Chapter Ten – Esaal-e-Thawaab

Esaal-e-thawaab refers to conveying the rewards of good deeds to the

living as well as the deceased.

‫عن أيب هريرة رضي اهلل عنه أن رسول اهلل صلى اهلل عليه وسلم قال إذا مات اإلنسان انقطع‬
47
‫عنه عمله إال من ثالثة إال من صدقة جارية أو علم ينتفع به أو ولد صاحل يدعو له‬
Hazrat Abu Hurairah  narrates that Nabi  said, “When a
person passes away, all his actions come to an end (he is unable to carry
out actions, thereby earning reward) except for three actions; sadaqah-e-
jaariyah, knowledge from which people benefit and a pious child who
makes dua for him.”

‫عن عائشة رضي اهلل عنها أن رجال قال للنيب صلى اهلل عليه وسلم إن أمي افتلتت نفسها‬
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‫وأظنها لو تكلمت تصدقت فهل هلا أجر إن تصدقت عنها قال نعم‬
Hazrat Aaishah  narrates that a person once asked Nabi
, “My mother’s death occurred suddenly. I feel that if she had
spoken (prior to her demise, she would have made a wasiyyat of some
good deed), she would have given sadaqah (from a portion of her wealth).
Will she receive the reward of sadaqah if I give it on her behalf?”
Rasulullah  replied, “Yes.”

74 ‫ صحيح مسلم رقم‬47

773 ‫صحيح مسلم رقم‬/ 4 ‫ صحيح البخاري رقم‬474

171
172 Chapter Ten

Esaal-e-thawaab can be carried out in different ways. Below are some

virtuous actions that can be carried out and their reward conveyed to
the deceased:
1. Recitation of Quraan Majeed
2. Nafl salaah
3. Nafl fast
4. Nafl hajj and umrah
5. Sadaqah (charity)
6. Sadaqah-e-jaariyah (e.g. building a musjid or Islamic
organization, digging a well, donating Quraans)
7. Teaching Deeni knowledge to people
8. Feeding the poor
9. Clothing the poor
10. Qurbaani
11. Tasbeeh
12. Making dua for the forgiveness of the deceased
Note: It is preferable for one who carries out nafl deeds to make an
intention of conveying the reward of his nafl deeds to all the believing
men and women. Through making the intention, all the believing men
and women will receive from his good deeds and his reward will not
depreciate in any way. One should merely make the intention: “O
Allah, convey the reward of this good deed to all the believing men and
women.”
However, in the case where one wishes to convey the reward to
one or more specific deceased, then he should make the intention: “O
Allah! Convey the reward of this good deed to so-and-so.”
Esaal-e-Thawaab 173

The intention could be made prior to carrying out the action or

even after carrying it out. 304

Q&A
Gathering to Recite the Quraan Majeed and Convey
the Reward to the Deceased
Question: Is it permissible for people to gather in the musjid or any
other place to recite Surah Yaaseen or some portion of the Quraan
Majeed for the purpose of conveying the reward to a deceased?
Answer: This should not be done collectively. Rather, it should be
done individually. People may recite a portion of the Quraan Majeed in
their own time and convey the reward to the deceased.115

Placing a Sticker in the Quraan Majeed stating that it

is for Esaal-e-thawaab
Question: Is it permissible to stick the following in the Quraan Majeed
for esaal-e-thawaab? “This Quraan Majeed has been donated for the
esaal-e-thawaab of the virtuous soul of our beloved Holy Prophet
Muhammed , to my father _____, my mother _____, brother
_____ and sister _____ and all the Muslim men, women and children.”
Answer: Yes, it is permissible.293

473
‫مطلب يف القراءة للميت وإهداء ثواهبا له تنبيه صرح علماؤنا يف باب احلج عن الغري بأن لإلنسان أن جيعل ثواب عمله لغريه صالة أو‬
‫صوما أو صدقة أو غريها كذا يف اهلداية بل يف زكاة التاترخانية عن احمليط األفضل ملن يتصدق نفال أن ينوي جلميع املؤمنني واملؤمنات ألهنا‬
04 ‫ انظر أيضا‬، ) 34/ ‫تصل إليهم وال ينقص من أجره شيء اهـ هو مذهب أهل السنة واجلماعة (رد احملتار‬
174 Chapter Ten

Conveying Thawaab to the Deceased

Question: Is it permissible to recite the Quraan Majeed for people who
have passed away and convey the reward to people who have passed
away?
Answer: Yes, reciting a portion of the Quraan Majeed and conveying
the reward to the deceased is permissible.304

Feeding Poor People on Behalf of the Deceased

Question: Is it permissible to donate food to poor people or feed them
with the intention of conveying the reward to people who have passed
away?
Answer: Yes, it is permissible. You should make the intention that you
are doing the charitable work for Allah  and that the reward be
304
passed on to the deceased or to whomsoever you intend.

