Working in government defense forces.

Q; I want to know Whether KAS, IAS are permitted in Islam or not......IAS = Indian Administrative service.....
KAS = Kashmir Administrative service.....
As the administration here isnt in accordence with the laws of Glorious Quran....so is it permussible to appear for such services as it includes police services as well.......
i will be eagerly waiting for your reply......

A; All-Praise is due to Allah,
Indeed those whom work in these jobs are Haraam (prohibited), because they all involve giving pledges and covenants to the government of that particular country. Thus all these actions are shirk (polytheism), hence such actions can only be directed to Allah because they are actions of worship and worship is Allah's right over His creation.

Allah says: And fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have taken it, [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation while you have made Allah , over you, a witness. Indeed, Allah knows what you do.

[An-Nahl: 91].

Narrated Mu'adh bin Jabal: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "O Mu'adh! Do you know what Allah's Right upon His slaves is?" I said, "Allah and His Apostle know best." The Prophet said, "To worship Him (Allah) Alone and to join none in worship with Him (Allah). And Do you know what their right upon Him is?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know best." The Prophet said, "Not to punish them (if they do so)".

[Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 470].

And Allah knows best...

The difference between Arsh and Kursi of Allah.

Q; What is the difference between Allah's Arsh and Kursi ?

A; Praise be to Allah,

The Kursiy is the footstool of the Most Merciful, according to the most correct of the scholarly opinions on the matter. The ‘Arsh (Throne) is the greatest of all things that Allaah has created, over which our Lord rose in a manner that befits His Majesty. It has pillars and is carried by bearers who are angels of immense size.

The evidence for the above is given below, along with the comments of some of the scholars.

It was narrated that Ibn Mas’ood said: Between the first heaven and the one above it is (a distance of) five hundred years. Between each of the heavens is (a distance of) five hundred years. Between the seventh heaven and the Kursiy is (a distance of) five hundred years. Between the Kursiy and the water is (a distance of) five hundred years, and the Throne is above the water. Allaah is above the Throne, and nothing whatsoever of your deeds is hidden from Him. (narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah in al-Tawheed, p. 105; by al-Bayhaqi in al-Asmaa’ wa’l-Sifaat, p. 401).

This report was classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Qayyim in Ijtimaa’ al-Juyoosh al-Islamiyah, p. 100; by al-Dhahabi in al-‘Uluw, p. 64).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

This hadeeth stops at Ibn Mas’ood (it is mawqoof), but this is one of the matters concerning which there is no room for personal opinion, so it comes under the heading of marfoo’ [ahaadeeth whose isnaad goes back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)], because Ibn Mas’ood is not known to have taken anything from the Israa’eeliyyaat [reports derived from Jewish sources].

(al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 3/379)

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said, in the list of points noted from this hadeeth:

.....(9) The great size of the Kursiy in relation to the heavens.

(10) The great size of the Throne in relation to the Kursiy.

(11) That the Throne is something other than the Kursiy and the water.

(Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, p. 667, 668).

The Throne of the Most Merciful is the greatest and most vast thing in His creation.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So Exalted be Allaah, the True King: Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!

[al-Mu’minoon 23:116]

“and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne” [al-Tawbah 9:129]

“Owner of the Throne, the Glorious” [al-Burooj 85:15]

Al-Qurtubi said:

The Throne is mentioned on its own because it is the greatest thing that Allaah has created; everything else is also included in this.

(Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 8/302, 303).

Ibn Katheer said:

“and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne” [al-Tawbah 9:129 – interpretation of the meaning] means, He is the Sovereign and Creator of all things, because He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne which is the roof of creation. All created things, the heavens and the earth and all that is in them and in between them are beneath the Throne of Allaah and are subject to His power. His knowledge encompasses all things and His power controls all things, and He is Watcher over all things.

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/405)

And he said (may Allaah have mercy on him):

“Owner of the Throne” [al-Burooj 85:15 – interpretation of the meaning] means, the Master of the Mighty Throne which is above all created things. “The Glorious” – there are two readings of this word (al-Majeed). If it is nominative (al-Majeedu) it is an adjective referring to the Lord, may He be glorified, and if it is genitive (al-Majeedi), it is an adjective referring to the Throne. Both meanings are correct.

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/474).

Majeed means vast and mighty in power.

It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The people will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection; I will be the first to regain consciousness, and Moosa will be there, holding on to one of the pillars of the Throne. I do not know whether he woke up before me or if he was exempted because he had fallen unconscious at the Mount of Sinai.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3217)

The Throne has bearers who carry it.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allaah) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah) (saying): ‘Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your way, and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire!’”

[Ghaafir 40:7]

They are of immense size:

It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“I have been granted permission to speak about one of the angels of Allaah, one of the bearers of the Throne. The space between his earlobes and his shoulders is the distance of seven hundred years’ travelling.”

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4727)

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said concerning this hadeeth: its isnaad meets the conditions of being saheeh.

(Fath al-Baari, 8/665)

The Throne is above the Kursiy, and is above all of creation. Ibn al-Qayyim said:

If Allaah is separate from His creation, then either He is encompassing them or He is not. If He is encompassing them, then He must be above them, because that which encompasses must necessarily be above that which is encompassed. Hence because the heavens encompass the earth, they must be above it, and because the Kursiy encompasses the heavens, it must be above them, and because the Throne encompasses the Kursiy, it must be above it. Whatever encompasses all of that must necessarily be above it. This does not imply that there is physical contact with anything that He encompasses; neither is there any similarity or resemblance between Him and that which He encompasses.

(al-Sawaa’iq al-Mursalah, 4/1308)

The Throne is neither Sovereignty (al-Mulk) nor the Kursiy

Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi said:

What would those who distort the word of Allaah and say that the Throne is an expression referring to al-Mulk or sovereignty say about the following aayat? –

“…and eight angels will, that Day, bear the Throne of your Lord above them” [al-Haaqqah 69:17 – interpretation of the meaning]

“…and His Throne was on the water…” [Hood 11:7 – interpretation of the meaning]

Will they say that eight angels will, that Day, bear the Sovereignty of Allaah, and that His Sovereignty was on the water? Will Moosa be holding on to one of the pillars of Allaah’s sovereignty? Can any same person who knows what he is saying utter such things?

Concerning the Kursiy, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“His Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth” [al-Baqarah 2:255]

It was said that this is the Throne, but the correct view is that it is something else. This was transmitted from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) and others. Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in Sifat al-‘Arsh, and al-Haakim narrated in his Mustadrak that [the following report] meets the conditions of the two Shaykhs [al-Bukhaari and Muslim] although they did not narrate it: (it was reported from) from Sa’eed ibn Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said, concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“His Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth” [al-Baqarah 2:255]:

The Kursiy is the footstool, and no one can comprehend how vast the Throne is except Allaah.

This was transmitted as a marfoo’ report (attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)), but the correct view is that it is mawqoof, stopping at Ibn ‘Abbaas…

Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The Kursiy in relation to the Throne is like an iron ring thrown out into empty land.”

And, as one of the Salaf said, before the Throne it is like a step.

(Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, p. 312, 313).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

There are those who say that the Kursiy is the Throne because of the hadeeth, “Allaah will set up His Kursiy on the Day of Resurrection.” They think that the Kursiy is the Throne.

Similarly, some people claim that the Kursiy is Allaah’s knowledge, and say that the aayah (interpretation of the meaning)

“His Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth” [al-Baqarah 2:255] refers to His Knowledge.

The correct view is that the Kursiy is a footstool, and the Throne is that which the Most Merciful rose above (istiwaa’). And knowledge is the attribute of the knowledgeable one by means of which he understands that which he knows.

