5b] Conveying Rewards to the Deceased (Isaale Sawaab)

5b]
admit him into heaven. The funeral prayer is Fard Kifayah for the
living Muslim brothers i.e. if just one person offers it, the entire
community is absolved of this duty. But see the importance attached to
the more and more people joining the prayer. And the benefit reaching
the deceased person is obvious.
Hadeeth 5
Syeda 'A'isha (Allah be well pleased with her) reported Allah's
Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: If a company of
Muslims numbering one hundred pray over a dead person, all of them
interceding forhim, their intercession for him will be accepted.
(Muslim)
Hadeeth 6 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas (Allah be well pleased with him)reported
that his son diedin Qudaid or 'Usfan. He said to Kuraib to see as to
how many people had gathered there for his (funeral). He (Kuraib)
said: So I went out and I informed him about the people who had
gatheredthere. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: Do you think they are forty He
(Kuraib) said: Yes. Ibn 'Abbas then said to them: Bring him (the dead
body) out for I have heard Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be
upon him) as saying: If any Muslim dies and forty men who associate
nothing with Allah stand over his prayer (they offerprayer over him),
Allah will accept them as intercessors for him. (Muslim)
Hadeeth 7
Narrated Syedna Uthman ibn Affan (Allah be well pleased with him):
Whenever the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became
free from buryingthe dead, he used to stay at him (i.e. his grave) and
say: "Seek forgiveness for your brother, and beg steadfastness for
him, for he will be questioned now" . (Abu Daud)
Hadeeth 8
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that a
dark-complexionedwoman (or a youth) used to sweep the mosque.
TheMessenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) missed her (or
him) and inquired about her (or him). The people told him that she (or
he) had died. He asked why they did not inform him, and it appears as
if they had treated her (or him) or her(or his) affairs as of little
account. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Lead me to her (or his) grave.
They led him to that place and he said prayer over her (or him) and
then remarked: Verily, these graves are full of darknessfor their
dwellers. Verily, the Mighty and Glorious Allah illuminates them
fortheir occupants by reason of my prayer over them. (Muslim, Bukhari,
Mishkaat)
Hadeeth 9
Reported S. Jaber (Allah bewell pleased with him): We came out with
the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Saa'd bin Muaz
when he expired. When the Holy Prophet performed his funeral prayer,
and he was buried in his grave and the earth was levelled upon him,
the Holy Prophet read"Tasbeeh" and we also recited "Tasbeeh" for a
long time. Then he recited"Takbeer", so we too recited "Takbeer". It
was asked ";O the Messenger of Allah! Why have you recited "Tasbeeh"
and"Takbeer" He said, "The grave became too narrowfor this pious man
till Allah made it spacious because of it (the recitation). " (Ahmed,
Mishkaat)
VISITING GRAVEYARDS. (HADEETH # 10 - 11)
Hadeeth 10
Sulaiman b. Buraida (Allahbe well pleased with him)narrated on the
authority of his father that the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings be upon him) used to teach them when they went out to the
graveyard. One of the narrators used to say this in the narration
transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr:" Peace be upon the
inhabitants of the city (i. e. graveyard)." In the hadeeth transmitted
by Zuhair (the words are):" Peace be upon you, the inhabitants of the
city, among the believers, and Muslims, and Allah willing we shall
join you. I beg of Allah peace for us and for you. " (Muslim)
Hadeeth 11
Narrated Abu Huraira (Allah be well pleased with him): The Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)said while standing near the
graves of the martyrs of Uhud, "I bear witness that you are alive in
the sight of Allah." Thenturning towards those present he said, "So
visit them, and greet them - I swear by the One in whose power lies my
life, they will answer back to whoever greets them until the Last
Day." (Hakim, Baihaqi)
There are numerous Ahadeeth about supplications to be made when
visiting the graveyard - the benefit of which to one';s self and tothe
deceased, it quite evident.
Also note that there are several other Ahadeeth that teach us to pray,
and the prayer includes all Muslim brothers & sisters (living, passed
away or yet to be borne).
PERFORMING HAJJ (HADEETH # 12 - 13)
Ahadeeth in support of offering the pilgrimage onbehalf of a deceased
person or one who is unable to undertake the journey are numerous.
Also note that performingHajj includes Umrah, Tawaf of the Ka'ba, and
also Salaat (after Tawaf) - all these are credited to the deceased.
Hadeeth 12 :->

5a] Conveying Rewards to the Deceased (Isaale Sawaab)

