Isal-e-Thawab (Conveying the Reward):
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ [al-Baqarah: 286]
“Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. It shall have the reward of what it earned, and it shall bear the consequence of what it committed.”
In accordance with this general principle of the Quran, every person will be entitled to reward for the deed that he himself performed. It is not that one person’s effort earns another the reward; and this same law of Allah applies to the one who commits evil and crime. However, it is certainly possible that a person began a good work during his life and, even after his death, its effects continue for many years and good deeds continue to be recorded in his record of deeds. Therefore, the wise and fortunate person is the one who, during his life, performs deeds that can be beneficial for him in the grave and in the Hereafter.
As narrated in Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, a saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, related by Sayyidina Shaddad bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him), is that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The intelligent person is the one who takes account of himself (during his life) and adopts deeds that will benefit him after death, and the foolish person is the one who follows his desires and yet hopes for forgiveness from Allah.”
[Jami’ al-Tirmidhi: Abwab Sifat al-Qiyamah: Chapter: 25, Hadith: 2459; Ibn Majah: Hadith: 4260]
Recommended Deeds for Isal-e-Thawab:
In accordance with the guidance of the Quranic verse mentioned above and the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, the reward conveyed to a deceased person also depends on his own good or bad deeds in his life. If the deceased was one who believed in the oneness of Allah, loved the Sunnah of the final Messenger ﷺ sent by Him, and died while raising his children in accordance with it, then for such fortunate men and women, the following sayings of the Prophet ﷺ report good news of conveyed reward; whereas those who passed away living contrary to this are deprived of and unsuccessful in this favour of Allah Ta’ala.
عن ابي هريرة: ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: ” إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عنه عمله إلا من ثلاثة، إلا من صدقة جارية، او علم ينتفع به، او ولد صالح يدعو له
[Sahih Muslim: Kitab al-Wasiyyah: Chapter: 3, Hadith: 4223 / 14 / 1631; Abu Dawud: Kitab al-Wasaya: Hadith: 2880]
Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When a person dies, all his deeds and means come to an end, except three things continue:
➊ Ongoing charity (sadaqah jariyah).
➋ Knowledge from which benefit is taken.
➌ A righteous child who makes supplication for him.”
عن ابي هريرة رضى الله عنه ، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” إن مما يلحق المؤمن من عمله، وحسناته بعد موته، علما علمه ونشره، وولدا صالحا تركه، ومصحفا ورثه، او مسجدا بناه، او بيتا لابن السبيل بناه، او نهرا اجراه، او صدقة اخرجها من ماله فى صحته وحياته يلحقه من بعد موته”.
[Sunan Ibn Majah: Chapter on the reward of one who teaches people good: Hadith no. 242; Allamah Nasiruddin al-Albani considers the takhrij of this hadith to be hasan, and this hadith is also recorded in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah. Cited from: Kitab al-Janaiz by Professor Abu Hamzah Muhammad Azam Chima, p. 307, published: 2015]
“Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Of the deeds and good works of a believer that reach him after his death, is knowledge which he taught and spread; or a righteous child whom he left behind; or a Quran which he left as an inheritance to someone; or a mosque he built; or an inn and resting place he had built for travellers; or a river he had dug; or charity he gave from his wealth while in good health and during his life; these are deeds whose reward and benefit will keep reaching him even after his death.'”
From the two hadiths mentioned above of the Mercy to the Worlds ﷺ, it is known that every good deed of a believer which continues to benefit the people of the world even after his death will be a cause of conveying reward to him. Furthermore, the supplication and charity and almsgiving of a righteous child of the believer deceased also relate to his life’s deeds, because the good upbringing of a child is also his good earnings and wealth. As the Prophet ﷺ’s following saying is narrated from Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
إن اطيب ما اكلتم من كسبكم , وإن اولادكم من كسبكم
[Jami’ al-Tirmidhi: Abwab al-Ahkam: Chapter: 22, Hadith: 1358; Ibn Majah: 2290; its isnad is sahih:]
“The best livelihood is that which you eat from your earnings, and indeed your children are also from your earnings.”
Therefore, children should carry out, after the death of their parents, deeds that are established from the Quran and Hadith, and avoid those actions for which no evidence is found in the pure Shariah. Lest they commit sin instead of reward, which becomes a cause of harm to our parents. Therefore, the conveying of reward mentioned in the following hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ is stated so that its prescribed method and manner become clear.
❀ Conveying reward to a deceased disbeliever or polytheist brings no benefit.
[Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah: 484]
❀ Arranging water on behalf of the deceased is the best ongoing charity.
[Sahih al-Nasa’i: 3425]
❀ Holding a Quran recitation gathering to convey reward for the deceased is not established.
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 257/4]
Fulfilling a Deceased Person’s Good Wish:
عن عائشة رضي الله عنها ان رجلا، قال للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” إن امي افتلتت نفسها واراها، لو تكلمت تصدقت، افاتصدق عنها؟ قال: نعم تصدق عنها.
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Kitab al-Wasaya: Chapter 19, Hadith: 2760]
“Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that a man submitted to the Prophet ﷺ: ‘My mother died suddenly; I think that if she had had the chance to speak, she would have said to give charity. Should I now give charity on her behalf?’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Yes, if you give charity on behalf of your mother, its benefit will reach your mother.'”
Fulfilling a Deceased Person’s Vow:
عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما، ان سعد بن عبادة رضى الله عنه استفتى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: إن امي ماتت وعليها نذر، فقال: ” اقضه عنها”.
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Kitab al-Wasaya: Chapter: 19, Hadith no.: 2761; Sahih Muslim: Kitab al-Nadhr:]
“Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrated that Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: My mother has passed away and she had a vow (nadhr) upon her? He ﷺ said:
‘Fulfil that vow on her behalf.'”