And Allaah knows best.

(al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, 3/393, 394).

The obligation of following the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Q;A friend of mine wants to know that in Quran it is said that you have to follow Sunnah of Prophet SAWW. Why is that and is it Fard upon us to follow it?? A;All--Praise is due to Allah, There are many verses that Allah states in the Quran about the obligation of folloing the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and amongst those verses are as follows: Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)” [al-Hashr 59:7] “And obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad), and beware (of even coming near to drinking or gambling or Al‑Ansaab, or Al‑Azlaam) and fear Allaah. Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way” [al-Maa’idah 5:92] “O you who believe! Obey Allaah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him (i.e. Messenger Muhammad) while you are hearing” [al-Anfaal 8:20] The Sunnah is the wisdom (al-hikmah) that is mentioned in the Book of Allaah in many verses, such as the following (interpretation of the meaning): “Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you), We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad) of your own, reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur’aan) and purifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur’aan) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh — jurisprudence), and teaching you that which you used not to know” [al-Baqarah 2:151] “And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allaah as a jest, but remember Allaah’s Favours on you (i.e. Islam), and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Qur’aan) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet’s Sunnah — legal ways — Islamic jurisprudence) whereby He instructs you. And fear Allaah, and know that Allaah is All-Aware of everything” [al-Baqarah 2:231] The Qur’aan and Sunnah both come from the same source, both are Revelation (wahy) from Allaah. Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted says (interpretation of the meaning): “Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. 4. It is only a Revelation revealed. 5. He has been taught (this Qur’aan) by one mighty in power [Jibreel (Gabriel)]” [al-Najm 53:3-5] This and many other verses proves one must follow the Sunnah of Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Without the Sunnah we would not have anything that explains the Quranic Verses. Such as Allah says in the Quran: "And establish the Prayer." This verse is repeated many times through out the Quran, but with out the Sunnah we would not know how this Prayer is established from its characteristics of actions and sayings. This example and many others are all been described through the Sunnah, so it is essential as a Muslim that we turn to both sources (Quran & Sunnah) for information in regards to legislation in Islam. And Allah knows best...

Worshiping Allah (Only).

Q;My frnd tells me ..allaha and prophet mohammad pbuh ard one ..is it right A;All-Praise is due to Allaah, The only one who has the right to be worshiped is Allah The All-mighty, and He is known through His beautiful Names as The-One. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): Such is Allaah, your Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian) over all things.”[al-An’aam 6:102] Muslim worship Allaah [the One True God] whom all the Prophets worshipped. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya’qoob [Jacob]? When he said unto his sons, ‘What will you worship after me?’ They said, ‘We shall worship your God, the God of your fathers, Ibraaheem [Abraham], Ismaa’eel [Ishmael] and Is-haaq [Isaac], One God, and to Him we submit (in Islam).” [al-Baqarah 2:133] Muslims worship Allaah and call others who follow different religions to worship Allaah Alone, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say [O Muhammad]: ‘O People of the Scripture [Jews and Christians]: come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allaah, and we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allaah.’ Then, if they turn away, say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:64] Allaah sent all the Prophets and Messengers to call for the worship of Allah alone, and to bring people from darkness to light. The first of these Messengers was Nooh and the last of them was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): “And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allaah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities, i.e. do not worship Taaghoot besides Allaah)’” [al-Nahl 16:36] So worship must only be directed to Allah (Only) and not anyone else weather it is a Prophet or a pious person these acts are considered Shirk. In the hadeeth it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies claiming that Allaah has a rival, will enter Hell.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4497; Muslim, 92. What the Muslim must do is to avoid shirk in both its minor and major forms. The greatest sin is shirk and transgression against the unique rights of Allaah, which are to be worshipped and obeyed alone, with no partner or associate. Hence Allaah has decreed that the mushrikeen will abide forever in Hell and has told us that He will not forgive them, and He has forbidden Paradise to them, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills; and whoever sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin” [al-Nisa’ 4:48] So the only one that is worthy of Worship is Allah and ni one else. We ask Allaah to make our hearts steadfast in adhering to His religion until we meet Him, and we seek refuge in His Might – may He be glorified – from going astray, for He is the Ever-Living Who never dies, but the jinn and mankind will die. And Allaah knows best and is most wise, and to Him is the final return of all. (See Islam Q&A Fatwa's: 34817, 11575, 736.) For all sources of information provided)

Ruling on hanging Amulets and Talismans.

Q; The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever hangs up a Tamima (AMULET/TAWEEZ) is guilty of SHIRK.”
, i just wanted to know does this include a taweez that has surahs from the quran only or different types of taweez.

A; All-Praise is dur to Allah,

It was stated in a Fatwa as followed;

If an amulet is made with something other than Qur’aan or du’aa’s narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or if it contains symbols, mumbo-jumbo and strange words that cannot be understood, then there is scholarly consensus that it is haraam and constitutes shirk. But if the amulet is made with Qur’aan or du’aa’s narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then there is a difference of opinion among the salaf, but the correct view is that it is haraam. See question no. 10543.

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

The scholars are agreed that it is haraam to wear amulets if they are made with anything other than Qur’aan, but they differed concerning those that are made with Qur’aan. Some said that it is permissible to wear them and some said that that is not permissible. The view that it is not allowed is more likely to be correct because of the general meaning of the ahaadeeth, and so as to prevent the means that may lead to shirk.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/212

(Also see Islam Q&A Fatwa: 20207)

And Allah knows best...

Manhaj and Sects.

Q: What is the minhaj of the sect, like Khawarij, Asha'irah, Tableghi, etc.
In interested in Asha'irah, because i herd to my friend that according to Dr. Soliman Ashqar(Author of Islamic Creed) he said that they are also Ahlul Sunnah, only few details that i learned from their minhaj, and if u see they are not ahlul sunnah because of what they believe in attribution of Allah s.w.t Malish if I asked u cause i know u only give authenticted information.

A; All-Praise is due to Allah,

There are stern warnings narrated from the righteous salaf against sitting with and keeping company with the people of innovation and whims and desires.

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Do not sit with people who follow whims and desires, for sitting with them sickens the heart. Tafseer al-Tabari (4/328).

Abu’l-Jawza’ said: Because sitting with pigs is dearer to me than sitting with any of those who follow their whims and desires. Al-Ibaanah by Ibn Battah (2/438).

Abu Qilaabah said: Do not sit with the people who follow their whims and desires, or talk with them, for I am not sure that they will not tempt you into their misguided ways or confuse you about what you know. Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’ (4/372).

al-Khawarej is a deviant group that strayed from the true religion. This group adopts a number of fundamentals that contradict what Ahl al-Sunnah Wal-Jama'ah believe in. In other words, al-Khawarej believe that a person who commits a major sin is not a Muslim. In addition they speak evil of some companions of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) and even believe that some companions are not Muslims. al-Khawarej do not believe that believers will see Allah, The Great and Almighty, in the Hereafter.
They also deny the stoning punishment in Islam and so on.
Thus, there is disagreement among scholars concerning this deviant group. The majority of Muslim scholars do not consider them as disbelievers. It is also reported from the Emir of the faithful Ali (Radiya Allahu Anhu) that al-Khawarej are not disbelievers.

(See Islam Web Fatwa: 84776 )

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said: the Khawaarij, it comprises of three aspects:
Firstly - Takfeer of the Muslims.

Secondly - Disobedience to the ruler.

Thirdly - Making permissible the blood of the Muslims.