5a]
The benefit of the above verse is obvious. The prayer of Prophet
Syedna Ibrahim (peace be upon him), includes all believers- right from
the beginningi.e. those before him, and till the end of this world
i.e. even those who are not yet born. Al Hamdo Lillah! And this prayer
is often made in the last part (Qaadah) of our Salaat.
Verse 3
And those who believe and whose families followthem in Faith, -- to
them We shall join their families : nor shall We deprive them of the
fruit of anything of their works: yet each individualis in pledge for
his deeds." (Toor 52:21)
This verse says that children will be admitted into Paradise because
of the righteousness of the parents.
Verse 4
And lower your wing humbly for them, with mercy, and pray, " My Lord!
Have mercy on them both , the way they nursed me when I was young."
(Bani Israel 17:24)
This verse is in fact a command from Allah for all believers to seek
mercyfor their parents. So what is your opinion Will not the command
of Allah hold any benefit for the deceased parent It certainly does.
Also note that there are several other verses from the Holy Qur'an
that teachus to pray, and the prayer includes all Muslim brothers &
sisters (living, passed away or yet to be borne).
Readers are requested to reflect on the fact that theabove verses are
part of the Holy Qur'an - they are read perhaps millions of times
every day all over the world, as part of regular recitation, and also
as Qirat within Salaat,and also as prayer in the last part (Qaadah) of
Salaat.
B. PROOFS FROM THE HADEETH
GENERAL PERMISSIONS (HADEETH # 1 - 4)
Hadeeth 1
Abu Huraira (Allah be wellpleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger
(peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: When a man dies, his acts
come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which
people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays forhim (for the deceased) .
(Muslim)
Hadeeth 2
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "What is
credited to a believer of his action and good deed after his death is
any useful knowledge he might have taught or spread, a Allah-fearing
child he might have left behind, a copy of the Qur'an he might have
left to an heir, a mosque he might have built, a house he might have
dedicated for use by travelers, a stream or river he might have caused
to run, a donation to charity (i.e. sadaqah) he might have set aside
when he was enjoying good health. All that catches up with him after
his death. " (Ibn Majah)
Hadeeth 3
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'Aas (Allah be well pleased with
him): Al-'As ibn Wa'il left his willthat a hundred slaves should be
emancipated on his behalf. His son Hisham emancipated fifty slaves and
his son Amr intended to emancipate the remaining fifty on his behalf,
but he said: I should ask first the Apostle of Allah. He, therefore,
came to the Holy Prophet and said: Apostle of Allah, my fatherleft in
his will that a hundred slaves should be emancipated on his behalfand
Hisham has emancipated fifty on his behalf and fifty remain. Shall I
emancipate them on his behalf The Apostle of Allah said: Had he been a
Muslim and you had emancipated slaves on hisbehalf, or given sadaqah
on his behalf, or performed the pilgrimage,that would have reached
him. (Abu Daud)
Hadeeth 4
Abu Huraira (Allah be wellpleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger
(peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: He who alleviates the
suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would
alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of
Resurrection, and he who finds relief for onewho is hard pressed,
Allahwould make things easy for him in the Hereafter, and he who
conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults
inthe world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so
long as the servant is at the back of his brother, and he who treads
the path insearch of know- ledge, Allah would make that path easy,
leading to Paradise for him and those persons who assemble in the
house among the houses of Allah (mosques) and recitethe Book of Allah
and they learn and teach the Qur'an (among themselves) there would
descend upon them the tranquility and mercy would cover them and the
angels would surround them and Allah makes a mention of them in the
presence of those near Him , and he who is slow-paced in doing
gooddeeds, his (high) lineage does not make him go ahead. (Muslim)
FUNERALS (HADEETH # 5 - 9)
When a Muslim dies, it is aduty on the community ofMuslims to offer a
special prayer for him during which they pray Allah to forgive him and
admit him into heaven. :->

5] Conveying Rewards to the Deceased (Isaale Sawaab)

