Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Ḥadīth [1631] – When the Human Being Dies..

The author, may Allāh shower blessings on him, recorded this ḥadīth under the chapter on the virtue of knowledge which is learnt and taught for the sake of Allāh. Abū Hurayrah, may Allāh be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except from three things: ceaseless charity, a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous child who prays for him (for the deceased)”

This ḥadīth encourages one to amass righteous actions because one does not know when death will overtake one. So he should accumulate righteous actions to increase him in rank and reward before Allāh, Blessed be He and most High, before the actions will come to an end. It is well known that none of us know when he will die: “No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die.” [Al-Qurān (31: 34)]

So if the issue is like this, a sane person will seize the opportunity of his living to obey Allāh, the Mighty and Sublime, before death approaches him. Then he would not benefit from admonition or repentance.

His saying: “His deeds come to an end” encompasses all deeds. Once he dies, nothing will be recorded for him or against him because he is transiting to the abode of recompense from the abode of action, which is the present life. Thereafter comes reward for all deeds except these three:

Ṣadaqah Jāriyah, a ceaseless charity: That is, a person gives out charity with something that persists, and the best of such is masajid. Building a masjid is a ceaseless charity because the rewards of its builders continue as long the masjid remains, day and night, and the Muslims perform their ṣalāt, recite the Qurān, learn and teach knowledge in the masjid. Another example of a ceaseless charity is a person establishing an endowment for a housing project or similar projects to cater for the needs of the poor, needy, the students of knowledge and those striving in the way of Allāh.

Another form of ceaseless charity if publishing a beneficial book for the Muslims to read and benefit from, be it contemporary works or classical works. The important point is that it should be a valuable book that will benefit the Muslims after him.

Likewise, repairing roads is a form of ceaseless charity. If a person repairs a road, frees it of harm and people continuously benefit from this, it is also a charity. The basic principle for ceaseless charity is, “Every righteous action that persists after the death of its initiator.”

As for the second, “a knowledge which is beneficial.” This is the most comprehensive and beneficial of them. That a person should bequeath a body of knowledge which benefits the Muslims irrespective of its mode of transmission, oral or written. Authoring of books, teaching people and people conferring on this knowledge, as long as it lasts the reward of the teacher will continue because people are benefitting from this knowledge which he bequeathed.

The third is, “a virtuous child who prays for him.” A child encompasses both male and female. It comprises of your biological sons or daughters, your grandchildren, male and female, until the end of the line of descent. A person will be rewarded for the supplication of a righteous child after his death.

Consider the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) stated: “A virtuous child who prays for him.” He did not say, “A righteous child who observes ṣalāt, recites the Qurān, give in charity of fast for him.”

No, He didn’t say this even though all of them are righteous deeds; rather, he (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said, “A righteous child who prays for him.” This is evidence that supplicating for one’s father, mother, paternal and maternal grandparents is better than giving charity, performing the ṣalāt and fasting on their behalf. This is because it is not possible for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) to direct his ummah except to that which he knows is best for them. Every Prophet (peace be upon him) sent by Allāh guided his ummah towards what he knows to be the best for them. If the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) had known that your giving charity on behalf of your father and mother is better than supplication, he would have said charity rather than supplication. So since he refrained from mentioning charity, fasting, ṣalāt, recitation of the Qurān in a state of discussing deeds, he would not have left these actions to mention supplication. Then, we know with certainty, with no doubt, that supplication is better than the other good deeds.

If a questioner were to ask us about giving charity on behalf of his father or supplicating for him, we will say that supplication is better because this is the directive of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). He (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said, “or a virtuous child who prays for him.” It is amazing that the masses believe that giving charity, fasting for a day, reciting from the Qurān and other similar acts are superior to making supplication. The origin of this is ignorance. Otherwise, he who ponders over the texts will know that supplication is best. Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) did not utter a single word about the righteous deeds a person dedicates to his father, at all.

Imām Mālik – may Allāh shower blessings on him – stated that there were specific instances whereby a companion would asked him, “Should he give charity on behalf of his dead father or dead mother?” And he said: “Yes, there is no harm.” However, he did not encourage his ummah to this and he did not direct them to it. But he was asked concerning specific problems or issues. Sa’d bin Ubādah – may Allāh be pleased with him asked him if he should give his house in charity on behalf of his mother after her death and the Messenger said: “Yes”. A man came to him and said, “O Messenger of Allāh, my mother died suddenly. Should I give charity on her behalf?” He said, “Yes”. However, when he wanted to legislate a general law for the ummah, he said: “Or a virtuous child who prays for him.”

We ask Allāh to forgive you and us, our parents and the generality of Muslims.