This is the manhaj of the Khawaarij, and even if a person believed it in his heart and did not speak (with any of it) or did not act out any of it, he would still become a Khaarijee in his belief and opinion, which he did not express openly.
The ulemaa have differed as to whether the Khawaarij are disbelievers or merely deviants and sinners. And the opinion that they are disbelievers is closer to the truth since the proofs indicate that they are disbelievers. As for praying behind them then it is not permissible except when they gain authority over a nation, as has been mentioned by the ulemaa. In this case, the Muslim should pray behind them and not abandon the congregational prayers.

(See Al-Ijaabaat al-Muhimmah fee Mashaakil il-Mudlahimmah)


The Ash’aris are a sect that is named after Imam Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari (may Allaah have mercy on him). Al-Ash’ari passed through three stages – as mentioned by Ibn Taymiyah in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/72 – which may be summed up as follows: a Mu’tazili stage; then following Ibn Kilaab; then following Ahl al-Sunnah, chiefly Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Al-Ash’ari clearly stated his final position in his three books: Risaalah ila Ahl al-Thaghr, Maqaalaat al-Islaamiyyeen, and al-Ibaanah. Whoever follows al-Ash’ari at this stage is in accordance with Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah in most issues. Whoever follows his path at the second stage is going against al-Ash’ari himself, and is going against Ahl al-Sunnah in many issues.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Fataawa, 3/338:

Those later scholars who called themselves after Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari were following the second of his stages of ‘aqeedah. They followed the method of misinterpreting most of the divine attributes, and this only affirmed the seven attributes mentioned in the following line of verse:

“Ever-Living, All-Knowing, Able (to do all things), He speaks, He wills, He hears and He sees.”

They also differed with Ahl al-Sunnah as to how these attributes are to be understood.

The Standing Committee issued a fatwa (no. 6606, vol. 3/220): The Ash’aris are not kuffaar, rather they erred in their interpretation of some of the Divine attributes.

Based on this, it is better for a Muslim to study Islamic knowledge and sharee’ah only with scholars who are well known for their knowledge and sound belief (‘aqeedah), and to keep away from those who follow bid’ah and go against Ahl al-Sunnah, including the Ash’aris. This is something that is easy to do – praise be to Allaah – because the means of learning have become readily available to all people. The knowledge of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah is available through many means such as Islamic tapes, books, and leaflets; there are Islamic bulletin boards and sites on the internet, and many easy ways of accessing knowledge – praise be to Allaah. End of quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said, These people who interpret the Qur’aan in this manner, whether they are called Ash’aris or some other name, have gone astray from the path of the righteous salaf. Not even one letter of what these people say in their misinterpretations has been narrated from the righteous salaf. Let them bring one word from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or from Abu Bakr, or ‘Umar, or ‘Uthmaan, or ‘Ali, to say that they interpreted Allaah’s hand as meaning His power, or that they interpreted His being above the Throne (istiwaa’) as referring to His Sovereignty, or that they interpreted His Face as meaning reward, or that they interpreted His love as meaning reward, etc. Let them produce one word from them to show that they interpreted these aayahs and similar verses in the manner that these people interpret them. If they cannot produce any such thing, let it be said that either the righteous salaf, headed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the leader of the pious, were unaware of the meaning of this tremendous ‘aqeedah (of Islam), or they did know it but they concealed the truth. But neither of these can be said of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or of any of the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs, or of his Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). If that is the case then we have to follow their path (the path of the Prophet and the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs).

My advice to these people is to fear Allaah and to abandon what So and so said, and to come back to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the way of the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs who came after him. They should know that there will come a Day when they will return to Allaah, when they will not be able to use the opinion of So and so as evidence. By Allaah, So and so will not be able to help them on that Day. End of quote.

(See Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-‘Ilm, p. 226)

As for our brothers and sisters in Jam'aa At-Tableegh I think some people are to extreme when it comes to their views on them. They are still considered Ahuls Sunnah Wa jam'aah but there are a few Manhaj issues they have, and not all are upon the wrong Aqeedah because the ones that are in Saudi Arabia and a few other Arab countries follow the right Aqeedah. So in this case they are good people out for a good cause calling people to the Masaajid and encouraging them to the many Virtues in Islam. They are responsible of many entering into Islam and stopping Muslims from committing major sins and turning them into pious religious followers of the Deen. I have been told of stories about those whom where about to commit suicide and was convinced through the will of Allah by Tablighi's to stop this act. There are other that have been rehabilitated through the will of Allah by there consistent efforts of visiting them and calling them to Allah.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the Tablighi's and he said:

Usually in every issue there are two extremes and a middle way. Some people praise this group a great deal and encourage going out with them; others condemn them a great deal and warn against them more than they would warn you about a lion. And some people tread a middle path between those two extremes.

I think that there is some good in this group; they call others to Islam and have a clear influence that no other daa’iyahs have had. How many kaafirs have become believers at their hands, and how many evildoers has Allaah guided through them?

Moreover they have an attitude of humility and selflessness that is not found in many others.

Some people say that they have no knowledge of hadeeth, and so on.

They are undoubtedly good people, but I think that those of them who are in Saudi do not go to Pakistan or other countries, and we do not know anything about the ‘aqeedah of those people (in other countries) or their manhaj (methodology). But there is nothing wrong with the manhaj followed by our companions here in Saudi.

With regard to limiting da’wah to three or four days, or to two or four or six months, or two years, there is no shar’i evidence for that. But they think that this has to do with organization. If a person goes out for three days, and knows that he is limited to these three days, he will focus his mind and forget about worldly matters. This is the matter of organization, and is not an act of worship or a matter of sharee’ah.

I think, may Allaah bless you, that if you have the opportunity to seek knowledge then it is better to do that, because seeking knowledge is good and the people nowadays have a great need for scholars who have knowledge of the Sunnah and who are well-versed in knowledge. If you are not able to seek knowledge, and you go out with them in order to purify yourself, there is nothing wrong with that. There are many people whom Allaah has guided at their hands.

Al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 10, P. 304.


Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
We are living in the desert. Some of us have settled here and some are working to earn a halaal income. A group from the Tableeghi Jama’at came to us, some of whom we know personally and are sure that their intentions are sincere, but they are not scholars; and some of them are scholars who call us to go out to the villages around us, and say that we should spend so many days or weeks or months doing that. We have not seen anything wrong with the dhikr circles that they hold. Is it permissible to listen to them or to go out with them to the neighbouring villages or outside the Kingdom (Saudi Arabia)?

He replied: If the people mentioned are known to have sound ‘aqeedah and knowledge and to be virtuous and good people, then there is nothing wrong with cooperating with them in calling people to Allaah and teaching and advising them, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)”

[al-Maa'idah 5:2]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever guides others to do something good, he will have a reward like that of the one who does it.”
May Allaah guide us all.

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh, 9/307

My advice is that it is not necessary to go out with these people nor one should condemn their effort in calling people to Islam. But bare in mind that there is a book that they make in English that is called Fadaail-A'amaal and this is a book I am strongly against and should not be read amongst others as a source to learn virtues from. It contains many weak and fabricated Hadiths also not to mention some things that contradict Aqeedah issues that may lead some one to misguided ways of worship. The Arabs from amongst the Tablighi's are allot better then the others, because they mainly read from Imaam An-Nawawi's book Riyaad As-Saaliheen. Thus this is a well know recommended book of Hadith about various Islamic virtues for one to benefit from and has been authenticated by Al-Albaani also been explained by Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen who produced amongst the best of commentary for this book.

