah send his peace upon them both!]...and it is said that that [i.e., the legal ruling apparent in this verse] is for the people of Ibrahim and Musa [may Allah send his peace upon them both!], while for this Umma, they can have what they have strived for and they can [also] have what others have strived for them." [al-Khazin, Tafsir, 4:199]. It was none other than Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with both of them!), the Imam of Tafsir among the Companions, who declared that this verse had been Abrogated by another verse: "The legal ruling [of this verse] has been Abrogated with respect to this [Umma's] Sacred Law [Shari'a] by the statement of Allah the Most High: "alHaqNA bi-him dhurriyyatahum" [We shall unite them [in Paradise] with their offspring] (al-Tur, 52:21), for, the offspring can be made to enter Paradise through the righteousness of [their] parents." [al-Khazin, Tafsir, 4:199]. Indeed, that is why in another Tafsir of the verse of al-Najm, some of our scholars have interpreted it to mean that the verse can be literally correct from the standpoint of Divine justice, but not from the standpoint of Divine mercy, which, again, is confirmed by what is in the verse of al-Tur. [al-Khazin, Tafsir, 4:199; cf. al-Zuhayli, Fiqh al-Islam, 3:2096]. And yet in another Tafsir according to al-Rabi' Ibn Anas, a Tabi'in Mufassir (may Allah be well pleased with him!), the verse is in fact a reference to non-Muslims. [al-Qurtubi, Tadhkira, 1:107]. The discussions arising from the verse of al-Najm is a famous topos among the Ahl al-Tafsir, and if you find yourself amongst those who have never heard of the various ta'wils and interpretations and tafsirs of it, to which our jurists have taken them for granted for more than a thousand years, then it is an indication that your company has no knowledge of this Fard Kifaya science. (I hope you will have understood the point of this exercise, namely that there is more than one reason why this verse should not be read literally on its own.)

In answer to your specific question of whether "is there an ahl tafsir who says that one can donate the reward of our worship to the dead?"; the answer is obviously yes, and even better, we can relate to you the statement of not any famous mufassir but a Shafi'i one, Imam al-Khazin (may Allah be pleased with him!):

"In the two Hadiths [i.e., he means the two rigorously authenticated Hadiths of 'A'isha (about the mother who died unexpectedly) on the one hand, and the moving Hadith of Ibn 'Abbas (about the meeting at Rawha'), on the other hand (may Allah be pleased with all of them!), both of which are related, among others, by Muslim, al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Abi Shayba], there is the legal proof [dalil] that sadaqa performed on behalf of the dead benefits the dead and its reward reaches them. This [ruling] is reached by the Ijma' of the scholars, and likewise, the scholars have [also] reached Ijma' on [the fact that] performing du'a' [for them] and settling the debt [of the deceased] reaches [them], owing to the [numerous] scriptural proofs [Nass] that has reached [us] regarding it." [al-Khazin, Tafsir, 4:199].

Going beyond the specific reference of Fiqh, let us look at what Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him!), one of the most famous Shafi'i jurists, had to say about this issue. In his Sharh to the Sahih Muslim, he makes it unequivocally clear, again, about the Consensus reached by the Muslims:

"Those who want to do good to their [dead] parents, then by all means, perform sadaqa on behalf of them. For sadaqa reaches the dead and the dead will use them. There is no disagreement [about this] among the Muslims and this is the right [opinion]." [al-Nawawi, Sharh Muslim, 1:80]. For those who want to disagree with what is being said, the Imam had only this to say: "as for those who say that the dead does not get any reward after their death, [let him know that] it is definitely a wrong and mistaken opinion [madhhab] which is clearly against the scriptural proofs of the Qur'an and the Hadiths, and against the Ijma' of the Umma. So do not pay attention to it and do not turn to it!" [ibid.]

As for your question: "what is [the] established ruling in the Shafii school regarding reciting the Fatihah, for example, to the dead?" If you had understood all that we have said so far, then the following is easier to understand (because it will be like relating a story to you for which there will be no thinking required on your part in that you only have to absorb it) and may you be benefited by it!