Regarding a vow, it should be kept in mind that if the deceased made a vow in obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ concerning property that was in their ownership, then fulfilling such a vow is obligatory upon the heirs. Otherwise, it is better for the relatives not to act upon it.
[Sahih Muslim: Kitab al-Nadhr:]
عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه، ان امراة من جهينة جاءت إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقالت: ” إن امي نذرت ان تحج فلم تحج حتى ماتت، افاحج عنها؟ قال: نعم، حجي عنها، ارايت لو كان على امك دين اكنت قاضية، اقضوا الله، فالله احق بالوفاء”.
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Kitab al-Umrah: Jaza al-Sayd, Chapter: 22, Hadith no.: 1852]
“Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrated that a woman from the tribe of Juhaynah asked the Prophet ﷺ: My mother had vowed to perform Hajj but could not perform it and passed away. May I perform Hajj on her behalf? He ﷺ said: “Yes,” perform Hajj on her behalf. If your mother had a debt, would you not have paid it? Allah has a greater right to be repaid, so pay Allah’s debt.”
Giving Charity on Behalf of the Deceased:
Sa’d bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him), a companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: My mother has died, and I was not present at that time. Will it benefit her if I give charity on her behalf? The Mercy to the Worlds ﷺ said: “Yes.” Sa’d bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I have a fruit-bearing garden; I call upon you ﷺ as a witness that I have given charity on behalf of my mother.
[Sahih al-Bukhari: 2756]
Be Sure to Give Charity:
It is clearly evident from the hadith that after the death of parents, whether they state it or not, charity should be given. Sayyiduna, the Mercy to the Worlds ﷺ, said:
The charity given by the children will benefit the parents. In my view, the benefits are these:
➊ This charity will cool down Allah’s anger, through which forgiveness for the deceased will become possible.
➋ This charity will surely save the deceased from the heat of the grave, the difficulties of questioning in the grave, the narrowness of the grave, the darkness of the grave, and the heart-trembling punishment of the grave.
➌ This charity can also become an expiation for their minor and major sins.
➍ Charity given on behalf of the deceased is a means of wiping away the deceased’s shortcomings and all the obstacles that stand in the way of entering Paradise. In reality, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is certainly desirous and eager to forgive this deceased person from some angle or other.
Fasting Owed by the Deceased (Qada):
عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه، قال: ” جاء رجل إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: يا رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ، إن امي ماتت وعليها صوم شهر، افاقضيه عنها؟ قال: نعم، قال: فدين الله احق ان يقضى”
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Kitab al-Sawm: Hadith no.: 1953; Sahih Muslim: Kitab al-Siyam: Bab Qada al-Sawm an al-Mayyit: Hadith: 1148; Abu Dawud: Hadith: 3310]
“Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrated that a man asked the Prophet ﷺ: My mother has died, and she owed a month of fasts. May I make up (qada) for them on her behalf? He ﷺ said: If your mother had a debt, would you have paid it? He said: Yes. Then he ﷺ said:
“Then Allah’s debt has a greater right to be repaid.”
عن عائشة رضي الله عنها، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: ” من مات وعليه صيام، صام عنه وليه”،
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Kitab al-Sawm: Chapter: 42, Hadith no.: 1952; Sahih Muslim: Kitab al-Siyam: Hadith: 1147; Abu Dawud: Hadith no.: 3311]
“Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyida Aisha Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that Sayyiduna, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever, man or woman, dies and has fasts owed, his heir should fast on his behalf.”
Performing Hajj on Behalf of Disabled Parents:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that during the Farewell Pilgrimage a woman said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “The obligatory Hajj ordained by Allah has come upon my father while he is alive, but he cannot sit on a mount due to old age. If I perform Hajj on his behalf, will his Hajj be fulfilled?” He ﷺ said: “Yes.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari: Kitab al-Hajj: Hadith no.: 1513; Sahih Muslim: Kitab al-Hajj: Chapter: 71, Hadith: 3251 / 407 / 1334; Abu Dawud: 1809]
In light of the aforementioned hadith, Hajj badal (Hajj on behalf of another) may be performed on behalf of a sick or deceased sister, brother, or other relatives. Therefore, only those people who have already performed Hajj on their own behalf can fulfil this obligation.
[Sunan Abi Dawud: Kitab al-Manasik: Hadith no.: 1811]
Good Treatment of Deceased Parents:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Usayd Malik bin Rabi’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man from the Banu Salamah said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Is there anything remaining of the good treatment I should have shown to my parents? Can I do something for them after their death? He ﷺ said: “Yes, you should supplicate for them and seek forgiveness for them, fulfil their promises after their death, honour their friends, and maintain ties of kinship with the relatives they had.”
[Sunan Ibn Majah: al-Adab, Hadith no.: 3664; Abu Dawud: Kitab al-Adab: Hadith no.: 5142; its chain is hasan]
That is, when a person of sound belief and righteousness dies, if his children, students, and disciples make supplication or seek forgiveness for him, or do any good deed, the deceased will continually receive reward for this good deed of theirs, whether or not they mention his name. Insha’Allah, the deceased will continue to receive a share of the righteous deeds of those whom he trained and educated well.
The Poor Man’s Remedy:
Consider this! If you lack the means, the power and the resolve to build a well, a canal, a hand pump, a shelter, or a mosque with your money, rupees and wealth, do you not even have the strength to move your tongue and make supplication for their forgiveness? Surely every person, at the very least, if they are not able to give charity in the form of money, there is no problem: let them move their tongues and, before their Lord of the worlds, the Appreciative (Shakur, the one who rewards generously), pray for their deceased without fail.
Who knows who remembers me in their prayers?
When I sink, the sea tosses me up.
Behold the generosity of the Generous One, and do not waste the precious moments of supplication.