Furthermore I personally think that one should not get caught up so much into learning about certain sects, there are allot more important issues for a Muslim to learn and they are the basic of Tawheed and Aqeedah. Know that following the Quran and authentic Sunnah is what assures a believer their upon the truth.

Al-Awza'i said: "Hold fast to the narrations of the Salaf, even if people abandon you. Beware of the opinions of men, no matter how much they beautify it with their speech, for indeed the matter will become manifest whilst you will be upon the correct straight path concerning it." ( Al-Madkhal ila al-Sunan of al-Bayhaqi, number 233)

Following the Allah and His Messenger and the Salaf (the Pious Predecessors which are the three generations whom came after the Prophet) is the only truth and guidance .

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I am leaving behind me two matters, you will not go astray as long as you cling to them both, the Book of Allah and my Sunnah."

(Related by Maalik in al-Muwattaa 2/899, and al-Haakim 1/93, from Ibn 'Abbass radiaalahu'anhu. Itand was authenticated by al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah no.1871).


The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also described them in the following terms: “My ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of whom will be in Hell except one group.” They said: Who are they, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: “(Those who follow) that which I and my companions follow.” This is mentioned in the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr which was recorded and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi (2641). It was also classed as hasan by al-‘Iraaqi in Ahkaam al-Qur’aan (3/432), al-‘Iraaqi in Takhreej al-Ihya’ (3/284) and al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

This is the clearest sign that the Muslim can use to determine what is the saved group, so he should follow the way of the majority of scholars, those whom all the people testify are trustworthy and religiously-committed, and he should follow the way of the earlier scholars among the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and the four Imams and other scholars, and he should beware of every sect that differs from the main body of Muslims (jamaa’ah) by following innovation (bid’ah).

(See Islam Q&A Fatwa: 90112)

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen said,
I think that Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah should unite even though they differ in the ways in which they understand those texts which may be interpreted in different ways. That is a matter in which there is room for differences, may Allaah be praised. What matters is harmony and unity. No doubt the enemies of Islam want the Muslims to be divided, whether they are enemies who express their enmity openly or they are enemies who make an outward display of friendliness towards Muslims and Islam, but that is not real. We must be distinguished by this characteristic which is the characteristic of the saved group, i.e., being united.

(Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il vol. 1, p. 38-41)

To sum it up the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the people with the most knowledge of this guidance are the scholars of hadeeth, namely the righteous salaf. Those who follow them will be saved and those who go against them will be doomed.

And Allah knows best...

Questions on Sufi Worships.

Q; I am currently in Ghana West Africa and the majority of the Muslims here are following the Tajaniyyah tariqa...... they use several ahadith to justify why the sit in jama'ah and do thikr and the like. I have never heard of any of the ahadith that they have quoted, but that doesn't mean anything because who am I... so I am posting what they have sent to me hoping that you can look it up and give some feedback as to the authenticity of the ahaidth quoted in sha Allah.

A; All-Praise is due to Allah,
We forward this matter to what Sheikh Muhammed Saalih Al-Munajid whom said:

Let us think about the report narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood by al-Daarimi in his Sunan, according to which Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari said to ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood: “O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, I have just seen in the mosque something new that I was not sure about, but I think I have not seen anything but something good, praise be to Allaah.” He said, “What was it?”

He said, “You will see it tomorrow.” He said, “I saw some people in the mosque sitting in circles waiting for the prayer. In every circle there was a man and in their hands were pebbles. He would say, ‘Say Allaahu akbar one hundred times,’ so they would say Allaahu akbar (takbeer) one hundred times. Then he would say, ‘Say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (tahleel) one hundred times, so they would say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah one hundred times. Then he would say, ‘Say Subhaan Allaah (tasbeeh) one hundred times,’ and they would say Subhaan Allaah one hundred times.”

He said, “What did you say to them?”

He said, “I did not say anything to them. I was waiting for your opinion.”

He said, “Why did you not tell them to count their bad deeds and promise them that none of their good deeds would be lost?’ Then he went away and we went with him, until he came to one of those circles. He stood over them and said, “What is this that I see you doing?”

They said, “O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, these are pebbles with which we count the takbeer, tahleel and tasbeeh.”

He said, “Count your bad deeds, for I promise you that nothing of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, O ummah of Muhammad, how soon you have drifted into the way of doom even though the companions of your Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are still alive amongst you, and his garments and the vessels he used are still not worn out or broken. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, either you are following a way that is more guided than the way of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or you are starting a way that is the way of misguidance.”

They said, “By Allaah, O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, we did not intend anything but good.”

He said, “How many of those who intend good never attain it.”

Not everyone who seeks or intends good attains it and is guided to it. Not every act of worship is accepted, unless it is in accordance with the Sunnah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

This denunciation by Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) puts an end to the argument presented by innovators, because they always say, “What reason can there be not to recite dhikr, prayers and Qur’aan? We only intend good and to draw closer to Allaah.”

It should be said to them: Worship must be something that is prescribed in sharee’ah in essence and in its form and the manner in which it is done. If a specific number is prescribed in sharee’ah then no one has the right to go beyond that, and if no number or way is specified then no one has the right to invent a limit for it, because that implies that one is assuming the role of a lawgiver. End of quote.

(See Islam Q&A Fatwa: 11938)

In regards to these Tareeqah's it was stated in a Fatwa as followed,

This tareeqah and its like are among the innovated ways that go against the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the way followed by the best generations. All the shaykhs of these tareeqahs have made up their own wirds (phrases to be uttered as dhikr), hizb (books of du’aa’ to be read daily by their followers) and ways of worship by which each of them may be distinguished from the others; this goes against sharee’ah and divides the ummah.

Allaah has blessed this ummah by perfecting its religion and completing His Favour upon it, so everyone who comes up with an act of worship or a way that was not brought by sharee’ah is effectively rejecting what Allaah has said and accusing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) of betraying the trust.

Along with this innovation of theirs, they may also be lying by claiming that they received their tareeqah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or that they are following the path and guidance of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs (al-khulafa’ al-raashideen).

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

Is there any such thing in Islam as the numerous tareeqahs like the Shaadhilyyah, Khalwatiyyah etc? If there is such a thing, what is the evidence for that? What is the meaning of the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may become Al‑Muttaqoon (the pious)”

[al-An’aam 6:153]

“And upon Allaah is the responsibility to explain the Straight Path. But there are ways that turn aside (such as Paganism, Judaism, Christianity). And had He willed, He would have guided you all (mankind)”

[al-Nahl 16:9]

What are the ways that separate people from the path of Allaah, and what is the way of Allaah? What is the meaning of the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas’ood, according to which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) drew a line and said, “This is the path of guidance,” then he drew lines to its right and another to its left and said, “These are other paths and on each path there is a devil calling people to it”?

They answered:

There is no such thing in Islam as the tareeqahs that you mentioned, or anything else like them. What there is in Islam is what is indicated by the two verses and the hadeeth that you quoted, and what was indicated by the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Jews split into seventy-one sects, and the Christians split into seventy-two sects. My ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of which will be in Hell except one.” It was asked, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Those who follow the same path as I and my companions are on today.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “A group among my ummah will continue to follow the truth and to be victorious, and they will not be harmed by those who forsake them or oppose them, until the command of Allaah comes to pass when they are like that.” The truth lies in following the Qur’aan and the saheeh, unambiguous Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This is the path of Allaah, this is the Straight Path. This is the straight line mentioned in the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood, and this is what was followed by the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (may Allaah be pleased with them and with their followers among the early generations (salaf) of this ummah, and with those who follow their path). All other tareeqahs or groups are the paths mentioned in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“… and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path…”

[al-An’aam 6:153]

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 2/283, 284

(Also see Islam Q&A Fatwa: 20375)

My advise is that when one is not sure of something in regards to Islam one must turn to the Quran and Authentic Sunnah for answers, The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"I am leaving behind me two matters, you will not go astray as long as you cling to them both, the Book of Allah and my Sunnah." Related by Maalik in al-Muwattaa (2/899) and al-Haakim (1/93), from Ibn 'Abbass radiaalahu'anhu. It was authenticated by al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no.1871).