Unique to our school (for the other schools do not have an issue with this) is a famous disagreement over the matter of reciting the Qur'an on behalf of the dead because our Mujtahid Imam was reputed to have two conflicting Fatwas regarding it (to which Imam al-Nawawi reported one of them (that the reward does not reach the dead) as the Qawl Mashhur [Popular Position] of the school in the Sharh of Sahih Muslim as well as in the Adhkar) and over which, the Sultan al-'Ulama', 'Izz Ibn 'Abd al-Salam (may Allah be pleased with him!) was at the centre of this controversy after having single-handedly issued a Fatwa against this practice (to which he supposedly retracted his Fatwa and admitted his mistakes according to the testimony of his companions, albeit in a dream, as recorded by the trusted Maliki Mufassir and Muhaddith, Imam al-Qurtubi in his most popular work, the Tadhkira [al-Qurtubi, Tadhkira, 1:109, cf. al-Sha'rani, Mukhtasar, 25; and indeed, Imam al-Qurtubi himself interpreted the verse of al-Najm above (if read literally) as applicable only to bad deeds [sayyi'a] and not to good deeds; al-Qurtubi, Tadhkira, 1:108]). In the Adhkar, Imam al-Nawawi followed the opinion of the majority of the Muslims, thus going against the apparent [Zahir] meaning of the Qawl Mashhur which he himself reported in the Sharh to Sahih Muslim, and he held that the reward of the recitation reaches the dead especially if after the recitation, the reciter says a du'a donating the reward of his recitation to the deceased. [al-Nawawi, Adhkar, 150]. It was Imam al-Subki (may Allah be pleased with him!) who famously put the issue to rest for the Shafi'is by performing the necessary legal process of derivation [Istinbat] and set the Qawl Mu'tamad [Relied Upon Position] of our school concerning it as follows: that the reward of the recitation will reach the dead provided that the reciter wanted the reward of the recitation be transferred to the deceased, even if the reciter wished it after the recitation. And this, as the Fath al-Mu'in makes clear, is the legal position, "according to the three [other] schools, and is the choice of many of our jurists, and is made reliable by [Imam] al-Subki and others [in our school]." [I'anat, 3:221].

Later, Imam al-Bujayrimi, confirmed the Qawl Mu'tamad when commenting upon Imam al-Nawawi's reports (via Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari):

"al-Nawawi: [reporting the Qawl Mashhur:] That its reward does not reach [the dead] (al-Bujayrimi: is a Qawl Da'if [Weak Position]). al-Nawawi: While some of our jurists say that it reaches [the dead] (al-Bujayrimi: is the Qawl Mu'tamad)." [al-Bujayrimi, Tajrid, 3:330].

As for the Qawl Mashhur that was one of the conflicting Fatwas of Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah be well pleased with him!) reported by Imam al-Nawawi, this is understood by our jurists as referring to the case when the recitation did not meet one of the requirements that would enable its reward reach the dead because it lacked either: (a) the intention that the reward of the recitation is for the deceased; or (b) the du'a' wishing that the reward reach the deceased. In other words, in this particular case (and Ma-sha' Allah(!), just as in the case of the verse of Sura al-Najm above), the words of our Mujtahid Imam should not be read literally since, to put it simply, there was a 'story' behind them, as Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari said:

"What [Imam al-Nawawi] said, that [the reward does not reach the dead] which belongs to the Qawl Mashhur of the school, is understood in terms of when the recitation is not done in the presence of the deceased and that the reciter did not intend that the reward of his recitation is for the deceased." [ibid.]

It should be noted here that the two towering figures of our school, Imams Ibn Hajar and al-Ramli (may Allah be pleased with both of them!) disagreed over the minor details concerning the 'conditions' of making the reward reach the dead. The latter is of the opinion that in the case when one is not in the presence of the deceased (such as not being at the grave), the reward can still reach the dead even when the recitation is not followed by a du'a' (while the opinion of the former is the more precautionary [Ihtiyat] position and that is to have both the niyya (before or during the recitation) as well as the du'a' (after the recitation) accompany the recitation).* Both are valid opinions within the school and both opinions are practiced today by the Shafi'i community (the Hadramawt, South East Asia, and East Africa Shafi'is following Imam al-Ramli, while the rest of the community is said to follow Imam Ibn Hajar), and this is reflected by the fact that later manuals of our school (such as the the Fath al-'Allam of Imam al-Jurdani, for instance), confirm both opinions. [See for example: al-Jurdani, Fath al-'Allam, 3:322-323].

