Essale Sawaab-Funeral Prayer

“Bismillahir Rahmannir Raheem”Al-Hamdu Lillaahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen was Salaatu was- Salaamu ‘Alaa Sayidinaa Muhammadin wa Aalihi wa Asabihi Ajma ‘een (tauheed- risalat- ahkirat and islam-iman-ihsan)

Essale sawaab

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.

There are numerous Ahadeeth about supplications to be made when visiting the graveyard – the benefit of which to one’s self and to the deceased, it quite evident.

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 born).

Performing Hajj includes Umrah, Tawaf of the Ka’ba, and also Salaat (after Tawaf) – all these are credited to the deceased.

It is unanimously agreed by scholars that if a person dies without settling an outstanding debt, leaving no money to settle it, anyone (whether related to him or not) could pay it on his behalf, and the deceased would be absolved of the burden. The benefit from a living person to the deceased is very apparent. If the case is such and the deceased person may benefit by a financial payment, why should he not benefit by a gift made of the reward for a good action?

 “a copy of the Qur’an he might have left to an heir” are an ample proof that when the heir will read from it, the reward will be passed on to the deceased.!!!

It is desirable that after burial the people sit at graveside for the duration of slaughtering a camel and distributing its meat, and that during that time the sitters busy themselves with reciting Qur’an, supplicating for the deceased, exhortation, and the stories of the Holy Prophets etc. Imam Shafie said that it is better to recite the Holy Qur’an and all those present should also recite – and it is better if the entire Qur’an is recited. Also documented by Imam Nawawi in Riyadh-us-Saleheen.

It is the opinion of most scholars that when visiting the graveyard, a person should recite the following Surahs because of their individual excellence, and then convey the reward of recitation: Surah Fateha (one of the best prayers), Surah Yaseen (the heart of the Holy Qur’an), Surah Ikhlas (equal to one third of Holy Qur’an in reward) and Surah Mulk (intercedes for the reader till the reader is forgiven).

Imam Nawawi said in his Sharh Sahih Muslim (al-Mays ed. 3/4:206): “The scholars have declared desirable — mustahabb — the recitation of the Qur’an over the grave, because if relief from punishment is hoped for through the glorification of date-palm stalks, then the recitation of the Qur’an is more deserving yet, and Allah knows best.”

Hadeeth also constitutes a legal basis for the planting of trees at the site of graves.

Among the Companions Hazrat Abu Barza al-Aslami (ra) and Hazrat Burayda (ra) asked to be buried together with two fresh stalks. Imam Suyuti mentioned this in “Sharh al-sudur”.

The evidence here is that the Holy Prophet sacrificed animals and donated its reward to his entire Ummah – which includes both the living and the dead – i.e. all those who existed in his time and to all those who were to come after him, until the last day.

Whilst most Muslims do offer sacrifice for themselves, their relatives (alive and deceased) etc., they should also remember the above Hadeeth, and offer a sacrifice on behalf of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ ). May Allah grant us Tawfeeq – Aameen.

Reciting the Holy Qur’an carries great reward, is one of the best Sunnahs, and the number of Ahadeeth describing its merits are numerous. The intention here is to list only the merits of gathering to recite the Qur’an and supplicate – not to list the merits of reading the Holy Qur’an itself.

It is mentioned in Tafseer Rooh-ul-Bayan that when the recitation of the Qur’an is completed, 4000 angels say Aameen on the supplication after it, and they pray for the forgiveness of the reader(s).

Imam Nawawi mentions in “Al Azkaar” that the famous Sahabi Syedna Anas (Ra) used to call people to his house to attend the supplication after the completion of Holy Qur’an’s recitation.

When I want to talk to allah I say prayers and when I want that he talk to me I recite quran- Hazrath Ali(ra)

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