And Allah knows best...

Decrease in Faith.

Q; assalamualaikum......i want to ask you that now a days i cant concentrate in any relegious thing....eg:namaz, zikr, quraan etc etc and i just dont feel comfortable wuth this condition i want to do all this but it seems like as if someone is stopping me from all this....will u plz guide me...
i mean to say.....lyk not any person or someone....butany power is stopping me.now am 16, when i was 12, i use to make so much zikr, i use to pray tahajjud and evrything...i dnt knw whats happening with me now.

A; All-Praise is due to Allah,
Guidance only comes from Allah The All-High and no other. There are many reasons to one having weak Faith, and amongst the most common and obvious is committing allot of sin and not turning to Allah for Forgiveness and guidance.
If one acts the opposite to this their Faith will increase, and that is by obeying Allah and His Messenger in their commands by enjoining in the good and forbidding and staying away from what is evil. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Quran) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone). (8:2)

It was stated in a Fatwa: A person may become negligent and that may lead to weakening his faith. The remedy for that is to pray a great deal for forgiveness and to constantly remember Allaah, and to read Qur’aan and focus on and ponder its meanings, for doing that will rid the heart of its carelessness and wake it from its slumber. And it is very important to do a lot of righteous deeds.

There are several reasons for weakness of faith, including the following:

1 – Ignorance of the names and attributes of Allaah leads to weakness of faith because if a person is lacking in knowledge of the names and attributes of Allaah, his faith will be imcomplete.

2 – Neglecting to think of the signs of Allaah in the universe and to ponder His commands and prohibitions. This causes a lack of faith or at the very least it makes faith stagnant and prevents it from growing.

3 – Committing sin, for sin has a far-reaching effect on the heart and on faith. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No adulterer is a believer at the moment when he is committing adultery.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2475; Muslim, 57).

4 – Failing to do acts of worship, for failing to do acts of worship diminishes faith. But if the act of worship is something that is obligatory and it is neglected with no excuse, then this is a shortcoming for which a person is to be blamed and will be punished. If it is an act of worship that is not obligatory or it is obligatory but a person does not do it because he has an excuse, then this is a shortcoming for which he will not be blamed or punished.
Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, 1/52

We advise you to read Qur’aan a great deal and ponder its verses, for in that there is healing for what is in your heart, if Allaah wills. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We send down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe”
[al-Isra’ 17:82]

We also advise you to study the stories of the Prophets, for Allaah narrated them in the Qur’aan to make the heart of his Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the believers with him, steadfast. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And all that We relate to you (O Muhammad) of the news of the Messengers is in order that We may make strong and firm your heart thereby. And in this (chapter of the Qur’aan) has come to you the truth, as well as an admonition and a reminder for the believers” [Hood 11:120] End of Quote.
(See Islam Q&A Fatwa: 20059)

It should be noted that faith increases when one obeys Allah and decreases when one disobeys Him, so continue to do that which Allah has enjoined, such as observing the five daily prayers and paying zakaah willingly, to purify yourself of sin, and as an act of mercy towards the poor and needy.
One of the most beneficial thing that can help a believer maintain their Faith to keep company with good and righteous people so that they can help you to apply Sharia' and guide you towards that which will bring you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter and to be in a clean religious environment not a place where there is allot of sin and fitnah. Keep away from the people of innovation and sin, lest they tempt you and weaken your resolve.
Do a lot of naafil good deeds, and turn to Allah and ask Him for guidance.
If you do these things, Allaah will increase you in faith and help you to catch up with what you have missed of good deeds, and make you more steadfast in adhering to Islam.

Furthermore I advise you that in terms of worship take things step by step, as it has been sighted by myself amongst many we know that have come into the deen full force wanting to try and practice all these virtues at once and eventually come to a complete stop (Stop practicing the recommendable Sunnan acts) some have even stopped deen all together (& we seek refuge in Allah from that.)

The Prophet (pbuh) said, “The dearest of actions to Allah is that which is done regularly, even if it is small portions.”[Bukhari & Muslim]

So in another words one should take things in easy steps and eventually increase there worship acts for verily The Prophet has hinted this in the Hadith which is mentioned above, and Allah does not like one to burden their soul more then what it can handle. Allah the Exalted said, 'Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.' (2:286).

We Ask Allah to guide us to what is good , and to protect us from what is evil, And Allaah is the Source of strength. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.
And Allah knows best...

Jinn appearing in human form.

Q; Can the Shaitan and Jinn come to us in human form. Meaning that can they take human form now in this age. Because my brother told me that they cant do it anymore.

A; Praise be to Allaah,
The question is composed of two parts.

1 – Do the jinn appear in human form?

2 – Do the jinn have a real form?

With regard to the first question, it may be said:

Firstly: it should be noted that the basic principle concerning the jinn is that they are concealed from mankind, hence they are called jinn, because the Arabic root janna refers to a single original meaning which is to cover and conceal, as Ibn Faaris said in Maqaayees al-Lughah. The jinn are so called because they are concealed from mankind, and the foetus is called janeen in Arabic because he is concealed in his mother’s womb, and a garden is called jannah because it is concealed by trees, and an insane person is called majnoon because his mind is covered, and so on in all derivations from this root.

Allaah has told us of this when He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytaan (Satan) deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam and Hawwaa’ (Eve)] out of Paradise, stripping them of their raiments, to show them their private parts. Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them”
[al-A’raaf 7:27]

Secondly: can they appear in human form?
The answer to that is that it is proven in the Sunnah and from real life that the jinn appear in different forms, such as the forms of people and animals, etc. Among the clearest evidence of that from the Sunnah is the story narrated by al-Bukhaari (3275) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came to me and started scooping up some of the food, and I said, “By Allaah, I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” He complained of being in need and having dependents, so Abu Hurayrah took pity on him and let him go. This happened three times, and on the third occasion, Abu Hurayrah said: “I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah. This is the third time and each time you say that you will not come back, then you come back.” He said, “Let me go and I will teach you something by means of which Allaah will benefit you.” I said: “What is it?” he said: “When you go to bed, recite Aayat al-Kursi, ‘Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists)…’ [al-Baqarah 2:255] until you complete the verse, then you will always have a protector from Allaah, and no devil will come near you until morning comes. So I let him go, and the next morning I told the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) what had happened. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “He told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who you have been speaking to for three nights, O Abu Hurayrah?” He said: “No.” He said: “That was a devil (a shaytaan).”

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in al-Fath: This hadeeth teaches us a number of things… that one of the characteristics of the Shaytaan is lying, and that he may appear in various forms that may be seen, and that the words of Allaah, “Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them” [al-A’raaf 7:27], apply to when he is in the form with which he was created.

It was narrated that the Shaytaan appeared to Quraysh in the form of Suraaqah ibn Maalik ibn Ju’sham and encouraged them to fight the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). That happened during the battle of Badr. Ibn Jareer al-Tabari narrated in his Tafseer (12564) that ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said:

When Quraysh decided to march, mention was made of what was between them and Bani Bakr – i.e., war – and that almost made them change their minds. Then Iblees appeared to them in the form of Suraaqah ibn Ju’sham al-Madlaji, who was one of the nobles of Banu Kinaanah, and said: “I will protect you against Kinaanah so that Kinaanah will not be able to do you any harm.” So they went ahead with their plan. This was also quoted by Ibn Katheer in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah, 5/62.

In Saheeh Muslim (2236) it is narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “In Madeenah there is a group of the jinn who have become Muslim, so whoever sees any of these creatures let him give it a warning three times, then if it appears after that he may kill it, for it is a devil.”

The word translated as “creatures” here refers to kinds of snakes that appear in houses; they are not to be killed until they have been given a warning three times, because they may be jinn. See Ghareeb al-Hadeeth by Ibn al-Atheer.

Al-Nawawi said: What this means is that if they do not disappear after being warned, then they are not the kind of creatures that inhabit houses and they are not among the jinn who have become Muslim, rather that is a devil so there is no sin on you if you kill it and Allaah will never give the Shaytaan a way to prevail over you by taking revenge, unlike the creatures (snakes) and jinn who have become Muslim. And Allaah knows best. Sharh Muslim, 14/236.

There have been many such incidents. Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) said: The jinn may appear in human and animal form, so they may appear as snakes and scorpions etc, or in the form of camels, cattle, sheep, horses, mules and donkeys, or in the form of birds, or in the form of humans, as the Shaytaan came to Quraysh in the form of Suraaqah ibn Maalik ibn Ju’sham when they wanted to set out for Badr. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/44.

Thirdly: The jinn have led many people astray by appearing in the forms of awliya’ (“saints”) and righteous people etc. Shaykh al-Islam said: The Shaytaan often appears in the form of the person who is being called upon and asked for help, if he is dead or sometimes if he is alive, without the person who called upon him realizing it. Indeed the Shaytaan may appear in his form and the misguided mushrik who is seeking that person’s help may think that the person himself has responded to him when in fact it is the Shaytaan. This also happens to the kuffaar who seek the help of those of whom they think well, whether they are dead or alive, such as the Christians who seek the help of George or others of their saints, and it happens to those so-called Muslims who commit shirk and follow misguidance by seeking the help of those who are dead or absent. The Shaytaan appears to them in the form of the one upon whom they call, without him realizing that… More than one person has told me that they sought my help, and each of them told me a different story. I told each one of them that I did not answer any one of them and I did not know that they were seeking my help. It was said that this was an angel, but I said: Angels do not help mushriks, rather that was a devil who wanted to misguide him.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 19/47-48.

One of the greatest ways in which a Muslim may seek help against the devils is to “fortify” himself with adhkaar and reciting Aayat al-Kursiy, as stated in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah quoted above.

With regard to the second part of the question, which is whether the jinn have a true form:

With regard to this matter of photographs of the jinn, which have fascinated many people and become widespread on some websites, it is not possible to verify the authenticity of what is in these websites, especially nowadays when people are highly skilled in producing in all kinds of deceptive pictures. Moreover researching such matters brings no spiritual or worldly benefit and serves no purpose. It is better to occupy oneself with things that will bring spiritual or worldly benefit such as reading and understanding what is in the Qur’aan and the saheeh Sunnah, and what a person needs to know and do of correct belief and worship, and the proper attitude and etiquette which the Muslim should develop, and so on. It should also be noted that publishing pictures of animate beings is haraam according to sharee’ah as is stated in the texts.

We ask Allaah to protect you and raise you in status and forgive your sins and bless you with knowledge and good deeds, for He is the Best One to be asked.

May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Islam Q&A FAtwa: 40703

Making Du'aa to other then Allah.

Q; I was baffled when I saw a fellow muslim supplicating @ d grave of a pious sheik . N' I wana giv him prove that wot he is doing is v v v wrong.

A; All-Praise is due to Alaah,
Making Du'aa (Supplicating) to other then Allah is from amongst the grievous sins in Islam (Shirk)which takes some one out of the fold of Islam.

Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): “Then do not set up rivals unto Allaah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped)” [al-Baqarah 2:222]

And He said, “And they set up rivals to Allaah, to mislead (men) from His path! Say: ‘Enjoy (your brief life)! But certainly, your destination is the (Hell) Fire!’” [Ibraaheem 14:30]

In the hadeeth it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies claiming that Allaah has a rival, will enter Hell.”al-Bukhaari, 4497; Muslim, 92.

Shaikh-ul-Islam Muhammad bin Suleiman At-Tamimi stated, "Know that ten matters negate one's Islam. [They are:]

"First, associating partners in the worship of Allah. Allah says,

"Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom He pleases other sins than that" (al-Nisa 116).

Allah also says,

"Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers, there are no helpers" (al-Maidah 72).

Included in this category of deeds is sacrificing animals for the sake of jinn or graves.

"Second, whoever sets up an intermediary between himself and Allah, whom he prays to, seeks intercession from and puts his reliance in, has blasphemed according to the consensus of the scholars. End of Quote. (see the article of What Negates One's Islam by Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab)

Sheikh Muhammed Saalih Al-Munajid said, Shirk may sometimes take the form of words: as those who make du’aa’ or pray to someone other than Allaah, or seek his help or seek refuge with him with regard to matters over which no one has control except Allaah, whether the person called upon is a Prophet, a wali (“saint”), an angel or a jinn, or some other created being. This is a kind of major shirk which puts one beyond the pale of Islam. (Islam Q&A Fatwa: 34817)

The Sheikh (May Allah preserve him) also said in another Fatwa, Praying to the occupant of the grave this is major shirk which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because prayer is an act of worship, and it is not permissible to do any act of worship to anyone other than Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship)” [al-Nisa’ 4:36]

“Verily, Allaah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah, has indeed strayed far away” [al-Nisa’ 4:116] End of Quote. (Islam Q&A Fatwa: 13490)

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri said, A person calls upon one who cannot bring benefit or cause harm, who cannot command or prohibit, who cannot hear or respond, whether that is a Prophet, a Messenger, a jinn or an angel, or a star or planet or rock or tree, or one of the dead – all of that is serious wrong-doing, and a going astray from the Straight Path. It is shirk, the association of others with Allaah the Almighty.

“And invoke not besides Allaah any such that will neither profit you nor harm you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Zaalimoon (wrongdoers)” [Yoonus 10:106 – interpretation of the meaning]

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them

[al-Ahqaaf 46:5]

Calling upon anyone or anything other than Allaah is shirk, and shirk is a great sin, indeed it is the greatest sin. Allaah will forgive any sin for whomever He wills, except for shirk, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills [al-Nisaa’ 4:48]

On the Day of Resurrection, Allaah will gather the mushrikeen and everyone who was worshipped instead of Him, then those who were worshipped instead of Allaah will disavow those who worshipped them, and they will deny their association with Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone).

If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the All‑Knower (of everything).

O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allaah. But Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise”[Faatir 35: 13-15] End of Quote, (See Usool al-Deen al-Islami)

So it is quite clear that the Sharia' forbids such actions are detested act that is hated and not excepted by Allah The-Exalted. Either the person of this actions upon been informed properly with Shara'ie evidences dos not except this they have the consequences of suffering a harsh torment of internal hell-fire as Allaah the All-Mighty mentioned,'Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills.' [al-Nisaa’ 4:48]

And He said, 'Indeed, he who associates others with Allaah - Allaah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers'. [Al-Maaedah 5:72]

We Ask Allaah to purify all form the evil sin of Shirk and to guide us to what is most beloved to Him, and Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.
And Allaah knows best...

Brief explanation of Tawheed.

Q; Assalamu'aleykum.d u hv explanation abt tauhid?

A; Praise be to Allaah.

Your question is a good thing to ask and seek knowledge of as a Muslim, and I ask Allah to reward this in your efforts of good deeds on the day of judgment...
Your question has been written into books of the Scholars and not just a simple short answer....
Never or less Muhammed Salih Al-Munajid said in a breif explanation in regards to what Tawheed is and its categories:

Tawheed in Arabic means attributing Oneness to Allaah and describing Him as being One and Unique, with no partner or peer in His Essence and Attributes.

The Arabs say waahid, ahad and waheed, all meaning one. Allaah is Waahid, meaning that He has no rivals or peers in any way. So Tawheed means knowing Allaah is One, with none like unto Him. Whoever does not acknowledge Allaah in these terms and does not describe Him as being One with no partner or associate does not believe in Tawheed.

With regard to the shar’i definition of Tawheed, it means believing in Allaah alone as God and Lord and attributing to Him alone all the attributes of Lordship and divinity.

It may be defined as follows: Believing that Allaah is One with no partner or associate in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (uloohiyyah) or names and attributes (al-asma’ wa’l-sifaat).

This word (Tawheed) and its derivatives are used with this meaning in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. For example:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One [Ahad].

2. Allaah‑us‑Samad [Allaah — the Self‑Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].

3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.

4. And there is none co‑equal or comparable unto Him”

[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-3]

“And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah [ilaahun waahidun] (God — Allaah), Laa Ilaaha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”

[al-Baqarah 2:163]

“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: ‘Allaah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).’ But there is no Ilaah (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilaah [ilaahun waahidun] (God —Allaah). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the disbelievers among them”

[al-Maa'idah 5:73]

And there are many similar verses.

In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (7372) and Saheeh Muslim (19) it is narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent Mu’aadh ibn Jabal to Yemen, he said to him: “You are going to people from among the People of the Book, so let the first thing to which you call them be belief in Allaah alone (Tawheed). If they accept that, then tell them that Allaah has enjoined on them five prayers every day and night. If they pray then tell them that Allaah has enjoined on them zakaah from their wealth to be taken from their rich and given to their poor. If they agree to that then take it from them but avoid the best of people’s wealth.”

In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is built on five (pillars): belief that Allaah is One, establishing regular prayer, paying zakaah, fasting Ramadaan and Hajj.”

What is meant by Tawheed in all these texts is affirming the meaning of the testimony that there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, which is the essence of the religion of Islam with which Allaah sent His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), based on the evidence of the words of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. In some versions of the hadeeth of Mu’aadh quoted above it says: “You will come to some people from among the People of the Book so when you come to them, call them to bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1492.

According to another version of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is based on five (pillars): the testimony that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger...” Narrated by Muslim, 16.

This indicates that Tawheed is the essence of the testimony that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, and that this is Islam with which Allaah sent His Prophet to the two races of mankind and the jinn, other than which Allaah will not accept any religion from anyone.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Truly, the religion with Allaah is Islam”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:19]

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]

Once this is understood, it should be noted that the scholars have divided Tawheed into three categories, as follows:

Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of Divine Lordship), Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (Oneness of Divinity) and Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l-Sifaat (Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes).

Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of Divine Lordship): means believing in Allaah as One and Unique with regard to His actions such as creation, sovereignty, control, giving life and death, and so on.

There is a great deal of evidence to support this in the Qur’aan and Sunnah. See question no. 13532 to learn some of it.

Whoever believes that there is any creator other than Allaah or any sovereign controlling this universe and disposing of its affairs other than Allaah has denied this aspect of Tawheed and disbelieved in Allaah.

The kuffaar of old accepted this aspect of Tawheed in general terms, although they differed with regard to some of its details. The evidence that they used to accept this is to be found in several verses of the Qur’aan such as the following (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if you were to ask them: ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?’ they will surely reply: ‘Allaah.’ How then are they deviating (as polytheists and disbelievers)?”

[al-‘Ankaboot 29:61]

“And if you were to ask them: ‘Who sends down water (rain) from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death?’ they will surely reply: ‘Allaah.’ Say: ‘All the praises and thanks be to Allaah!’ Nay, most of them have no sense”

[al-‘Ankaboot 29:63]

“And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: ‘Allaah.’ How then are they turned away (from the worship of Allaah Who created them)?”

[al-Zukhruf 43:87]

In these verses Allaah states that the kuffaar affirm that He is the Creator, Sovereign and Controller, but despite that they do not worship Him alone (Tawheed of worship), which points to the graveness of their wrongdoing and lies, and the weakness of their reasoning. For if there is One Who is described in such terms, none should be worshipped except Him alone and none should be described as being one and unique except Him; may He be glorified above those that they associate with him.

So whoever affirms this Tawheed in the true sense must inevitably also affirm the Oneness of Allaah’s Divinity (Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah).

Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah means devoting all acts of worship, both inward and outward, in word and deed, to Allaah Alone, and not worshipping anything or anyone other than Allaah, no matter who he is. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him”

[al-Isra’ 17:23]

“Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship)”

[al-Nisa’ 4:36]

It may be described as devoting all one’s actions to Allaah alone.

It is called Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah because it is based on ta’alluh lillaah which is worship and devotion of Allaah accompanied by love and veneration.

It is also called Tawheed al-‘Ibaadah (oneness of worship) because it means that a person worships Allaah by doing that which He has commanded and avoiding that which He has forbidden.

It is also called Tawheed al-Talab wa’l-Qasd wa’l-Iraadah (Oneness of goal, purpose and will) because it means that a person does not seek anything except the Face of Allaah, so he worships Him sincerely.

This is the kind of Tawheed concerning which people went astray, which is why the Prophets were sent and the Books were revealed. This is the purpose for which the universe was created and laws were prescribed. Concerning this disputes arose between the Prophets and their peoples, so the stubborn were doomed and the believers were saved.

Whoever goes astray with regard to this Tawheed, such as devoting some of his worship to someone other than Allaah, has gone beyond the pale of Islam and drifted away from true belief. May Allaah protect us from that.

With regard to Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l-Sifaat (Oneness of the Divine Names and Attributes), this means affirming the names and attributes of Allaah and believing that there is none like unto Allaah in His names and attributes. This Tawheed is based on two principles:

1 – Affirmation: i.e., affirming that which Allaah has affirmed for Himself in His Book or that His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has affirmed of His beautiful names and sublime attributes in a manner that suits the Majesty and Greatness of Allaah, without distorting them, twisting their meanings, denying their reality or discussing how they are.

2 – Denial: i.e., denying that Allaah has any faults and denying any shortcomings that He has denied Himself. The evidence for that is the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer”

[al-Shoora 42:11]

So He has denied that He bears any resemblance to His creation, and affirmed that He has attributes of perfection in a manner that befits Him, may He be glorified.

See al-Hujjah fi Bayaan al-Mahajjah, 1/305; Lawaami’ al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah, 1/57.

(Islam Q&A Fatwa: 49030)

It makes me happy to know that Muslims are taking concern in finding out about Tawheed and I would like to suggest to you a couple of books for you to read insha-Allah in your search for seeking knowledge on this topic. Amount one of the important books for a person to read about Tawheed is-

Usool ath-Thalatha - (Three Fundamental Principles) - By Sheikhul Islam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab

Kitab At-Tawheed - By Sheikhul Islam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab

Tawheed First - By Imaam Muhammad Naasir Ud-Deen Al-Albaanee

Al-Aqeedat il-Wasitiyah - By Sheikhul Islam Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah

Fundamentals Of Tawheed - By Dr. Abu Aminah Bilal Phillips

These books are amongst my recommendations for one to seek further knowledge in more depth. If you would like to read any of these books I have suggest above, they are all available on-line please, click on the following link to read them- http://athariyyah.webs.com/freebooks.htm

And Allah knows best......