*For students: It can be noticed here that when relating this legal ruling, we have been careful in not using the legal terminology of "shart" [i.e., the minimum condition required for a particular act to be valid] so that the inclusion or exclusion of the du'a' will therefore not be a matter of valid vs. invalid, but a case of what is more precautionary vs. what is more lenient.

The minimum du'a' is what Imam al-Nawawi has related in the Adhkar, and this is said after the recitation [al-Nawawi, 150]:

AllAhumma awSil thawAba mA qara'tuhu ilA "X"* [O Allah, send the reward of what I have recited to so-and-so!].

*In fact, according to our well-respected Faqih of Hadramawt, Sayyid Balfaqih (may Allah be pleased with him!), it would be preferable [Awla] to specify the name of the recipient, such as to say "X bin Y" or Zayd the son of Ahmad (and the hukm for not specifying the name would only be Khilaf al-Awla). [Ba'alawi, Bughya, 97].

You will have noticed by now that while some of our jurists have minor disagreements over the best method to send the reward of the Qur'anic recitation to the dead, these same jurists had already taken for granted that the reward of the recitation CAN reach the dead, and WILL reach the dead if the relevant conditions are fulfilled.

If after all this you are still uncomfortable with that modern reference found in the Reliance (perhaps sadly because that scholar is unknown to you), then I refer you to another contemporary scholar (perhaps, this time you are more comfortable with), Dr. Wahbah al-Zuhayli, who, in his work on khilaf [comparative fiqh] in the section concerning "Donating the reward of [our] actions to the dead", said:

"The scholars are agreed that the reward of [our] du'a', sadaqa and dedication reaches the dead on account of the previously mentioned [rigorously authenticated] Hadith [of Abu Hurayra]: "idhA mAta l-insAnu inqaTa'a 'amaluhu illA min thalAthin Sadaqatin jAriyyatin aw 'ilmin yuntafa'u bi-hi aw waladin SAliHin yad'u la-hu" [When a man dies, all but three of his deeds come to an end: (1) continuous works of sadaqa, (2) knowledge that people continue to benefit from, and (3) the du'a' of a pious offspring [meaning, the Muslims.]] (Related by Ahmad, al-Darimi, al-Bukhari (but in his Adab), Muslim, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Khuzayma, Ibn Hibban, with only one variant). The majority [jumhur] of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama'ah say that a man can give the reward of his action to others whether it be [his] prayer or fast or sadaqa or recitation of the Qur'an, by saying [i.e., making a du'a':], "O' Allah, give the reward of what I do to so-and-so." [al-Zuhayli, Fiqh al-Islam, 3:2095-2096].

We have reached the end of what needs to be said concerning this issue. If you have not by now committed to memory the above poem that was composed for you, then let us summarize again all that we have said here by listening to Sayyid Ba'ashn, the author of the famous textbook, Bushra al-Karim, which is a commentary to Sayyid Bafadl's Muqaddima (may Allah be pleased with both of them):

"It has been established [tahqiq; by our jurists after the disagreements arising from the issue of donating the rewards of the Qur'anic recitation to the dead] that the dead can be benefited by the recitation [of the Qur'an by the living], through one of either three things: (1) that he intends that the recitation is on behalf of the dead, or (2) that his presence is near the dead [during the recitation], (3) or that his du'a' that the same reward of his recitation is for the dead, even if done after [the recitation]. Whereas, the du'a' and the sadaqa [on behalf of the dead] benefits them, without there being any disagreement [among the scholars about this]." [Ba'ashn, Bushra al-Karim, 2:39].

