Adab al-Mufrad

Benefits and Issues:
➊ This mawquf narration from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu is also established as marfu‘ (attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). (For details, see: al-Silsilah al-Sahihah by al-Albani, Hadith: 1598)

➋ In this hadith, children are encouraged to continuously supplicate to Allah for their parents. In the Noble Qur’an as well, Allah has encouraged this. The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
﴿وَقُلْ رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِیْ صَغِیْرًا﴾ (al-Isra’)
“And say: My Lord! Have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small.”

➌ There will be various ranks in Paradise; a believer should strive to attain higher ranks and also supplicate to Allah for this. Children are a perpetual charity (sadaqah jariyah) for a person, whose good deeds and seeking forgiveness benefit a person even after his death.

➍ In this, there is also a lesson for parents that they should give their children a good upbringing so that they may seek forgiveness for them and become a means for the elevation of their ranks. It is a point of reflection for those parents who work day and night to improve their children’s worldly life, provide them with worldly education, secure them high positions, or pave the way for their businesses, but keep them ignorant of religious education. As a result, neither do they themselves perform good deeds that would improve their Hereafter, nor are they granted the ability to supplicate for their parents. Therefore, it is necessary to raise children in such a way that they become good human beings as well as good Muslims.

➎ If a person’s ranks can be elevated through supplication, then surely Allah is also able to forgive his sins through the supplication of his children. However, remember that Allah does not forgive shirk until a person himself seeks forgiveness for it during his lifetime. Similarly, the matter of the rights of people (huquq al-‘ibad) is also extremely serious. If the parents owe something to someone or have wronged someone, the children should fulfill it and seek forgiveness from those who have been wronged.

➏ In this, the supplication of the children is mentioned; however, from other evidences, it is also known that the supplication of any person can benefit the deceased.

➐ The customary method of seeking forgiveness and the practice of reciting Fatiha for the deceased in our society is an innovation (bid‘ah). There is no evidence for this from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum, or the Imams of the religion. Inviting memorizers and reciters of the Qur’an to the house for Qur’an recitation is not established from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. What happens is that a person spends his whole life disobeying Allah and does not even touch the Qur’an, but as soon as he dies, Qur’an recitation is arranged for him and the process of transferring reward (isal al-thawab) is started. Remember! Allah cannot be deceived.

➑ Is there only the command to supplicate for the deceased? To recite the Qur’an or perform adhkar and transfer its reward is entirely against the Sunnah, because the reciter himself does not know whether he has received any reward or not, and even if, hypothetically, he has received it, does he have the right to give his reward to someone else? Absolutely not! If this were possible, then every person who possesses wealth would purchase good deeds. The Noble Qur’an refutes this. The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
﴿كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِیْنَةٌ﴾ (al-Muddaththir: 38)
“Every soul is held in pledge for what it has earned.”

➒ From a rational perspective as well, this practice appears un-Islamic. The reason is that the religion of Islam is for both the rich and the poor. Now, if a person does not have the means to arrange for Qur’an recitation, will he—Allah forbid—be considered sinful, even though he does not have the ability, while another person who is a sinner but wealthy can arrange for Qur’an recitation and secure his forgiveness? This clearly means that this religion also favors capitalists (Allah forbid).

In the present age, even the spiritual guides (pirs) grant the honor of closeness only to those disciples whose pockets are heavy.