Review of Barelvi Doubts Regarding the Conveyance of Reward and the Ahl al-Hadith Position

Barelvi Doubts Regarding Isal-e-Sawab

Hafeez-ur-Rahman Qadri writes that the meaning of “Isal” is to deliver, and the meaning of “Sawab” is reward, so “Isal-e-Sawab” means that a Muslim can benefit another Muslim brother through his deeds, whether the latter is alive or has passed away. However, some people believe that each person’s deeds are their own, and no one can benefit another through their deeds. Therefore, reciting the Quran for the deceased, holding gatherings on the seventh day, the fortieth day, anniversaries, the eleventh night, and the Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ are all, God forbid, futile, invalid, and forbidden. Hence, once a person has passed away, we cannot benefit them. Let us present a few brief evidences on this matter.

➊ Performing the funeral prayer: It is as clear as daylight that we perform the funeral prayer for the deceased. After the third Takbeer, supplications are made for the deceased. Those who make the supplications are alive. If the prayers of the living do not benefit the deceased, then why is the funeral prayer performed?

➋ In the five daily prayers, the Isal-e-Sawab is in the final sitting (Qa’dah Akhira) where the following supplication is made:

رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلوةِ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي رَبِّنا وتقبل دعاء ربنا اغْفِرْ لي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ

“My Lord, keep me steadfast in prayer and also (raise such) among my offspring, O our Lord! Accept my prayer. Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day when the reckoning will be established.”
If our supplications do not benefit others, then why is this prayer recited in Salah?

Answer:

Because of this issue, people’s concern for the Hereafter disappeared from their hearts, and the clerics showed people green gardens, saying that if one performs certain acts, they will receive so many ranks in Paradise; if one recites a certain prayer so many times, that person will be saved from the torment of the grave. The desire to perform good deeds vanished from people’s minds and hearts. Wealthy people think that by cooking so many pots of food and sending the reward to others, the entire matter will be resolved. The real basis of sending reward (Isal-e-Sawab) is whether one person’s deed can benefit another or not. The entire issue depends solely on this foundation. If this foundation is correct, then the building constructed upon it is also correct; and if this foundation is completely wrong or flawed in any way, then obviously the building erected on it will also be wrong. In fact, there is always a risk of this building collapsing. I am compelled to say with regret that the group which believes in the prevalent concept of Isal-e-Sawab has completely ignored the foundation itself. They do chant certain arguments, but the argument we require is nowhere to be found; that argument is the Quran and authentic noble Hadiths.

The Ahl-e-Hadith’s Position on Conveying Reward

According to the Ahl al-Hadith, the basis of this issue is whether one person’s deed can benefit another or not. In terms of action, it has two aspects because all human actions are divided into two types, which in the language of Shariah are called good deeds and evil deeds. That is, no action is without two states: an action will either be good or bad, virtuous or sinful, praiseworthy or blameworthy, deserving of reward or deserving of punishment.

It is this very action of a person on which he becomes deserving of reward or subject to divine punishment. The entire scope of Islamic Shariah revolves around this. But before starting the arguments, I want to mention one more thing: Isal (conveying reward) means gifting someone the reward, and one should also consider whether the reward is within our control or not, because the control over reward belongs to Allah. If we do not even become owners of something, how can we gift it to others? However, the righteous deeds of children, which are proven from the Quran and authentic Hadiths, are not self-made or fabricated. The companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) practiced these deeds and considered performing them as acts of reward and means of salvation. But those methods which are not proven from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions are considered innovations, misguidance, and causes of Hellfire. Such righteous deeds in which the deceased has no involvement and which are not proven from the Sunnah do not benefit the deceased.

Accordingly, Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرى

Whoever does any deed, it is for himself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.

In another place, He says:

يَأْتِهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَاخْشُوا يَوْمًا لَّا يَجْزِى وَالِدٌ عَنْ وَلَدِهِ وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ هُوَ جَازِ عَنْ وَالِدِهِ شَيْئًا

O people, fear your Lord and fear the Day when no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father.

From these three blessed verses, it is established that no one can bear the burden of another; every person will be accountable for his own good and bad deeds. And there is a day to fear when a father will not benefit his son, nor will a son benefit his father. Reflect on which relationship is closer than that of a father and son that could increase our deeds and save us. These are all comforting words.

Whoever commits evil, its burden is upon him.

Accordingly, the Holy Quran states:

وَمَنْ يَكْسِبُ إِثْمًا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَكَانَ اللهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

And whoever commits a sin, it is against himself. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.

After death, no dear relative, friend, or person will benefit or bear the burden for anyone.

Accordingly, the Holy Quran states:

وَإِنْ تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَة إِلى حِمْلِهَا لَا يُعْمَلُ مِنْهُ شَيْءٍ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْلى

And if one laden with burdens calls another to bear some of his burden, nothing of it will be borne, even if he should be a close relative.

In the last Ruku of the first Juz of the Quran, Allah mentions several Prophets (peace be upon them), namely Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), and their offspring, saying:

تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُمْ مَا كَسَبْتُم وَلا تُسْلُونَ عَمّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

That was a nation who has passed away. Their deeds are upon them, and your deeds are upon you. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.

This blessed verse appears twice in this Ruku and clearly proves that the good deeds of those groups of Prophets (peace be upon them) can never benefit you, nor can your good deeds benefit them. Nor is it possible that one person’s deeds be credited to another because the word كسب repeatedly says that whoever earns, whoever works hard, and whoever labors will receive their due reward. The earnings can be good or bad. But the earnings of the Prophets (peace be upon them) are very good but cannot be credited to another. One cannot be held accountable for another’s bad deeds. This was a response to Qadri Sahib’s statement, as some people say that everyone has their own deeds. They also say that Qul Khwani Saata, Giyarwin Sharif, Milad-un-Nabi, Chehlum, and Urs are useless and invalid. In response, it is stated that Allah Almighty says in the Quran:

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فى رَسُولِ اللهِ أسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ

Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow.

Guidance on Conveying Rewards to the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions

The question arises that during the blessed life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, many of his sons and daughters passed away. Many of his relatives also died, for example, Hazrat Amir Hamza رضي الله عنه, the master of martyrs, your uncle; Hazrat Ja’far رضي الله عنه, your cousin; and Hazrat Ubaidah bin Harith رضي الله عنه and other relatives also passed away. Some were martyred. But for whom did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ hold a funeral prayer, recite the Quran, or observe the seventh day, the fortieth day, or the anniversary? If only we could find in the Quran, Hadith, or history even one instance showing that the Prophet ﷺ observed the seventh day, the fortieth day, the anniversary, the eleventh night, or the Mawlid (birthday celebration) of the Prophet, etc. Rather, all these customary rituals are self-invented; neither the Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed these acts nor did the other noble companions رضي الله عنهم. All these practices were started to soothe one’s own desires. In the early centuries, there was no trace or mention of these rituals, and inventing any such practice in religion on one’s own is an innovation (bid’ah). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

من احدث فى امرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهورد

Whoever introduces into our religion something new that is not part of it, it will be rejected.

A Prayer Recited in Hanafi Prayer and Conveying Rewards

Qadri Sahib says that the funeral prayer is only performed for the deceased, but the funeral prayer is also performed for saints, and he says that they are alive and not dead. Now he has accepted that those for whom the funeral prayer is performed are indeed the deceased.
He presents the evidence of conveying rewards that the prayer recited in the funeral prayer is:
Conveying rewards in the five-unit prayer: رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِیْ مُقِیْمَ الصَّلٰوةِ وَ مِنْ ذُرِّیَّتِیْ ﳓ رَبَّنَا وَ تَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ(40)رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِیْ وَ لِوَالِدَیَّ وَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ یَوْمَ یَقُوْمُ الْحِسَابُ(41)

The Response

First of all, it is not proven from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that this supplication is to be recited in prayer. Here, the supplication is first for one’s own self, and later for the parents, provided that the parents have passed away at the time of this supplication; otherwise, this supplication would include both the living and the dead. This is the method that Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) adopted when he made the mentioned supplication. This is the supplication of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

There is also the possibility that at the time this supplication was made, Ibrahim’s (peace be upon him) parents were alive, because the Qur’an testifies that when he became certain that his father would not abandon disbelief, he became disheartened by him:

فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ

Then, when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he became disheartened by him.

In this respect, this supplication was also specific to the living. But praying for the dead is proven from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and other innovations like Qul Khwani, Quran recitation, Satah, Chehlum, Barsi, Eleventh, Milad-un-Nabi celebrations, etc., are not proven from the Qur’an and Sunnah. The supplication made for the deceased is not related to Isal-e-Sawab (conveying reward).

The meaning of Isal-e-Sawab is that we give the reward of our Quran recitation, our charity, or some act to a particular deceased person according to our wish. Perhaps this is because the act performed is more than necessary for the doer, whereas in supplication, one pleads and requests from Allah: O Allah, forgive so-and-so. There is no connection between transferring one’s deeds and supplication. If supplication and Isal-e-Sawab were the same thing, then why would Isal-e-Sawab be considered specific only to the dead, while supplication is general for both the living and the dead? In fact, it is obligatory on every person to constantly supplicate to Allah, whether for themselves or for others. Praying for the deceased is clearly proven in the Qur’an:

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلُ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غلا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمه

O our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and do not place in our hearts any hatred toward the believers. Our Lord, You are indeed Most Kind and Merciful.

Before this, the verses mention the Muhajirin and Ansar, and then the later generations. By conveying this supplication from them, they were taught to continuously pray for forgiveness for all the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the predecessors, and not to harbor any hatred in their hearts toward them, because Allah is the Knower of the unseen. He also knew that among His creation there would arise a group who would curse the Muhajirin and Ansar. Therefore, the believers were taught to make this supplication. In this verse, the supplication is first for oneself, which clearly shows that the fundamental principle of supplication is first for oneself and then for the deceased; that is, in every case, the rights of the living take precedence over the dead. This principle is also adopted in the funeral prayer, and this supplication is taught.

I will only write the supplication that the Barelvi scholars recite in the funeral prayer, which Qadri Sahib has used as evidence for the prevalent Isal-e-Sawab. Reflect on the supplication:

اللهم اغفر لحينا و ميتنا وشاهدنا وغائبنا وصغيرنا كبيرنا وذكرنا وانثانا اللهم من احيته منا فاحيه على الاسلام من توفيته منافتوفه على الايمان

O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, our present and our absent, our young and our old, our men and our women. O Allah, keep alive whoever You keep alive among us on Islam, and cause whoever You cause to die among us to die upon faith.

Dear readers, these words themselves testify that both the living and the dead are included in the supplication, and in the supplication, the rights of the living take precedence over the dead. If supplication and Isal-e-Sawab are the same thing, then first perform Isal-e-Sawab for the living. According to Qadri Sahib, supplication is Isal-e-Sawab, and first, these scholars arrange Qul Khwani, Fatiha Khwani for themselves for the purpose of Isal-e-Sawab, hold their Satah, Chehlum, Barsi, etc., and arrange meals for others. The food served at the houses of the deceased on the first, second, or third day, or on the day of Satah, during Qul Khwani, is adorned with various dishes. All this work is done in the name of Isal-e-Sawab. Read the fatwa of the great Barelvi scholar Ahmad Raza Khan Sahib on this matter as well.

Question posed to Ahmad Raza

What do the scholars of religion say about this issue that in many parts of India it is customary that on the day of the deceased’s death, the close relatives and friends of the deceased gather at his place, with the same arrangements as are made for a wedding? Then after a few days, often on the third day, they return; some stay until the fortieth day. During this period of stay, the hosts of the deceased arrange food, drinks, betel leaves, and areca nuts for the guests. Because of this, one person bears a heavy financial burden; if at that time he has no money, he takes a loan, and if he cannot repay, he incurs interest-bearing debt. If he does not do this, he is criticized and disgraced. Is this permissible according to Shariah or not?

Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi’s answer

Glory be to Allah, O Muslim, he asks what to ask about this impure custom which consists of many abhorrent and severe sins and terrible corruptions.
Firstly, this invitation itself is unlawful, an ugly and reprehensible innovation. Imam Ahmad, in his Musnad, and Ibn Majah in his Sunan, have narrated with authentic chains from Hazrat Jarir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him):

كان نعد الاجتماع الى اهل الميت وصنعهم الطعام من النياحة

We, the group of companions (may Allah be pleased with them), used to consider gathering at the house of the deceased and preparing food for them as part of the funeral rites of the dead.
Regarding its prohibition, there are numerous authentic hadiths. The eloquent and absolute scholar Imam Muhqiq in Fath al-Qadeer, Sharh Hidayah, states:

يكره اتخاذ الضيافة من الطعام اهل الميت لانه شرعت فى السرور لا فى الشرور وهى بدعة مستقبحة

Preparing a feast on behalf of the deceased is forbidden because the Shariah has prescribed feasts for happiness, not for grief, and this is a reprehensible innovation.
Similarly, Allama Sharbanali said in Miraqi al-Falah:

ولــفــظ يـكـره الضيافة من اهل الميت لانها شرعت فى السرور لا فى الشرور وهى بدعة مستقبحة

Summary of fatwas: Fatwas of Sirajiya, Zahiriya, Tatarkhaniya, and from Zahiriya to Khazaniya al-Muftin, the book of dislike, and from Tatarkhaniya to Fatwa Hindiyya, all with similar wording:

ولــلــفــظ للسراجية يباح اتخاذ الضيافة عند ثلثة ايام فى المصية ذادفى الخلاصة لان الضيافة تخذ عند السرور

A feast on the third day of mourning is not permissible because feasts are for happiness. This is stated in the fatwa of Imam Qazi Khan in his book.

يكره اتخاذ الضيافة فى ايام المصية لانها ايام تاسف فلا يليق بها مايكون للسرور

That is, feasting during grief is forbidden because these are days of sorrow, and what is for happiness is not appropriate for them.
Tibyan al-Haqaiq by Imam Zaili states:

لا باس بالحلوس المصية الى ثلث من غير ارتكاب محظور من فرش البسط والا طعمة من اهل الميت

There is no harm in sitting for three days in mourning, but no forbidden act should be committed, such as spreading carpets or preparing food on behalf of the deceased.
Imam Bazazi in Wajiz says:

يكره اتخاذ الطعام فى اليوم الاول والثالث وبعد الاسبوع

That is, the food prepared on the first or third day or after a week for the deceased is all disliked and forbidden.
Allama Shami in Radd al-Mukhtar states:

اطال ذالك فى المعراج وقال هذه الامغال كلها المسعة والرياء فيخترز عنها

That is, Miraaj al-Darayah, Sharh Hidayah, has spoken extensively on this issue and said that all these are acts of vanity and show-off and should be avoided.
In Jami’ al-Rumuz, at the end of the chapter on dislike, it is stated:

يكره الجلوس المصيبة ثلثة ايام او اقل فى المسجد ويكره اتخاذ الضيافة فى هذه الايام وكذا كلها كما فى خيرة الفتاوى

That is, sitting in the mosque for condolence for three days or less is prohibited, and feasting on these days is also forbidden, as is its food, as mentioned in Khairat al-Fatawa, with clarification in Fatawa al-Qarawi and Waqi’at al-Muftin:

يكره اتخاذ الضيافة ثلثه ايام واكلها الانها مشروعة للسرور

Feasting and its food for three days is disliked because feasts are for happiness.
In Kashf al-Aza, it is stated: Preparing food for the mourners of the deceased and distributing it among them is disliked according to the consensus of narrations because it causes excitement in grief and is difficult. It is stated that what is customary of cooking food by the mourners and distributing it among the mourners is not permissible and unlawful. It is clarified in Khazana that feasting is not permissible near the deceased, nor near the deceased’s master, as is well-known among the majority.
Secondly, usually among the heirs there is an orphan or some minor child, or some heirs are not present and their permission is not taken. This matter involves severe and grave consequences. Allah Almighty says:

ان الذين يأكلون أموال اليى ظلما إنما يأكلون فى بطونهم نارا وسيصلون سعيراة

Indeed, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly fill their bellies with fire, and they will enter burning fire.
Taking someone else’s property without their permission is itself unlawful.

قال اللہ تعالیٰ : لاتاكلوا اموالكم بينكم بالباطل

Especially wasting the property of a minor whose control is neither with himself nor with his father nor with his guardian.
لان الولالية للنظر لا للضرر على الخصوص If among them there is an orphan, then the calamity is even greater. والعياذ بالله رب العالمين
Yes, if food is cooked to give to the needy, then there is no harm, rather it is good, provided that a sane adult does it from his own property or inheritance, and all heirs, adult and minor, agree. This is stated in Khaniya, Bazaziya, Tatarkhaniya, and Hindiyya.
Thirdly, these women gather and perform reprehensible acts, such as crying loudly, beating the chest, covering the face with a veil, and so on, and all this is mourning, and mourning is forbidden. For such a gathering, it is not permissible for the relatives and friends of the deceased to send food because it will aid in sin.