Now, all of the medieval Imams mentioned above, al-Nawawi, al-Khazin, al-Subki, Zakariyya al-Ansari, Ibn Hajar, al-Ramli, al-Bujayrimi, Ba'ashn, Balfaqih, al-Jurdani and the authors related to the Fath al-Mu'in are not only the foremost Shafi'iyya Imams and are among the well respected guardians and representatives of our Mujtahid Imam, but they are also well established jurists and mufassirs who lived in different times and places. So ask yourself now whether the Shari'a ruling in the end about this matter would have been any different from the modern reference you found in the Reliance? Whether you have personally seen the "proof" for it or not will in no way change the legal ruling that has already been fixed, set and understood by those who know. Ergo, (although we have given what you originally asked for) the question of whether you yourself should see or indeed need another reference or "proof" is irrelevant. It is actually a question of trust and in your particular case it becomes a question of you accepting the judgements and testimony of a living Shafi'i scholar regarding this issue. Is it not sad (and would it not be a tragedy for us all from now on) if those who do not know are unable to trust a living jurist and that he would rather in this case (until someone digs the dead references that will suit his pleasure) deprive himself of the immense benefit that this well known practice, a practice which is accepted by the Umma, brings to both the dead as well as the living amongst us, and especially for the sake of our own departed family members and of our loved ones? We will only know the extent of our folly and how our time have been wasted in the months and years of our arguing about the validity of it when we find ourselves needing that extra help and favour once we pass the point where we cannot anymore do things by ourselves. It is precisely then that we will be wishing those who are still alive to exercise their God given right; but by then it may only be wishful thinking on our part. Worse still, owing to our not thinking about the welfare of our own parents who have passed on to the other world and to our never showing this in front of our children, they might think it unlawful to make sadaqa for us once we are no longer in this world. What goes around comes around, and we ask that Allah save us from such a fate! Let us end with the du'a' that our Prophet had taught us to say for our Muslim brothers and sisters, always:

Allahumma ghfir li-hayyina wa-mayyitina!

[O Allah, forgive those of us who are alive and those who are dead amongst us!]

++Something extra and a fa'ida for us all at the end of the road++ Imam Ibn Hajar was asked about a man who passed by a graveyard and read one Fatiha and donated its reward to all of the members of the graveyard, whether (a: by subtraction), that one reward will be broken up equally and apportioned to all of them, or whether (b: by addition), every one of them will receive the same whole reward of a single Fatiha each. His answer was for the latter and for the reward to be added together, for it is the one worthy of the immeasurable mercy of Allah the Most High! [Ibn Hajar, Fatawa Kubra, 2:24; cf. Ba'alawi, Bughya, 97]. Subhanallah, so look, my dear questioner, at why we shouldn't restrict the Rahma of Allah, for we would deprive ourselves of this immense blessing!

Let us all say a Fatiha for the souls of all the scholars mentioned here, al-Fatiha!

al-fAtiHata ilA arwAHi mani jtama'nA hunA bi-sababihim, ajarakumu LlAhu l-fAtiHah!

The one in need of forgiveness,

Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti ©
Oxford
17 Dhu l-Qa'da I 1424
10 January 2004

Select Bibliography:

Ba'alawi, Abd al-Rahman. Bughyat al-Mustarshidin fi Talkhis Fatawa ba'd al-Muta'akhkhirin. Bulaq, 1309 H.

Ba'ashn. Bushra al-Karim bi-Sharh Masa'il al-Ta'lim [a commentary on al-Muqaddima al-Hadramiyah]. 2 vols. Singapore: al-Haramayn, 1309 H.

al-Bakri. Hashiyat I'anat al-Talibin. 4 vols. Bulaq, 1300 H.

al-Bujayrimi. Hashiya al-Bujayrimi 'ala Sharh Manhaj al-Tullab [of Zakariyya al-Ansari; also known as al-Tajrid li-Naf' al-'Abid]. Edited by 'Abdullah Mahmud Muhammad 'Umar. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiya, 2000.

