IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
THE THIRD SERMON OF THE MONTH OF MUHARRAM, DATED 20/1/1446 AH (27/7/2024 CE)
TOPIC: DEEDS THAT BENEFIT THE DECEASED
THE FIRST SERMON:
All praises are due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, who established a strong connection between this worldly life and the Hereafter, making this world a place for planting and the Hereafter a place for harvesting. He, the Exalted, says: (إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِ الْمَوْتَى وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ) “Indeed, it is We who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register.” [Yaseen: 36:12]. We praise Him, thank Him, believe in Him, and rely on Him. We seek His help, guidance, and forgiveness, and we repent to Him. Whoever Allah guides is truly guided, and whoever He leads astray, you will not find for him a guiding friend. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
Servants of Allah, I advise you and myself to fear Allah, openly and secretly, as it is the ultimate goal of all acts of worship and commands and prohibitions. Allah, the Exalted, says: (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ َتَّقُونَ) “O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous.” [Al-Baqarah: 2:21].
Brothers in faith, this is the third sermon in the month of Allah, Muharram, and our sermon today focuses on the deeds that benefit the deceased.
Honorable Muslims, it is agreed upon that the deceased benefits from the acts of righteousness he was a cause of during his lifetime. Muslim and the authors of the Sunan narrate from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (a continuous charity), knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him.” Ibn Majah also narrates from him that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Among the good deeds that reach a believer after his death are: knowledge he taught and spread, a righteous child he left behind, a Quranic manuscript he bequeathed, a mosque he built, a house he built for travelers, a stream he ran, or charity he gave out of his wealth in his health and life; these will reach him after his death.”
Muslim also narrates from Jareer bin Abdullah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He who initiates a good practice in Islam earns the reward of it, and the reward of all those who perform it after him, without their rewards being diminished in the least. And he who introduces a bad practice in Islam earns the burden of it and the burden of all those who perform it after him, without their burdens being diminished in the least.”
As for the acts of righteousness from which the deceased benefits that are performed by others, they include:
1. Prayers and seeking forgiveness for him, and this is unanimously agreed upon, as Allah says: (وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ) “And those who came after them say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in our hearts any resentment towards those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.” [Al-Hashr: 59:10]. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When you pray for the dead, make your prayer sincere for him.” It has been preserved from the supplication of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): “O Allah, forgive our living and our dead.” The righteous predecessors and their followers have continuously prayed for the deceased, asking for mercy and forgiveness for them, without any objection from anyone.
2. Charity: Al-Nawawi narrated the consensus that it benefits the deceased and they receive its reward, whether it is given by their child or someone else. This is based on what Ahmad and Muslim narrated from Abu Huraira: A man said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), “My father died and left wealth but did not make a will. Will it atone for him if I give charity on his behalf?” He said, “Yes.” And from Hasan, from Sa’d ibn ‘Ubada: “My mother died. Should I give charity on her behalf?” He said, “Yes.” I asked, “What kind of charity is best?” He said, “Providing water.” Hasan added, “So that became the water station of the Sa’d family in Madinah.” (Narrated by Ahmad, Al-Nasa’i, and others). It is not prescribed to give charity at gravesides, and it is disliked to do so with the funeral.
3. Fasting: Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Ibn Abbas: A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, my mother died and she had a month’s fast to fulfill. Should I fulfill it on her behalf?” He said, “If your mother had a debt, would you pay it off for her?” He replied, “Yes.” He said, “Then the debt owed to Allah is more deserving of being paid off.”
4. Pilgrimage: Al-Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abbas: A woman from Juhaina came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “My mother had vowed to perform Hajj but she did not perform it before she died. Should I perform Hajj on her behalf?” He said, “Perform Hajj on her behalf. Would you pay off a debt if she had one? Fulfill it, for the debt owed to Allah is more deserving of being paid off.”
5. Recitation of the Quran: This is the opinion of the majority of Ahl al-Sunnah. Al-Nawawi said: The famous view of the Shafi’i school is that it does not reach. Ahmad ibn Hanbal and a group of Shafi’i scholars opined that it does reach. The preferred way is for the reciter to say after finishing, “O Allah, convey the reward of what I have recited to [the deceased].” In “Al-Mughni” by Ibn Qudama, Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, “The deceased benefits from all good deeds done for them due to the texts that support this and because Muslims in every region gather to read and dedicate the rewards to their deceased without objection, so it became consensus.”
Those who say that the reward of the Quran reaches the deceased stipulate that the reciter should not take payment for their recitation. If the reciter takes payment, it is forbidden for both the giver and the receiver, and there is no reward for the recitation. Ahmad, Al-Tabarani, and Al-Bayhaqi narrated from Abdul Rahman ibn Shibl: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Recite the Quran, act upon it, do not neglect it, do not exceed its bounds, do not eat from it, and do not seek more from it.”