Reading Quran for the deceased & offering food to the Family of the deceased.

Q;Bro I need to know the Islamic Ruling on the issue. where a person dies and there relatives cook something and serve to poor people in order to ask Allah mercy upon the deceased soul. Or call some one to recite and Quran and ask Allah mercy upon the deceased one. I would be thankful for your answer.

A; All-Praise is due to Allah,

In regards to making food for family and others at the time of someones death, Shaykh al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said,
It is better for neighbours and relatives to make food in their own houses then bring it to the household (of the deceased), because it was narrated that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard that his cousin Ja’far ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) had died in the Battle of Mu’tah, he told his family to make food for the family of Ja’far, and said, “Because there has come to them that which will preoccupy them.”

But it is not permitted for the family to make food for people because for the sake of the deceased. This is one of the actions of the Jaahiliyyah, whether it is done on the day of the death, or on the fourth or tenth day after the death, or at the new year. All of that is not permitted, because it was narrated that Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Bajali (may Allaah be pleased with him) – one of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – said, “We used to count gathering with the family of the deceased and making food for them after the burial to be a kind of wailing (niyaahah).”

But if guests come to the family of the deceased during the mourning period, there is nothing wrong with them making food for them for the sake of hospitality, and there is nothing wrong with the household inviting whoever they want of their neighbours and relatives to eat with them from the food that has been given to them. And Allaah is the Source of strength. (Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah vol. 9, p. 325)

As for reading Quran for deased, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak said, Gathering to read Qur’aan and give the reward for that to the deceased is a bid’ah (reprehensible innovation), even if it is not done in return for any payment. If it is done in return for payment then it is haraam, because it is being done for a reason other than for the sake of Allaah, and any such action will not earn any reward. But if a person reads Qur’aan by himself and gives the reward for that to a relative or friend, without gathering with others for that purpose and without seeking payment, then there are two scholarly views in this case, one of which says that it is permissible and that the reward for the reading will reach the deceased.

The second view is that it is not prescribed to give the reward for the reading to anyone, because there is no evidence (daleel) to indicate that this is prescribed.End of Quote.

(Islam Q&A Fatwa: 4910)

Shaykh ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in regards to reading Quran for the deceased,
There is no report in the Holy Qur’aan or in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or from his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) to indicate that it is prescribed to give one's reading of Qur’aan (or the reward thereof) to one's parents or to anyone else. Rather Allaah has enjoined reading Qur’aan so that one may benefit from it, learn from it, ponder its meanings and act upon it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“(This is) a Book (the Qur’aan) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings, that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember”

[Saad 38:29]

“Verily, this Qur’aan guides to that which is most just and right”

[al-Isra’ 17:90]

“Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing”

[Fussilat 41:44]

And our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Read the Qur’aan, for it will come as an intercessor for its companions.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Qur’aan will be brought on the Day of Resurrection along with its people who used to act upon it, preceded by Soorat al-Baqarah and Aal ‘Imraan, like two clouds or two flocks of birds, spreading their wings, pleading on behalf of their companions (i.e., those who used to read them).”

The point is that it was revealed to be acted upon and pondered, to be read as an act of worship and read a great deal, not to be given to the dead or to anyone else. I do not know of any reliable basis for giving it to one’s parents or anyone else. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours will have it rejected.”
Some of the scholars are of the view that that is permissible, and they said: There is no reason why the reward for reading Qur’aan and other righteous actions cannot be given to others, and they liken that to the case of charity and du’aa’ for the deceased and others. But the correct view is the first view, because of the hadeeth quoted above, and other similar reports. If giving the reward for reading to another was permissible or prescribed, the righteous salaf would have done it. It is not permissible to make analogies with regard to acts of worship, because they can only be proven by a text from the Book of Allaah, may He be blessed and exalted, or the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because of the hadeeth quoted above and other similar reports.

(Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 8/360, 361)

As for doing what is prescribed from the Sunnah For the deceased Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajid said,
The scholars are agreed that the benefits of du’aa’, praying for forgiveness, giving charity and Hajj reach the deceased.

With regard to du’aa’ and praying for forgiveness, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who came after them say: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith’”

[al-Hashr 59:10]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Pray for forgiveness for your brother and ask that he be made steadfast, for now he is being questioned.”

And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you offer the (funeral) prayer for the deceased, then make du’aa’ sincerely for him.”

With regard to charity, it was narrated in al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “My mother died suddenly and she did not leave a will, but I think that if she could have spoken she would have given in charity. Will she have a reward if I give in charity on her behalf?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Yes.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 1388; Muslim, no. 1004.

And it was narrated by al-Bukhaari from Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah that his mother died when he was absent, and he said: “O Messenger of Allaah, my mother has died when I was absent. Will it benefit her if I give in charity on her behalf?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “I ask you to bear witness that my garden that bears fruit is given in charity on her behalf.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2756.

With regard to Hajj, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to one who asked him about Hajj: “Don’t you think that if your mother had a debt, you would pay it off for her?” She said: “Yes.” He said: “A debt owed to Allaah is more deserving of being paid off.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6699; Muslim, 1148.

From the above you will know that giving charity on behalf of the deceased will benefit him and its reward will reach him.

There is a da’eef (weak) hadeeth about offering prayer on behalf of the dead. Imam Muslim mentioned in his introduction to his Saheeh that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak regarded this hadeeth as weak, then he said:

There is no difference of opinion concerning giving charity (i.e., on behalf of the dead). End quote.

The correct view is that the dead can benefit from the physical acts of worship undertaken by their living relatives with the intention of giving the reward to them (physical acts of worship include fasting and reading Qur’aan). The same applies to financial acts of worship, such as giving charity on behalf of the deceased or freeing a slave on his behalf, even though some of these actions are not prescribed as such.

But giving charity on behalf of the deceased is better than reading Qur’aan for them, just as making du’aa’ for them and seeking forgiveness for them is better than other deeds.

If you give in charity on behalf of your deceased relative, or you make du’aa’ for him – or other actions – the deceased will benefit from that, and you will also have the reward for that, for the Bounty of Allaah is immense.

References: (Islam Q&A Fatwa's: 42384 & 6648)

So it is quite clear that according to the Sunnah it is permissible for neighbours and relatives to make food for the household of the deceased, so long as it's not the family making food for the people because for the sake of the deceased. With regard to reading Qur’aan, the well-known view of the Shaafa’i Madhhab is that the reward for that does not reach the deceased. Some of his companions said that its reward does reach the deceased. Some of the scholars were of the view that the reward of all acts of worship – prayer, fasting, reading Qur’aan, etc – reaches the deceased… Then al-Nawawi mentioned that the reward for du’aa’, charity and Hajj reaches the deceased, according to scholarly consensus.

It says in Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj (7/72):
The deceased can benefit from charity given on his behalf, which includes a waqf of a Mus-haf etc, or digging a well, or planting a tree, whether he does that during his lifetime or it is done by someone else on his behalf after his death.

So to sum it up asking for Allah's Mercy on a deceased soul is best through Du'aa, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 'and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young' [17:24]

We Ask Allah to guide us to what is right and to bestow His Mercy upon us living and the deceased, and we send peace and blessing of Allah upon His honorable Prophet, his Family and companions and to all the those whom followed their guidance until the day of judgement.

And Allah knows best...