• Reference: [1383 (5/484-487), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]

A thoughtful reflection of this ḥadīth will reveal that the three things are indeed man’s own good deeds which somehow continue to exist even after his death. For example, places like a hospital, a masjid, a religious school and a well built by a man continue to operate like a trust as traces of his activity in earthly life. To quote the Qurān: “And We record that which they send before (them), and their traces [their footsteps and walking on the earth with their legs to the masājid for the five compulsory congregational prayers, jihad (holy fighting in Allah’s Cause) and all other good and evil they did, and that which they leave behind].” [Al-Qurān (36: 12)]. So long as they exist and people benefit from them, the dead person will keep receiving his due reward. The same is pertinent to the spread of knowledge of Islāmic disciplines to people’s moral uplift. For instance, if during his lifetime he wrote books based on Qurān and ḥadīth, advocated the cause of Islām, instructed lots of pupils in Islāmic teachings, it will be counted as an unending activity on his part. To quote a ḥadīth: “The one who called people to adopt the right path will receive reward in the same measure as did those who had the food fortune to follow him.” [Sunan Abī Dāwūd (4609)] Besides, this ḥadīth tells us that, after his death, man will receive reward by the prayers of his virtuous children, and other aḥādīth too confirm it. This clears the issue of sending the fruit of good works to the welfare of a dead person’s soul. Charity or the continual charity from the part of a dead person himself, beneficial (religious) knowledge and prayer are acts of sunnah under this rule. With the exception of these, all other deeds do not benefit the dead. However, if the dead person was under obligation to perform Ḥajj or had missed obligatory or vowed fasts, his heirs are commanded by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) to observe them on his behalf. Because this is like a debt payable by the dead person and his heirs are under obligation to discharge it for him. Yet, this rule is inapplicable to other forms of physical worship.

• Reference: [949 (2/761-762), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]

“His deeds come to an end” means that he does not any longer receive the return and reward on his actions. But there are three categories of actions on which he receives reward even after his death. First, Ṣadaqah Jāriyah such as building a masjid, or a hospital, or digging a well. As long as people will benefit from these, he will receive a reward for them. Second, “knowledge which is beneficial” means to impart knowledge to others or to propagate knowledge by means of one’s books. As long as this medium of teaching will continue and his books will be studied and people will benefit from them, he will receive a reward for it. Third, virtuous descendants. Training of children on the right lines is essential so that after a person’s death they continue to pray for him. The prayer of children in favor of parents is highly useful.

• Reference: [1383 (2/1026-1027), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]

Acts like placing properties of “continuous benefit” for the people under charitable trust, building masājid and rest-houses for travelers, disseminating beneficial knowledge, training pupils, writing and publishing books, and engaging in other works of public good are all excellent forms of charitable work. Upbringing children on the principles of the sharī’ah may, however, be considered among the best form of worship.

• Reference: [2880 (3/424-425), Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Dārussalām (Eng)]

1: “Ongoing charity” means such charity which continues to benefit people even after the death of the charity-giver.
2: “Knowledge”: For instance, the books which were written or trained pupils or audio-cassettes, etc.
3: “Righteous son” whom the deceased had trained and educated, and had accustomed them to doing good deeds.

• Reference: [3681 (4/371), Sunan an-Nasā’ī, Dārussalām (Eng)]

Continuing charity is charity the benefit and reward of which continues even after the death of the person. For example, if someone gives property in charity to please Allāh, or does some other deed of charity, like construction of a masjid, or establishes a school, or digs a well for the use of people, it is all continuing charity. Knowledge means preaching, teaching or writing of books for the guidance of people etc., are all deeds of continuing charity.

• Reference: [1376 (3/167-168), Sunan at-Tirmidhī, Dārussalām (Eng)]

That is, the rewards for his deeds cease except from the angles mentioned. This is because they are actions with uninterrupted benefits and since they were from his deeds, he also continuously gets rewarded. Knowledge mentioned here includes beneficial knowledge which he taught and books, beneficial works he wrote, dictated, translated or even edited, for they remain over generations. The ḥadīth shows the virtue of marrying with the intention of having pious children therefrom and actually training the child upon the path of righteousness. Quite unfortunately, many hoard their wealth, giving only little or even nothing in any form of charity in the absurd notion that they are preserving the wealth!

• Reference: [38 (1/41), Al-Adab al-Mufrad, Dakwah Corner Publications (Eng)]

• Sunan Abī Dāwūd (2880)
• Sunan an-Nasā’ī (3651 [3681])
• Sunan at-Tirmidhī (1376)
• Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (203)
• Sunan ad-Dārimī (559 (1/93))
• Musnad Aḥmad (8844 (14/438-439)) ^{[Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūṭ]}
• Musnad Aḥmad (8830 (9/21)) ^{[Aḥmad Shākir]}
• Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Ḥibbān (3016 (7/286))
• Ṣaḥīḥ ibn Khuzaymah (2494 (3/114))
• Shu’ab al-Īmān (3173 (5/121))
• Kitāb ad-Du’ā (1250-1256 (1/1386-1388))
• Musnad Abī Ya’lā (6457 (1/1746))
• Sharḥ as-Sunnah (139 (1/300))
• Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār (246 (1/228))
• Mu’jam ash-Shuyūkh (519 (1/432))
• Al-Adab al-Mufrad (38 (1/26))
• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi’ (793 (1/199))
• Irwā’ al-Ghalīl (1580 (6/28-29))
• Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn (949)
• Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn (1383)

Grade: Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic)