Ruling on ‘ataaqah or reading Qur’aan for the dead
Question My father has died, and he was sick for the last four years of his life. He died a month ago at the age of 52. He was sick with heart disease and could not move or walk; he also had diabetes and high blood pressure. I would like to know whether there is…
Question
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Reading
Qur’aan is a purely physical act of worship, and it is not permissible to
accept payment for reading Qur’aan for the deceased, or to give payment to
one who reads, and there is no reward in that case, and the one who takes
payment and the one who gives it are both sinning.
Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: It is not correct to hire someone to read
Qur’aan and give the reward for that to the deceased, because that has not
been narrated from any of the imams. The scholars said: The one who reads
for money will have no reward, so what does he have to give to the deceased?
End quote.
The basic
principle concerning that is that acts of worship are forbidden; no act of
worship should be done unless there is shar’i evidence to show that it is
prescribed. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And obey
Allaah and the Messenger”
[al-Maa’idah 5:92]
The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does
anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours will have it
rejected.” According to another report: “Whoever introduces anything into
this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.” This
action – hiring someone to read Qur’aan for the dead – is something that it
is not known that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) or any of his companions did it, and the best of guidance is the guidance
of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the worst
of matters are those which are innovated. All goodness is in following that
which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
brought, with the proper intention. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And
whosoever submits his face (himself) to Allaah, while he is a Muhsin
(good‑doer, i.e. performs good deeds totally for Allaah’s sake without any
show-off or to gain praise or fame and does them in accordance with the
Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger Muhammad), then he has grasped the most
trustworthy handhold”
[Luqmaan
31:22]
“Yes, but
whoever submits his face (himself) to Allaah (i.e. follows Allaah’s religion
of Islamic Monotheism) and he is a Muhsin then his reward is with his Lord
(Allaah), on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve”
[al-Baqarah 2:112]
All evil
lies in going against that which was brought by the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and directing one’s intention in
any deed to someone or something other than Allaah.
End quote
from Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah.
There is no
basis for this ‘ataaqah in sharee’ah; it is a reprehensible innovation that
was not done by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and he did not tell us to do it, and none of his companions (may Allaah
be pleased with them) did it either. Whatever is like that, no believer
should do it.
Secondly:
What is
prescribed is to say du’aa’ for the deceased, and to give charity on his
behalf, as Muslim (1631) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end
except three: ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah), beneficial
knowledge, or a righteous son who will pray for him.”
Al-Nawawi
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: This indicates
that the reward for du’aa’ will reach the deceased, as will that of charity.
As for reading Qur’aan and giving the reward for that to the deceased,
offering prayers on his behalf, etc, the view of al-Shaafa’i and the
majority of scholars is that this does not reach the deceased. End quote.
See also
question no. 12652.
So say a
great deal of du’aa’ for your father, and give whatever you can in charity
on his behalf; if he did not do Hajj or ‘Umrah and you can do Hajj or ‘Umrah
on his behalf, then do that. This is what will benefit him, by Allaah’s
leave.
Another way
of honouring one’s deceased father is to honour his friends and uphold ties
of kinship.
Allaah makes
sickness an expiation for His believing slave, and it may also be a means of
raising his status, if he is patient and seeks reward thereby. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No hardship,
distress, worry or grief befalls a Muslim, not even a thorn that pricks him,
but Allaah will expiate some of his sins thereby.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(5642) and Muslim (2573).
We ask
Allaah to have mercy on the deceased Muslims.
And Allaah
knows best.
