Part 12

J Recorded by Abi Dawiid and others. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani (al-Ayat ul-Bayyindt p. 43).

CHAPTER 11 THINGS THAT BENEFIT THE DEAD

This worldly life is a life of tests and trials. A person’s performance in it determines his fate in the hereafter. His actions are recorded, and are the basis for his judgement in the next life.

Allah (88) informs us that a disbeliever’s punishment is a result of his actions:

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Allah (8) also informs us that a believer’s rewards result from his actions:

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Thus, the deeds that a person can do in this life to benefit him on the Day of judgement end by his death. Allah (38) says:

bee nm oe ate eo fears a 0 vey phael fad (31 U3 SIT Gtes iW Cat oot) 1 Al ‘Imran 3.182, al-Anfal 8:51, and al-Hajj 22:10.

And Ibn ‘Umar (t) reported that Allah’s Messenger (24) said:

<Allah accepts a person’s repentance as long as he does not reach the gurgling stage (when his soul departs). ?

Therefore, one cannot expect any changes in his records after departing from this world.

Furthermore, one cannot expect other people to do for him, after his death, good deeds that will benefit him in the hereafter. Allah (@) says:

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Commenting on this dyah, Ibn Kathir (#5) said:

“Imam ash-Shafil concluded from this dyah that reciting Quran does not benefit the dead, because it is not from their doing and earning. For this reason, Allah’s Messenger (&) did not recommend it to his Ummah, encourage them to do it, or guide them to it with a text or a hint. Nor was such a thing reported from any of the sahdbah (#). Had this been any good,

2. Recorded by Ahmad, at-Tirmitht, and others. Verified to be authentic by al-Albani.

Life in Al-Barzakh 79 Things that Benefit the Dead

they would have preceded us in doing it. Matters of worship must be limited to the texts, and are not liable to modifications based on analogies and opinions.” !

It is in general true that one cannot benefit from other people’s deeds after his death. But this has important exceptions detailed in this chapter.

List of Beneficial Acts

The following list summarizes the beneficial acts, covered in this chapter, that benefit a person after his death.

1 | Janazah prayer for the deceased

Deeds of renewed benefit

Charitable deeds from a child

Fulfilling the deceased’s vows

Payment of the deceased’s debts

Supplications of the Muslims

Guarding in Allah's way

When the Muslims pray janazah for their deceased brother, they are granted intercession for him. The more the number of Muslims who join in the prayer, the more beneficial it is for the deceased.

1 Tafsir ul-Quran il-‘Azim.

This means that Allah takes their testimony and supplication regarding the deceased’s apparent actions as a sufficient reason for forgiveness. Since those Muslims who associated with him did not find any major problem to prevent them from supplicating for him, Allah the most generous accepts that and agrees to forgive many of his hidden sins that they did not know. Anas and ‘A’ishah (tt) reported that Allah’s Messenger (88) said:

Ibn ‘Abbis (i) reported that Allah’s Messenger (4) said:

<Whenever a Muslim man dies, and forty men stand for his janazah prayer, all of them not joining anything with Allah in worship, Allah grants them intercession for hime ?

Mayminah (tw) reported that Allah’s Messenger (3) said:

Malik Bin Hubayrah (<4) reported that Allah’s Messenger (24) said:

<Whenever a Muslim dies, and three lines of Muslims pray janazah for him, he is granted forgiveness.> *

Muslim and others Muslim and others Recorded by an-Nasa’7; verified to be hasan by al-Albani (Sahih ul-Jami' no. 5787). Recorded by Ahmad, Abii Dawiid, and others. Verified to be hasan by al-Hafiz and others; however, al-Albani disagrees with this because Muhammad Bin Ishaq, one of the narrators, is known to be a mudallis (one who is ambiguous in stating his

Life in Al-Barzakh 81 Things that Benefit the Dead

Shams ul-Haqq Abadi said in his commentary on Sunan Abi Dawid:

“These hadiths indicate that it is recommended to gather a large number of people for the jandzah prayer. It should be attempted to reach these numbers (mentioned in the hadiths), because that could lead to success (in the forgiveness of the deceased). This has been testricted by two conditions:

1) They should attempt to intercede for him, which means that they should be sincere in supplication and in seeking forgiveness for him.

2) They should all be Muslims, none among them joining partners with Allah, as in the earlier hadith of Ibn “Abbas.” !

Deeds of Renewed Benefit

Any good deed that a Muslim starts during his lifetime, and that is of renewed benefit and ongoing use for the Muslims, will continue to benefit him and augment his record of good deeds, even after his. departure — as long as its benefits continue to reach others. Allah (4%) says:

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1 ‘Awn ul-Ma‘bad 8:452.

Abi Hurayrah (<4) reported that Allah’s Messenger (88) said:

Abii Qatadah (#) reported that Allah’s Messenger ($) said:

<The best that a man can leave behind after his death are three things: a righteous child who makes Du@ for him, an ongoing sadagah whose rewards continue to reach him, and a knowledge that continues to be implemented after him. *

Abii Qatadah (4%) also reported that Allah’s Messenger (#4) said:

Commenting on this, al-Munthiri (8) said:

“Some scholars say that the deeds of a human being end with his death. However, since he had caused these

1 Muslim and others.

2. Recorded by Ibn Majah and others, Verified to be authentic by al-Munthiri and alAlbani.

3 Recorded by Ibn Majah and others. Verified to be hasan by al-Munthiri and alAlbani.

Life in Al-Barzakh 83 Things that Benefit the Dead

things (which are mentioned in the above hadiths), such as the earning of a child, disseminating the knowledge among those who take it from him, compiling a book that remains after him, or establishing a sadaqah, the rewards of these things continue to reach him as long as they continue to exist.” |

The reason that one continues to receive rewards for these deeds, even though they are done by other people, is that he had initiated them during his life or contributed to them to a certain degree, whether little or large. Since Allah does not neglect an atom’s weight of deeds, He records these contribution for a person even after his death. Abii alWafa’ Bin ‘Aqil said:

“The best explanation for this in my view is that a human being, by his efforts and good conduct, had earned friends, produced children, married spouses, done good, and was amiable to the people. Because of this, they invoke mercy for him and do good on his behalf. All of this is then a result of his own earning.” ”

And Rashid Rida (#5) said:

1 ‘Awn ul-Ma‘biid 8:86. 2. Cited in ar-Rah by Ibn ul-Qayyim p. 171. 3 Tafsir ul-Mandr 8:247.

Charitable Deeds from a Child One’s CHILD Is FROM His EARNING

The above hadiths indicate that a righteous child benefits his deceased parents with du‘a. It is further demonstrated here that he can benefit them by spending sadagah, as well as doing other charitable deeds, on their behalf.

‘Aiishah (\) reported that Allah’s Messenger (4) said:

The reason for this is that a parent benefits himself by rearing his child according to the teachings of Islam, and exerting a consistent effort to raise him as a righteous person. As the child grows into adulthood and does righteous deeds, his parents deserve a merit in that they helped him accomplish that; and his good actions are therefore, at least in part, from his parents’ earning.

SADAQAH FROM A CHILD

Ibn ‘Abbas (t#) reported that Said Bin ‘Ubadah’s mother died during his absence on a trip. He came to the Prophet () and asked him, “O Allah’s Messenger! My mother has passed away during my absence. Would it be of benefit to her if I give sadagah on her behalf?” He (48) replied, <Yes!> He said, “Be my witness then that I give my fruitful garden as sadagah on her behalf.” *