5]
At the outset please know, that in Islam, deathis not perceived as an
endof life. It is just the end of the worldly existence as we witness
it, and the beginning of a new existence, in which the soul
experiences a new world called "Barzakh." The soul may experience this
new life with or without its original body, according to its own rank
allotted to it by Allah the Almighty, the Supreme. There are too many
proofs from the Holy Qur'an and Hadeeth (Holy Prophet's Traditions)
regarding the above, and warrant an extensive article on the same. But
that is not the question here.
The question that some people ask is that if a person is dead, can we
increase its status or decrease its torment by conveying rewards of
OURdeeds
It is the consensus of the Sahaba, the earlier Ulema,and the latter
ones that the above is (a) Effective and that (b) it is certainly
permissible, in fact meritorious, to do so.
If one wants to convey the reward of one's recitalof Holy Qur'an,
charity, Nafil Salaat (Non Obligatory), fasts and good deeds, Hajj,
Umrah etc., then one should convey it to the virtuous soul of our
beloved Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), one's
relatives, and all theMuslim men and women. All of them will receive
the same reward without any deduction; the one who has carried this
out will also receive the same reward without any loss. It is also
valid to convey the reward to the living persons. (Fatawa Shami).
Before we back up the above statements with several proofs from the
Holy Qur'an and Hadeeth, we should, as a matter of justice, look into
the objections brought against the above belief.
Those who object to this act, cite the following verse from the Holy Qur'an:
"And that man will not obtain anything except what he strove for" (Najm53:39)
They allege that the above verse clarifies that none of our deeds can
benefit one who has passed away. Such a view is incorrect. Firstly,
this Ayah exhorts people to remember that good deeds will bring good
results and evil deeds, an evil result. So they must always persist is
seeking good. And that that they must not simply depend on other
people's prayers.Secondly, most scholars are of the opinion that the
message in this verse is abrogated by the verse: "And those who
believe and whose families followthem in Faith, -- to them We shall
join their families: nor shall We deprive them of the fruit of
anything of their works: yet each individualis in pledge for his
deeds" (Toor 52:21)." This verse enters the children into Paradise
because of the righteousness of the parents.
They also cite a famous Hadeeth from Muslim Shareef:
Abu Huraira (Allah be wellpleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger
(peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: When a man dies, his acts
come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which
people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays forhim (for the deceased).
Please closely examine the above Hadeeth. The words say " his acts"
(except three) come to an end. What comes to an end, then, is the
deceased person's own actions. Thisdoes not mean that a dead person
does not benefit from anything else. He cannot increase his own reward
by any new act (even if he prays or does Zikr in the grave, as proven
from various Hadeeth). But his reward can go on increasing because of
the prayers of his son.
The above Hadeeth therefore cannot be quoted in support of the
argument that our actionscannot benefit those who are dead. In fact,
it supports the case for conveying rewards to the dead!.
Also note that the actions and beliefs of none else than the beloved
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are proof of their
wrong opinion. And also against their narrow minded opinion are the
actions and beliefs of none else than the great Sahaba (Allah be well
pleased with them).
Having negated the objections, we bring forth for your perusal several
proofs from the Holy Qur'an and Hadeeth supporting the act of
conveying rewards to those who passed away before us.
A. PROOFS FROM HOLY QUR'AN
Verse 1
And those who came afterthem say, "O our Lord! Forgive us, and our
brothers who accepted faith before us , and do not keep any malice in
our hearts towards the believers - O our Lord! Indeed You only are the
Most Compassionate, MostMerciful." (Hashr 59:10)
Note that the above verseis a very strong evidence of the practice of
the Sahaba, which was so loved by Allah that it is part of the Holy
Qur'an. Why would the Sahaba pray for the deceased people if their
prayer was of no benefit And to top itall, Allah the Almighty
hasapproved and praised their action!
Verse 2
"O our Lord! And forgive me, and my parents, and all the Muslims on
the daywhen the account will be established." (Ibrahim 14:41) :->

4a] Can women gather in the house of one of their number to offer Taraweeh prayer?

4a]
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 591; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in
Irwa'al-Ghaleel, 493.
And it was narrated from 'Aa'ishah that she would give the call to
prayer andlead other women in prayer, standing in the middle of the
row.
And 'Aa'ishah led women in obligatory prayers, standing in the midst of them.
And it was narrated that Hujayrah bint Haseen said: Umm Salamaah led
us in prayer standing in the midst of the women.
And it was narrated from Umm al-Hasan that she saw Umm Salamah, the
wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
leading women in prayer, standing with them in their row.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after narrating
these reports:
In conclusion, these reports are sound and may be acted upon,
especially since they confirm the general meaning of the words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Women are the
twin halves of men…"
Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 153-155.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
She should recite out loudin prayers where it is required to recite
out loud, but if there are any men present, she should not recite out
loud, unlessthey are her mahrams, in which case she may do so.
Al-Mughni, 2/17
And Allaah knows best.