Ibn Hajar. al-Fatawa al-Kubra al-Fiqhiyah. 4 vols. Bulaq, 1308 H.

al-Jurdani. Fath al-'Allam bi-Sharh Murshid al-Anam fi al-Fiqh 'ala Madhhab al-Sadah al-Shafi'iyah. Edited by Muhammad al-Hajjar. 4 vols. Cairo: Dar al-Salam, 1990.

Keller, Nuh H. M. (ed.). Reliance of the Traveller [='Umdat al-Salik wa-'Uddat al-Nasik by Ibn al-Naqib]. Revised ed. Evanston, IL: Sunna, 1994.

al-Khazin, Tafsir al-Khazin al-Musamma Lubab al-Ta'wil fi Ma'ani al-Tanzil. 4 vols. Bulaq, 1328 H.

al-Nawawi. al-Adhkar al-Muntakhab min Kalam Sayyid al-Abrar. Beirut: al-Maktaba al-'Umawiyya, 1955.

al-Nawawi. al-Minhaj fi Sharh Sahih Muslim. Edited by Wahbah al-Zuhayli and 'Ali 'Abd al-Hamid Abu al-Khayr. 7 vols. Damascus: Dar al-Khayr, 1994.

al-Qurtubi. al-Tadhkira fi Ahwal al-Mawta wa-Umur al-Akhirah. Edited by Ahmad Hijazi al-Saqa. 2 vols. Cairo: Maktabat al-Kuliyyat al-Azhariyah, 1980.

al-Sha'rani. Mukhtasar Tadhkirah al-Qurtubi. Bulaq, 1307 H.

al-Zuhayli, Wahbah. Fiqh al-Islam wa-Adillatuh. 11 vols. 4th revised ed. Damascus: Dar al-Fikr, 1997.

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JANAZA- FUNERAL Illness is a blessing
From alahazrat.net/

Illness is also a great gift and there are many benefits from it although by looking at it may seem as if it is giving you difficulty, but in reality it is a source of rest and easiness and the illness that is of the body is actually a great source of medicine for the recovery of the soul.

What is real illness ?

The real illness is the illness of the soul and is something that should be feared and should be seen as a fatal illness. What should really happen is that a person should think of the illness or difficulty as a gift and accept it gladly, if not then at least have patience and understanding and hence by being impatient and complaining why lose the reward that has come your way and by being impatient the illness is not going to disappear but you will lose the reward and gain another problem and many people who are naive use wrong phrases and obtain sin and some in fact even say words of Kufr by blaming Allah of being cruel (may Allah protect us from this). These people destroy their world and afterlife due to these sorts of statement.

Sins are forgiven and reward is given for illness and difficulties

The Holy Prophet SallallahoAlaihiWasallam has stated that the difficulty that a Muslim suffers upto the extent that a thorn pricks them, then Allah Ta'ala forgives his sin [Bukhari, Muslim] and the Holy Prophet also states that if a Muslim is taken ill due to illness or suffers any other sort of difficulty then Allah drops his sins like a tree drops it's leaves [Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim], and the Holy Prophet also states that Allah has set a grade for a Muslim and if they do not reach that grade due to poor actions then Allah tests them by either their health, goods or children and then gives them patience and then makes them reach their intended grade [Ahmad, Abu Da'wood] and he also states that on the day of judgement when Allah rewards themfor their patience the people who had rested and relaxed in this world will wish that only if scissors would have cut their skins and given them that sort of difficulty so that they could be collecting the reward [Tirmizi].

Visiting people who are sick

To visit someone and enquire about their health is Sunnat. It is quoted in the Hadiths that there is a lot of virtuousness in this and the Holy Prophet has stated that when one Muslim goes and visits his other Muslim brother and because he is ill then until his return he has been gathering the flowers from Jannat [Bukhari, Muslim]. It was the Holy habit of the beloved Prophet that when he visited someone he used to say "Laa Baasa Tahurun Insha Allaho Ta'ala" meaning 'there is nothing to worry about, Insha Allaho Ta'ala this illness will purify you from your sins' [Bukhari, Muslim]. The Holy Prophet says that whenever you go to see an ill person ask them to pray for you because their prayer is the same as the prayers of the angels [Ibne Maja] and he has also stated that when one Muslim goes to visit another ill Muslim then they should pray this Dua seven times "As alullahu Azueem Rabbal Arshil Kareem Ayyashfeeka" if death doesn't come then you will get better.