Ibn al-Qayyim said: Acts of worship are of two types: financial and physical. The Prophet indicated that the reward of charity reaches the deceased, suggesting that other financial acts of worship do as well. He indicated that the reward of fasting reaches the deceased, suggesting that other physical acts of worship do as well. He informed us that the reward of Hajj, which combines both financial and physical aspects, reaches the deceased. Thus, all three types are affirmed by texts and reason.
The Best Gifts for the Deceased:
Ibn al-Qayyim said: It is said that the best gift is that which is most beneficial in itself. Thus, freeing a slave and giving charity is better than fasting on behalf of the deceased. The best charity is that which meets the needs of the recipient and is continuous and lasting. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The best charity is providing water,” which applies where water is scarce and thirst is prevalent. Otherwise, providing water near rivers and canals is not better than feeding the hungry when needed. Similarly, sincere and devoted prayer and seeking forgiveness for the deceased can be better than giving charity on their behalf, such as praying over the dead and standing to pray at their grave. In summary, the best gifts for the deceased are freeing a slave, giving charity, seeking forgiveness, praying for them, and performing Hajj on their behalf.
THE SECOND SERMON:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, who said in His Holy Book: “And those who disbelieve are allies of one another. If you do not do so, there will be fitnah and oppression on earth, and great mischief.” [Al-Anfal: 8/73]. Peace and blessings be upon our master and beloved Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
Dear Muslims, it is worth mentioning at this time what has happened to the enemy of Islam and Muslims, indeed the enemy of humanity and all the free people of the world. Under the slogan “We won’t let him rest,” American activists organized a protest on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, against the Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in front of the Watergate Hotel in Washington, where he was staying during his visit to the United States to address Congress. Protesters brought loudspeakers, whistles, and items to disturb Netanyahu, such as pots and drums, describing him as a “war criminal” who kills civilians and innocents in Gaza, demanding a ceasefire.
A former US Army sergeant, carrying a sign that read, “I will not be complicit in genocide… Free Palestine,” said in an exclusive statement to “Al-Araby Al-Jadeed”: “I was in the US Army and participated in the invasion of Iraq. After many years, I realized it was a grave mistake. I was lucky despite my mistake because I am still alive, whereas many children lost their parents, and many parents lost their children. What happened there is exactly what is happening in Gaza.”
Dear Muslims, let us seize this golden opportunity to express our anger and the anger of all Muslims against the filmmaker who made the hijab a symbol of corruption by producing a new film depicting bank robbers wearing hijabs with niqabs while carrying sophisticated weapons. This heinous act is unacceptable and must be rejected. We call on the relevant authorities to ban the film to avoid a situation that may threaten law and order. We openly declare that the hijab is a religious garment that symbolizes faith, chastity, purity, and obedience to Allah. It is not a costume for artistic satire or desecration. It is evident that the hidden motive behind such actions is ill-intentioned, aiming to disgrace the hijab and its wearers, forcing them to feel ashamed of wearing it! But Allah rejects their schemes and foils their plots, rendering them futile.
Dear honoured Muslims, there is information spreading in all newspapers and various media outlets indicating that some opposition groups to the current government are planning a protest on August 1, 2024, to demand the eradication of the current suffering. The federal government has appealed to all concerned parties to abandon this plan, exercise patience, and embrace dialogue. Similarly, leaders from the southern and northern regions of the country have joined the government in opposing this plan. State governors have also cautioned against the protest, saying it could be dangerous.
Amidst these pleas for truce, some groups have resolved to join the protest, such as the National Association of University Students, the National Association of Polytechnic Students, the National Association of Nigerian Colleges of Education Students, some political figures, personalities, and groups.
In this context, we appeal to the planners to shelf the protest and embrace dialogue with the government, to prevent the protest from being hijacked by some people with dangerous intentions towards our beloved country. Let us reflect on what is currently happening in Kenya, while the case of Sudan is still fresh in our minds. If that seems too far, then contemplate the ENDSARS saga. In all the cited cases, no place knew rest or peace.
Parents are significant stakeholders in this matter, and they should appeal to their children to be cautious of being exploited. We call on the government to do everything within its power to respond to the people’s demands with practical policies that alleviate the economic hardship. “Our Lord, make this land a secure city, and provide its people with fruits.”
Supplication:
O Allah, thwart the schemes of the enemies of Islam, and nullify their plans. O Allah, we turn to You to deflect their evil from us, and we seek refuge in You from their malice. O Allah, we ask You to unite the hearts of Muslims on the truth. O Allah, grant victory to the Palestinian people, relieve their siege, lift their distress, and remove their suffering. O Allah, heal their sick and the sick among the Muslims. O Allah, free the captives from Palestine and all Muslim captives. O Allah, grant us safety in our homelands, rectify our leaders, and guide them to what You love and are pleased with. O Allah, forgive our deceased and the deceased among the Muslims, O Most Merciful of the merciful and Lord of the worlds. And may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, and his companions.