قال اللہ تعالیٰ : وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَى الْاِثْمِ وَ الْعُدْوَانِ۪

Not to prepare food for the deceased at all, as it is unlawful from the start, so for this unlawful gathering, it will be even more unlawful.
In Kashf al-Aza, it is stated that preparing food in the second and third days for the deceased if mourners gather is disliked because it assists in sin.
Fourthly, most people suffer more than their capacity due to this ugly custom. To the extent that the poor bereaved forget their grief and become afflicted with the calamity of where to get food and cooking utensils for this gathering, and often they have to borrow. Such hardship is not liked by Shariah even for a permissible matter, let alone for a forbidden custom. Then the difficulties caused by it are obvious. If the loan taken is interest-based, then it becomes purely forbidden, and God forbid, giving unnecessary Shariah interest after receiving the full share is also a cause of curse, as stated in authentic hadith.
In short, there is no doubt about the ugliness and prohibition of this custom. May Allah Almighty grant Muslims the ability to definitely abandon such ugly customs that harm their religion and worldly life and not care for useless curses.

Is it the practice of the Barelvi masses to follow the fatwas of their Imam Ahmad Raza Barelvi, also known as Aala Hazrat?

Do the Barelvi scholars follow the fatwas of their Imam? The next day at the Qul recitation, do the Maulvis participate and not host a feast, not enjoy various fruits? In some areas, on the third day, the deceased’s clothes are washed and the family of the deceased arranges food. Do the Maulvis not go there, recite the Khatm, eat the feast, and take money from the family of the deceased? Do both the poor and the rich participate in this feast or not? According to the fatwa of Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi, is this not forbidden? If it is forbidden, disliked, or unlawful, then why do our Maulvis knowingly commit this forbidden act? In all Hanafi jurisprudence books, gathering at the deceased’s house to eat a feast is not declared forbidden. Then how do you claim to be Hanafi?

The concept of Isal-e-Sawab in the light of the Quran

My brothers! The real point is what Allah Almighty has stated in the Holy Quran:

اَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِّزْرَ اُخْرٰى

That is, no person will bear the burden of another.

وَ اَنْ لَّيْسَ لِلْاِنْسَانِ اِلَّا مَا سَعٰى

And that a person will only get what he strives for.

وَ اَنَّ سَعْيَهٗ سَوْفَ يُرٰى

And that his effort will be seen.

ثُمَّ يُجْزٰىهُ الْجَزَآءَ الْاَوْفٰى

Then he will be fully recompensed for it.
At another place it is stated:

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ إِلى رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ

Whoever does good, it is for his own soul, and whoever does evil, it will be against it. Then you will be returned to your Lord.
It should be understood that in the first verse Allah Almighty has explained the principle that a person will get what he strives for, and in the second blessed verse this law and rule is explained that whoever does good will receive its reward, and his good deeds are for himself. There are many verses in the Holy Quran on this subject.
If anyone still has any doubt, Allah Almighty has further clarified by saying:

وَلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ

And we will have what we earned, and you will have what you earned.
Respected readers! Our claim is also that our deeds will benefit us, and the deeds of the deceased will benefit the deceased. The Holy Quran explains this in very clear words, but Muslims do not understand because they do not even try to understand. The clerics tell them that to understand the Quran, one needs to learn 18 sciences, which is very difficult. But the greatest beauty of the Word of Allah is that no sentence, no word, and no letter is meaningless or purposeless. If only someone tried to understand the Quran. But on the contrary, even when we recited it, we did so in such a way that we surpassed the speed of an electric wire, and in terms of understanding, the assumption was made that only a learned elder can understand it because the apparent meanings of the Quran are not the intended meanings, but its inner meanings are intended, and those can only be known to certain special individuals, otherwise it is difficult for everyone. And the Quran claims:

وَ لَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْاٰنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُّدَّكِرٍ

And We have made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
If understanding the Quran was so difficult, then why did Allah Almighty demand this from the people?