* Rule: If you are aware that if you go to see someone about their health and the patient will not like it then do not go [Durrar].

* Rule: If you went to visit someone and you saw that their situation was bad then do not show this in front of the patient nor shake your head so that the patient will know that their health has deteriorated, but talk to the patient about things that would enlighten them and make them feel better and do not put your hand on their forehead unless that is their request [Durrar]. Rule: To go and visit a Fasiq (wrongdoer) is also allowed because visiting is a right of Islam and a Fasiq is still a Muslim. If a Christian or Jew is a Zimmi (citizen of an Islamic country) then it is allowed to go and visit them [Durrar]. There is disagreement between Ulema as to whether one can visit fire worshippers if they are Zimmi. A Hindu comes under the same ruling as a fire worshipper and is different to the ruling of those who are followers of the book (Christians, Jews). There are no Zimmis who are Hindu, Christian, Jews, idol worshippers in the subcontinent of India [Bahar-e-Shariat].

The coming of death

One day we will leave this world and death is going to come and we are going to go from here and hence we should prepare for the afterlife where we are going to stay forever and this time should always be remembered and not forgotten.

How should one live here ?

The Holy Prophet has stated that live in this world like a traveller who is on a journey, meaning he lives like a stranger and he doesn't waste time on different routes because he knows he will be wasting time and will not reach his desired destination. In the same way a Muslim should not get stuck in the worldly affairs nor should they get involved with such connections which will divert them from the real destination and objective and should always remember their death as this reminds them of not getting too involved with worldly affairs.

When can one ask for death ?

It is quoted in the Hadith Sharif "Aksiru Zikr Hazihimil Lazzatil Maut", meaning think about a very difficult death but don't ask for death as this is forbidden and if you must ask for it then say 'Oh Allah, keep me alive until life is good for me and give me death when that is the better for me [Bukhari, Muslim] and a Muslim should always have a pious thought in relation to Allah and always remain optimistic for his mercy. It is quoted in the Hadith that no-one dies except with the thought they have had, because Allah has said "Anaa Inda Zanni Abdibi" I treat my servant with the thought they have for me. The Holy Prophet once went to a young person who was close to death and the Holy Prophet said 'How do you see yourself? The young man replied " Oh messenger of Allah, I am optimistic of Allah and scared of my sins" The Holy Prophet replied "Those who have both in their heart i.e. optimism and fear then Allah will give him both, meaning fulfil his optimism and take care of his fear". It is a very tough time when the soul is being extracted, all the actions are dependant on this time and above all faith is in danger because Satan is in desperate attempt to take your faith and whoever Allah protects from his deceit and protects their faith is the one who has reached their desired destination. The Holy Prophet has said that who's last submission is "La ilaha illallah" meaning the first Kalima will go into Jannat.

When death draws nearer

* Rule: When death is near for a person and you have seen some of the signs then it is Sunnat to lay the person on their right side and face them towards the Qibla. It is also allowed to keep the person flat and point his feet towards Qibla and tuck his head slightly up so that he will face the Qibla and if this is not possible as it would cause the ill person difficulty then leave them as they are [Hidaya, Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar].

[/b]Praying the Kalima[/b]

* Rule: At the time of near death when the soul has not yet departed then pray this loudly "Ash Hadu An La ilaha illallahu Wa Ash hadu Anna Muhammadan Rasoolullah", however, do not instruct the ill to pray [Alamgiri, Fatahul Qadir].

* Rule: Once the ill has prayed the Kalima then stop praying it loudly, however, if they say something else then start praying the Kalima again because their last words should be "La ilaha illallahu Muhammadur Rasoolullah" [Alamgiri, Johra].

* Rule: The person praying the Kalima who is close to the ill should be a pious person, not a person who will be happy at the death of the person and therefore to have pious people around at the time is a very good thing and at this time to have 'Surah Yasin' being prayed and sweet smelling perfume is Mustahhab, such as Luban or Incense sticks etc. [Alamgiri].

