Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) taught us a very beautiful process of charity that we can perform as a gift to those people who have passed away. This process is known as Isaal Al Sawaab, which means the transfer of blessings or reward to another and is something Muslims regularly pray for all Muslims in our daily prayers.
“O Lord! And forgive me, and my parents, and all the Muslims on the day when the account will be established.”
Noble Quran, Surah Ibraheem, Chapter 14, Verse 41
Allah Almighty teaches us to be thoughtful in our prayers, both during our Salah, 5 times daily prayers, and when we make Dua, supplications, after our Salah. We can continue to name people directly in our prayers and use any language to ask Allah Almighty to forgive the sins of our loved ones. These prayers can be for those who are alive, those who have passed away and those Muslims that are yet to be born.
The etiquette of gifting prayers to the deceased is that one performs prayers and then asks Allah Almighty to present any reward from them to holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) first, then to all the Blessed Prophets, to the Blessed Family of the holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Blessed Prophetic Companions, all the Friends of Allah and specific beloveds of Allah Almighty, then to all Muslims who have passed away since the origin of mankind until the modern day until finally we take the names of our immediate loved ones who have deceased.
Muslims will present special prayers for the deceased on the 3rd day after they pass away and on the 40th day. These are milestones in the journey of the Afterlife of the deceased and such prayers can help them along in the Afterlife. Friday is deemed the holiest day of the week and therefore people present special prayers to the deceased in the form of Quranic recitations or litanies, Khatams, on this day as well as on death anniversaries. The actual dates are not as important as the fact that loved ones continue to pray for those Muslims who have passed away.
The act of praying for the deceased creates a connection between those alive in this world and those alive in the Afterlife. These prayers and acts of worship not only benefit the deceased but also those who perform them, as they increase in their good deeds and righteousness. May Allah Almighty allow all Muslims to regularly pray for the entire Ummah, universal Muslim community, both those alive and those who have crossed over into the Afterlife.
In addition to praying for them, we can also send reward through our good deeds to people who have passed away. Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three: recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious child, who prays for him (for the deceased).”
This can be done in several ways such as:
- Giving money in the way of Allah Almighty i.e to charity
- Reading the noble Quran
- Making Dua, supplication to Allah Almighty
- Praying Salah, 5 daily prayers
- Fasting and other acts of Ibadah, worship
Isaal Al Sawaab, transference of reward, is an effective way of presenting reward to the deceased and allows the deceased to continue to receive benefit from our actions. The Blessed Companions of holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) gifted possessions and wealth, for example gardens, so that the reward of the charitable act would reach their deceased parents. This establishes the principle of the living transferring the reward of their good actions to the deceased.
The reward of these actions is received in the grave of the deceased and some scholars say that this comes in the form of light. If somebody is receiving punishment in their grave for any of their own misdeeds, then this transferred reward helps alleviate the punishments of the grave for them, and continuous acts of spiritual donations will continue to reduce the punishment in the grave. If somebody is comfortable and at peace in their grave, the rewards presented serve to only increase the good rank of the deceased in the Afterlife.
Sadaqah Jariya, continuous charity, is a concept which is also closely linked with Isaal Al Sawaab and is one of the most common and effective forms of Isaal Al Sawaab. Sadaqah Jariya is continuous charity that a person benefits from in perpetuity as opposed to a single act of goodness which has a ‘one off’ reward. Some examples of such charity are building a Masjid or paying for the installation of a water pump that will quench the thirst of all the people that will drink from it. Such good deeds will continue to be rewarded as long as the Masjid is utilised or people continue to drink water from the water pump. Many people engage in acts of Sadaqah Jariya on behalf of deceased loved ones with the intention that the deceased will benefit from such acts in perpetuity. For example, a person may contribute to the construction of a Masjid and give the donation in the name of their deceased mother, and as long as the Masjid is prayed in, the mother of the donor will continue to receive reward in the Afterlife.
Allah Almighty gives those people who are alive plenty of opportunity to seek His pleasure through good actions and worship and in His infinite Mercy He also allows a multitude of people to benefit from the reward of our humble actions, even into their Afterlife. May we all dedicate our lives to actions that benefit ourselves and other Muslims.