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا

Do they not then ponder on the Quran, or are there locks upon their hearts?
Now no one reads the Quran for the practice and reformation of belief, nor do they try to understand it, as if there is no need to understand it. Now the Quran remains only for a few purposes: to swear false oaths, to make amulets, to cast lots, and to send rewards to the deceased. In fact, many of our Muslim brothers, who claim to be staunch followers of Islam, only open it during Quran recitation. Whereas this Quran recitation has no existence in Islamic Shariah. Look at the entire Prophetic era and the three centuries after it; nowhere will you find its existence, nor did any Imam perform or order this act.
It means that those persons whose names are exalted among the entire Ummah were deprived of this blessing. If their salvation and that of their deceased was possible without this Quran recitation, then our salvation and yours is also possible without it. The Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) used to read the Holy Quran understandingly in their lifetime and lived according to the Quran. After death, a person cannot act upon the Quran; time passes. My brothers, it will not happen that a person voluntarily gives his labor and earnings to another, rather he will run away even from his close relatives and friends.
Thus Allah Almighty says:

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ ‎﴿٣٤﴾‏ وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ ‎﴿٣٥﴾‏ وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ ‎﴿٣٦﴾‏ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ

The Day a man will flee from his brother, and his mother and his father, and his wife and his children. Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern of himself.
Even a person will flee from his spouse so that she does not demand the reward of his good deeds by asserting the right of marriage, and he will flee from his parents so that they do not demand the reward of upbringing and care. Perhaps the mother will claim, “If you do not give me the reward of your deeds, I will not give you milk,” and the sons may start asserting the right of being offspring. In short, a person will flee from even the closest relatives. So how can any cleric or elder stand before his disciples and followers and give them his good deeds? Every person will answer for his own deeds. No one will bear the burden of another. Every person should be concerned about his deeds in this life.
If a person abandons seeking the pleasure of Allah and the ways He has prescribed, and leaves the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), adopting his own artificial methods and self-invented rituals which are not established by the Book and Sunnah, such as the thirteenth day, the tenth day, the fortieth day, annual death anniversaries, and so forth, these will not benefit him at all. Allah Almighty says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ

O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds.
At another place it is said:

وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

And whatever the Messenger has given you – take; and what he has forbidden you – refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.
Only those deeds will be accepted by the Lord which are according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). This is our invitation and the true message of the Quran and Sunnah. The Children of Israel thought that they were a beloved nation, descendants of the Prophets and Messengers, so their forgiveness would surely be granted because of them. But Allah Almighty said in the Holy Quran:

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ

And fear the Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.
We should consider on whom we rely and whose lineage we consider a cause of salvation without good deeds. Whose deeds do we take pride in? The reality is that every person’s deeds are their own good deeds, and their good deeds will benefit them.
Every person will be accountable for their own deeds, whether good or evil. A person will only be rewarded for their own deeds; no one’s deeds will benefit another. Therefore, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was commanded to declare:

فَقُلْ لِّیْ عَمَلِیْ وَ لَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْۚ-اَنْتُمْ بَرِیْٓــٴُـوْنَ مِمَّاۤ اَعْمَلُ وَ اَنَا بَرِیْٓءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُوْنَ

Say, “Indeed, my Lord is the one who guides me to a straight path. So you will not be responsible for me concerning my deeds, and I will not be responsible for you concerning your deeds.”
Every person will receive the reward for what he himself has done; his own earnings will benefit him.
Thus Allah Almighty says:

وَمَا تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

And you will only be recompensed for what you used to do.
The Holy Quran states:

إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

You will only be recompensed for what you used to do.
At another place it is said:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ

Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained.
In Surah Yaseen it is stated:

فَالْيَوْمَ لَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَلَا تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

So today no soul will be wronged at all, and you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do.

The Concept of Conveying Rewards in the Light of Hadith

From all the aforementioned pure verses, it has become clear that every person will receive the recompense of their own deeds. However, it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

وإذا مات الإنسان انقطع عنه عمله إلا من ثلاثة إلا من صدقة جارية أوعلم ينتفع به، أوولد صالح يدعو له

When a person dies, their deeds come to an end except for three things: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and righteous offspring who continue to pray for them.
This blessed hadith explains that after a person’s death, only three sources of reward continue for them, one of which is righteous offspring who continue to pray for their parents even after their death. Therefore, children should keep praying for forgiveness on behalf of their parents after their death.
From this blessed hadith, it is established that after death, a person can benefit only from three sources.
The main point is that the deeds of the deceased cease with death, but since these matters were caused by the deceased—such as their efforts in raising righteous children, spreading knowledge so that people benefit from it, or writing books that remain after their death—the reward for these things also continues.
In another blessed hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

يتبع الميت ثلاثة اهله وعمله وماله فيرجع اثنان ويبقى واحد

Three things follow the deceased: family, wealth, and deeds. Then two return, and only one remains with the deceased. Family and wealth return, and only deeds remain with the deceased.
This blessed hadith clearly establishes that the only thing that accompanies the deceased is their personal deeds; the rest remain behind.
In the Holy Quran, it is stated:

لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ

Whoever does good, it is for his own benefit; and whoever does evil, it is against himself.
The narration about Umm Saad regarding the well is weak and has no authentic chain of transmission. Even if this narration were correct, it does not prove any specific ritual of preparing halwa (sweet dish) but rather generally supports acts of public welfare, which no one disputes. Assuming the event happened as such, then why did nearly one hundred thousand, or even one hundred fifty thousand, companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) not build wells in the name of their parents, and only Hazrat Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) did? The real point is that this narration cannot be used as evidence for rituals such as Qul, Sattha, Chehlum, Eleventh day, Barsi, or the celebration of Eid Milad-un-Nabi because Allah has clearly stated in the Quran:

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فَعَلَيْهَا

Whoever does good will have it for his own benefit, and whoever does evil will bear the burden of it.
The beloved researcher of the Barelvi community, Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlavi (may Allah have mercy on him), writes that gathering to recite the Quran for the deceased at the grave or elsewhere was not the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him). All of this is an innovation and disliked.

Barelvi Analogy on the Established Practice of Conveying Rewards through Hajj Badal and Its Response

Qadri Sahib has made an unsuccessful attempt to prove the transfer of reward (Isal-e-Thawab) for the deceased through Hajj substitution. So, does Qadri Sahib also consider it permissible to transfer reward to the living? If he considers it permissible, then first the clerics should be examined and their issue of transferring reward should be resolved.

The reality is that the act proven from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is permissible in our view, provided the hadith is authentic. Proxy Hajj is permissible, and so is fasting; this matter does not relate to the commonly practiced Isal-e-Thawab. One should perform only as much as is proven from the Sunnah. Some people do not differentiate between proxy and gift of reward.

Whereas there is a world of difference between the two, some mention Hajj substitution, fasting, and charity hadiths as proof for Isal-e-Thawab, as Qadri Sahib has done. In proxy, the doer considers himself a representative of another person, for example, in Hajj, he says لبيك ‘on behalf of so-and-so,’ or intends in his heart that he is performing Hajj on behalf of so-and-so. Whereas in the case of gift of reward, the person performs Hajj on his own and then says, “O Lord, I give the reward of this Hajj to so-and-so.” The first form is proven and explicitly stated in hadith, but the second is not proven by Quran or Sunnah because reward is a gift from Allah.

The doer has no authority to dispose of it. Even if we want to send punishment to a disobedient person on our own, we cannot, because both matters are under Allah’s control. Therefore, the doer has no right to gift or donate the reward of his action to someone else.

A person can only gift something over which he has control. Otherwise, how can he give it? Similarly, saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) transferred the reward of sacrifice on behalf of the Ummah to the deceased Ummah is an unfounded and incorrect analogy because first, sacrifice is a financial charity in which proxy is permissible, and the Prophet’s position for the Ummah is like that of a guardian for his family. Just as a man can sacrifice on behalf of his entire family, similarly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sacrificed on behalf of his family and the Ummah, and he had the greatest right to that reward. Using this hadith to argue for gift of reward is incorrect and misplaced because it proves proxy, not gift, and proxy and gift are two different things.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) had instructed Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to perform the sacrifice, so he fulfilled the will by performing the sacrifice. Although other companions had plenty of wealth, none sacrificed on behalf of the Prophet because the Prophet had only instructed Hazrat Ali to do so. What is proven from the Sunnah should be acted upon as a right and a means of salvation. Acts not proven from the Quran and Sunnah are innovations, which lead to misguidance and Hellfire. May Allah grant all Muslims the ability to follow the Sunnah and avoid innovations.

The narration about Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned by Qadri Sahib is weak in terms of chain of narration; one narrator, Shareek al-Qazi, was a fabricator, and the narration is from ‘An’ (hearsay). Also, Abu al-Hasna, a narrator, is unknown. See

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Imam Tirmidhi classified this narration as weak. Once it is established that the narration is weak, it is not correct to use it as evidence.

In India and Pakistan, there is also a custom that when someone dies, people go and recite Fatiha for them, saying that Fatiha is a prayer for the deceased.

However, if you read the full translation of Surah Fatiha, there is not a single word that is a prayer for the deceased. Due to lack of reflection, we have misunderstood Fatiha as a prayer for the deceased, but this is not proven from the Sunnah.