* Rule: At the time of death a woman on her menstrual cycle or after-birth bleeding can be present [Qazi Khan, Fatahul Qadir, Alamgiri]. However, if a woman has finished her period or a person for whom it is obligatory to bathe should bathe first and should not be present otherwise. Also you should make sure that their are no photographs or dogs in the house and if there are then throw them out immediately because where there are photographs or dogs then the angels of mercy do not enter. At the end time pray for the dying as much as you can and for yourself and do not say anything bad from your tongue because this is the time where angels say Ameen to your prayers, when you see that the ill person is in extreme difficulty pray 'Surah Yasin' or 'Surah Ra'ad' [Bahar-e-Shariat].

* Rule: If at the dying time (Allah forgive) a phrase of Kufr is said then a Fatawa of Kufr is not be given because maybe due to the difficulty, they are not in their senses and have said it unconsciously [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Fatahul Qadir, Alamgiri] and it is also a strong possibility that you may not have understood their words fully as they may miss bits out as they may be in the difficulty of death [Bahar-e-Shariat].

What should be done when the soul is extracted

* Rule: When the soul has come out then get a wide strip of cloth and take it underneath the jaw and over the head and tie it so that the mouth does not stay open and also close the eyes and straighten the hands and feet, this action should be done by the one in the house who can do it most carefully, either father or son [Alamgiri, Johra etc.].

Dua when closing the eyes

* Rule: When closing the eyes of the deceased, you should pray this Dua "Bismillahi Wa Ala Millati Rasoolillah Allahumma Yassir Alaihi Amrahu Wa Sahhil Alaihi Ma Ba'dahu Wa'as'id'hu Bili Kaa'ika Waj'al Maa Kharaja ilaihi Khairam Minima Kharaja Anhu" [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Alamgiri, Fatahul Qadir].

* Rule: Put something heavy on the deceased stomach such as metal or soil to prevent it from blowing up [Alamgiri] however, ensure it is not heavier than necessary so that it may cause inconvenience [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

* Rule: Wrap a cloth around the whole body and then lift it onto something with four legs so that the body is not stuck to the floor [Alamgiri]. Rule: You should ensure that the bathing, Kafan and burial is done quickly because there has been strong emphasis on this in the Hadith Sharif [Johra, Fatahul Qadir].

The dead person's debts

* Rule: If the deceased has any debt or anything owing then it should be cleared as soon as possible because it is quoted in the Hadith that the deceased is worried about their debt and in one narration it is stated that the soul remains stuck until the debt is cleared.

* Rule: If a woman has died and a child is moving in her stomach then the stomach should be cut from the left side and the child taken out.

* Rule: A woman is alive and her child in her stomach has died and it is going to be fatal for the mother then the stomach should be cut and the child taken out, however, if the child is also alive then regardless of the difficulty the stomach should not be cut [Alamgiri, Durr-e-Mukhtar, Bahar].

Method of bathing the deceased

Bathing the deceased is Farz-e-Kifaya and that is if some people gave the body a bath then all are no longer responsible [Alamgiri]. The method of bathing is that first of all where the body is going to be bathed i.e. table, stool or four legged furniture should be made sweet smelling by walking around it three, five or seven times with incense or nice smelling smoke and then lay the body on the furniture and cover the naval to the knees with a cloth. Then the person washing the body should wrap some material around his hands and first of all wash the body's private parts. Then he should perform Wuzu on the body as in Namaz and that is wash the face, then the hands upto the elbows then perform a Masah of the head and wash the body's feet. Do not first wash the hands upto the wrists or wash the inside of the mouth or the nostrils as this is not necessary when washing the deceased. However, get some cotton or a small piece of cloth and wet it and then wipe the teeth and gums and lips with it. Then if the deceased has hair or a beard then wash them with a sweet smelling flower called 'Gull Khairo' and if this is not available then wash it with clean soap which is made from Halal products and if this is not available then just with water. Then turn the body on it's