Conveying the Reward of Specific Surahs to the

Deceased
Question:
1. Is it true that if one recites Surah Yaaseen for a deceased, then
any punishment that the deceased may be undergoing will be
alleviated for that day?
2. Apart from asking for the forgiveness of the deceased, are
there any specific surahs that can be recited to benefit the
deceased?
Answer:
1. Reciting the Quraan Majeed and other good deeds have got
their own effect. If Allah  wills, the good deed may be
a means of turning away punishments and difficulties.
2. Reciting any portion of the Quraan Majeed is
recommended.304
Esaal-e-Thawaab 175

Conveying the Reward of Umrah to the Deceased

Question:
1. Is it permissible to perform umrah and convey the reward to
a deceased?
2. When one conveys reward to a deceased, then does the
deceased know of the reward and the person who conveyed
it?
Answer:
1. It is permissible to perform umrah and convey the reward to
one or many deceased.
2. Yes, the deceased is aware of the reward and the person who
conveyed it.305

Making Sadaqah-e-jaariyah for a non-Muslim

Deceased
Question: Is it permissible to give sadaqah-e-jaariyah on behalf of a
non-Muslim deceased, make dua for them or convey reward to them?
Answer: It is not permissible to make dua, give sadaqah-e-jaariyah or
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convey reward to non-Muslim deceased.

479
3‫كتاب الروح البن القيم ص‬
َۡ ۡ َ َ َ َ ۡ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ُ ۡۤ ُ َ َ ۡ ۡ ۡ ۡ َ َ ۡۤ ُ َ َ َ َ َ 477
‫استِغف ُار ِابۡ ٰر ِہ ۡی َم‬ ‫﴾ و ما کان‬۵۵۰﴿ ‫ان ل ِلن ِب ِی َو ال ِذیۡ َن ٰا َمنوۡا ا ۡن ی ۡس َتغ ِف ُر ۡوا ل ِلمُش ِرک ِی َن َو لوۡ کانوۡا اول ِ ۡی ق ۡربٰی ِم ۢۡن بَ ۡع ِد َما ت َبی َن ل ُہ ۡم ان ُہ ۡم ا ۡص ٰح ُب ال َج ِح ۡی ِم‬ ‫ما ک‬
ََ َ َ
ۡ َ َ ٌ ٰ َ ۡۤ َ
َ َ َ َ ُ َ ََ ََ َ ۡ ۡ َ َ ۡ َ
َ َ ۡۤ َ
﴾‫﴾ ﴿التوبة‬۵۵۱﴿ ‫اہ فلما ت َبی َن لہ انہ َع ُدو ل ِل ِہ تبَرا ِمنہُ ؕ ِان ِابۡ ٰر ِہ ۡی َم لَاو ٌاہ َحل ِۡی ٌم‬ ‫لِا ِبی ِہ ِالا عن مو ِعد ٍۃ وعدہا ِای‬
ُ ٰ ُ ٰ ََ َ َ َُ َ َ َ َ ۡ َ ُ
﴾‫﴾ ﴿التوبة‬۲۱﴿ ‫َو ل َا ت َص ِل َعل ٰۤی ا َح ٍد ِمن ُہ ۡم مات ابَ ًدا و ل َا تق ۡم َعل ٰی قبۡرِہؕؕ ِان ُہ ۡم کف ُر ۡوا ِبالل ِہ َو َر ُسوۡل ِہ َو َما توۡا َو ُہ ۡم ف ِسقوۡ َن‬
9 ‫سنن أيب داود رقم‬
176 Chapter Ten

Gathering on the Fortieth Day After the Demise of a

Deceased
Question: Is it correct to gather on the fortieth day after the demise of
a deceased in order to recite the Quraan Majeed, etc. and convey the
reward to him?
Answer: There is no basis for gathering on the fortieth day for the
purpose of reciting the Quraan Majeed, feeding, etc. and conveying the
reward to the deceased. The correct way is that people recite
individually from wherever they are and convey the reward to the
deceased. This is much more beneficial and rewarding.115

Donating a Property for Esaal-e-Thawaab

Question: Is it permissible to donate a property to a charitable
organisation or madrasah for the purpose of esaal-e-thawaab?
Answer: It is permissible to donate one's property to a charitable
organisation or madrasah with the intention of esaal-e-thawaab.

Parents Receiving the Reward of Good Deeds Carried

Out by their Children
Question:
Is it correct that parents, after they pass away, continue to receive the
reward of good deeds carried out by their children?
Answer:
Since parents are the means for introducing Deen into the lives of their
children, as long as the children practise on what the parents had
taught them, the parents will continue to receive the rewards of the
good deeds carried out by their children. Rasulullah 
mentioned:
Esaal-e-Thawaab 177

‫ وال ينقص‬،‫ كتب له مثل أجر من عمل هبا‬،‫من سن يف اإلسالم سنة حسنة فعمل هبا بعده‬
‫ ومن سن يف اإلسالم سنة سيئة فعمل هبا بعده كتب عليه مثل وزر من‬،‫من أجورهم شيء‬
470
‫عمل هبا وال ينقص من أوزارهم شيء‬
Whoever commences a good practice in Islam (i.e. from the practices that
Islam encourages and approves of), and others follow suit, then he receives
the reward of all those who emulate him in carrying out the good practice
without their reward being decreased in any way. Whoever commences
an evil practice (i.e. from the practices that Islam does not approve of),
and people follow suit, then he receives the sins of all those who emulate
him in carrying out the evil practice without their sins being decreased in
any way.

470
7 0 ‫صحيح مسلم رقم‬