Esaal-e-Thawaab

A person can send the rewards of the recitation of the Quran Shareef, Sadaqah, Nafl Salaah and Tasbeeh to a deceased person. It is an accepted fact among the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa`ah that rewards of good deeds can be transmitted to the deceased and it also benefits them.

Yes, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars as to whether the rewards of physical actions of Ibaadah such as Salaah and fasting can be transmitted to the deceased person or not. However, none of the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa`ah deny the concept of transmitting the
rewards of goods deed to the deceased and the deceased benefitting from it in totality. The concept of transmitting the rewards of good deeds and the deceased benefitting from it, is established from the Quran and Ahadith of the Rasul Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, and the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa`ah throughout the ages have been practicing upon it. Therefore, to reject the concept in its entirety, by stating; “once the person passes away he will not receive the reward and he is not in need of it,” is to go against the teachings of the Quran, Hadith and consensus of the scholars. One should be very careful in making such a brazen statement.

There are many proofs from the Quran and Hadith to substantiate the fact that the rewards of good deeds can be transmitted to the deceased and the deceased befitting from the transmission of these deeds. However, we quote two proofs from each source for brevity. Allah Ta’aala says in Surah
Muhammad verse 19:

Translation: …and seek forgiveness for your fault, and for (the faults of) the believing men and believing women.

And in Surah Al-Hashr verse 10:

Translation: And for those who came after them saying, “Our Lord, forgive us and those of our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in our hearts any rancour against those who believe; Surely Our Lord, you are Very-Kind, Very-Merciful.

The scholars use the abovementioned verses to show the permissibility of supplicating for the deceased. If Allah Ta’aala accepts the Dua of the individual who is supplicating for the deceased, then the deceased will benefit from that which was sought. Therefore, if a person makes Dua for a
deceased person, if the Dua was accepted by Allah Ta’aala, then the deceased will obtain forgiveness from Allah Ta’aala.

As for proofs from the Hadith, Imaam Bukhaari Rahimahullah mentions a hadith wherein a man came to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and said: O Rasulullah my mother passed away will it benefit her if I give charity on her behalf, He (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said yes. 

 Imaam Abu Dawud Rahimahullah mentions a narration wherein the Rasul Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam told Amr bin Al-`Aas Radiallahu Anhu (whose father passed away as a disbeliever): If your father was a Muslim and you freed a slave on his behalf, or gave charity on his behalf or performed Hajj on his behalf, that would have reached him i.e. the rewards of these actions would have reached him. 

We see that explicit mention is made in the abovementioned Hadith of transmission of the rewards of good deeds to the deceased and the deceased benefitting from the transmission of these deeds. To conclude, we reiterate, that to reject the concept of transmitting the rewards of good deeds and the deceased benefitting from it is to go against the teachings of the Quran, Hadith and consensus of the scholars.