Sharʿī Ruling on Charity and Sacrifice on Behalf of the Deceased
📚 Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil – Matters of Funerals, Volume 1, Page 263
❖ Question:
What is the ruling on cooking food and distributing it as charity on behalf of the deceased? Is it permissible to perform Qurbānī (ritual sacrifice) for a deceased person, or for children to perform Qurbānī on behalf of their parents?
❖ Answer:
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
✅ Charity on Behalf of the Deceased:
✿ It is permissible to give charity on behalf of the deceased, whether it involves cooked food or raw provisions.
✖ Prohibited Cultural Practices:
However, many culturally common rituals such as:
◈ Qul
◈ Teeja (third-day gathering)
◈ Satwān (seventh-day)
◈ Daswān (tenth-day)
◈ Chaleeswān (fortieth-day)
◈ And other similar “Khatams”
✘ None of these are established from the Qur’ān or Sunnah.
✘ These are purely customary innovations (bidʿah) and must be avoided.
✖ Sacrifice on Behalf of the Deceased:
✘ There is no clear or authentic evidence in the ḥadīth literature that proves the permissibility of performing sacrifice (Qurbānī) on behalf of the deceased.
✔ However, performing Qurbānī on behalf of a living person is proven through authentic ḥadīth.
Conclusion:
✔ Charity on behalf of the deceased is valid and beneficial.
✘ Associating it with non-legislated customs or designated days is not permissible.
✘ There is no Sharʿī evidence for Qurbānī on behalf of the deceased.
✔ Qurbānī for living individuals is proven and permissible.
هٰذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
This is what I understand, and Allah knows best what is correct.