Barelvi Logic on the Legitimacy of Innovations like Chehlum and Giyarahvin

Qadri Sahib further writes that as far as the claim that the Master of the Two Worlds, the Manifest Light, peace be upon him, said anything about Chehlum or the eleventh Sharif, it should be noted that these words are not Arabic. Just as we know the Zuhr prayer by the regional name “Peshī” and Asr by “Dēgar,” similarly, other prayers also have regional names. Now if someone says, “I will not pray Peshī” because it is not mentioned in the Hadith, we would respond that you should not focus on the name but see what is done in it. Obviously, the Zuhr prayer is performed in it, and this is established by the Quran and Hadith. Therefore, giving a name does not make any act wrong; these names are given for convenience. Because there are many occasions for the transfer of reward (Isal-e-Sawab). Hence, from the name, it is understood that Chehlum marks the end, meaning approximately one and a quarter months have passed since a person’s death; Barasi means one year has passed; and the Eleventh Sharif is a gathering for the transfer of reward for Ghaus-e-Azam. Naming these occasions does not make any act wrong. The essence of all these is the transfer of reward, which is established.

Answer:

The reality is that the proponents of innovation (bid’ah) come up with many loopholes and manipulate things to prove their innovations. They do all this to satisfy their worldly desires. They themselves say that the eleventh is for the transfer of reward (isāl-e-thawāb) to the Great Saint (Ghaus-e-Azam), but how can this be proven from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when the saint in whose name this act is performed was born hundreds of years after the Prophet (peace be upon him)? They try to deceive by saying that the noon prayer is called “Peshī” and the Asr prayer is called “Dēgar”; these names are given by the local people of the region, but the original existence of “Peshī” and “Dēgar” is the noon and Asr prayers. Similarly, what were the original names of the eleventh and the fortieth? Answer this.

The times and methods for performing the Zuhr and Asr prayers have been explained; which verse of the Quran or hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentions the time and method for the fortieth and the eleventh? What were their names in Arabic, which you have changed for your convenience? They say the eleventh is a gathering for the transfer of reward to Ghaus-e-Azam. If it is merely about transferring reward, then why is the personality of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah have mercy on him) identified? Then what is the secret behind fixing the eleventh date of every month? Was there no other personality in the entire Ummah for transferring reward?

We seek refuge in Allah, if they consider them sinners and worry about transferring reward to them, then this is extreme disrespect and insolence because they were righteous servants of Allah. If they consider them righteous and deserving of the transfer of reward, then there are even more righteous personalities in the Ummah among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the Followers (may Allah have mercy on them), and the Followers of the Followers (may Allah have mercy on them). Have they ever transferred reward to them on the eleventh or any other day? They say that it is found out that the fortieth is when a month has passed since a person’s death. It is a matter to think about what is the purpose of finding this out. Yes, the clerics should definitely find out so that they get the good news of sweets, chicken, biryani, pilaf, kheer, etc., that this is the food work and the anniversary is known that a year has passed. So the question arises, how did people in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) know about the fortieth, anniversary, seventh, ninth, or Thursday without these rituals, or did they not need to find out?

The Sunnah and Shariah principle require that food be cooked and sent to the house of the deceased. When the news of the death of Hazrat Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) reached, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Prepare food for the family of Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) because something has come to them that has occupied them.

This hadith is evidence that sending food to the house of the deceased’s heirs is a Sunnah practice. But today the matter is completely opposite to this hadith. When someone dies, after burial, relatives, friends, and acquaintances start asking when the ritual will be held, and the heir of the deceased, if poor, plunges into a sea of worry, thinking from whom to borrow to carry out this work. Then he gives them a date for the next day or a day later. In this food gathering, the poor are few, and the rich people participate with full arrangements, but it is a formal invitation. Colorful foods are prepared, it looks like a wedding, and the grief of the deceased is forgotten. Whereas the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had the view about eating food at the deceased’s house that: Hazrat Jarir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that we, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), considered gathering at the deceased’s house and preparing food there as mourning.

Remember that mourning at the deceased’s house is something upon which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sent a curse. In Hanafi Fiqh, preparing food is also prohibited. In Fatawa Alamgiri, it is stated that preparing food at the deceased’s house for three days is disliked.

Allama Iqbal (may Allah have mercy on him) beautifully said:
If you are Christians in your customs, then Hindus in your civilization,
These are Muslims before whom the Jews should feel ashamed.