Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamu alaikum brother Burhan

I hope you are well. Please tell me if the practice of a gathering on a death date to pray and read the surah fatiha is permissible. Also, are we allowed to donate organs and blood?

Thank you in advance

Allah Hafiz

Tania

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Fateha on dead

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Your Question: Please tell me if the practice of a gathering on a death date to pray and read the surah fatiha is permissible.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 1 Surah Al-Fatihah verses 1-7:

1        In the name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful.

2        Praise be to Allah the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.

3        Most Gracious Most Merciful.

4        Master of the Day of Judgment.

5        Thee do we worship and Thine aid we seek.

6        Show us the straight way.

7        The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace; those whose (portion) is not wrath and who go not astray.

 

Dear and beloved sister in Islam, first and foremost, if one reads the meaning of the above quoted Surah Al-Fatihah, one would immediately realize that the Surah is a supplication wherin who is alive makes to his/her Lord Most Gracious, beseeching and imploring Him to show us the Straight Path that leads to His Grace and Mercy.  Why someone would recite the Surah Al-Fatihah for the deceased defies logic and common sense, to say the least.

 

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (saws) said: 

'When a person dies all his good deeds cease except for three:

1. Sadaqa Jaariya. (continuous acts of charity. ie. a person who did or spent something in the way of Allah and people are still benefiting from it. Things like mosques, orphanages, wells, planting of trees and the like, which outlive the person who died and benefiting the ummah.)
2. Ilm un Naafe'ah.(beneficial knowledge. ie. a person who spread knowledge of Islam and people are still benefiting from it after his death. Things like lectures, writing books, good advice he gave to people, or any other knowledge of Islam that the person helped in spreading the word of Allah.)
3. Ibn us Saleh. (righteous children who pray for him. ie. his children who regularly pray to Allah to forgive their father/mother who died.)’

Related by Muslim and Abu Dawood.

 

Secondly, in light of the above absolutely clear guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws), the records of the deceased are sealed except for the three things listed; and Allah is our witness sister, the gathering of people on the death anniversary or the recitation of the Glorious Quran for the deceased is not amongst the three listed things which benefit the deceased.

 

Thirdly sister, for any act or rite or ritual to be acceptable to the Lord as worship, it is absolutely imperative that it be endorsed by the Messenger of Allah (saws).

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 21:

There is indeed the best example for you to follow in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

 

Many amongst the noble companions and even amongst the Prophet’s (saws) own family died during his own lifetime, but Allah is our witness sister, there is absolutely no evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (saws) would commemorate the death anniversary of any of his loved ones, or gather people specifically for that day, or feed people specifically in commemoration of that day, or even recite the Holy Quran specifically for that occasion! 

 

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) did not endorse such a gathering on the death anniversary of his loved ones, then it is absolutely obvious that such a gathering or commemoration is neither a part nor a practice of Islam….and an act of worship which is not endorsed by Allah and His Messenger (saws) thus has to be an innovation in the pure and perfect deen of Islam…and every single innovation in the deen of Islam is an error and a grave sin in the Sight of the Lord Most High.

 

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘If somebody innovates something which is not present in our religion, then that thing will be rejected.’

Related by Bukhari.

 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515  Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion),  he will be responsible for it.   If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion),  he is cursed by Allah,  by His Angels,  and by all the people.”

 

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885     Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon:  “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran;  and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws).   The most evil affairs are the innovations,  and every innovation is an error.”

 

The commemoration of a death (or birth) anniversary is not from amongst the established practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws), but rather it is an innovation which has unfortunately crept into the deen of Islam….and the believers must reject and abstain from following any innovation in the pure and perfect deen of Islam, if indeed they sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day.

 

Your Question: Also, are we allowed to donate organs and blood?

The Holy Quran and Sunnah are silent on the above issues, as blood or organ transplants were obviously made available only after the advancements of technology and modern medicine,  which were not available at the time the Quran was being revealed.    The scholars in Islam have debated on this issue in light of the principles of the Quran and Sunnah,  and the majority of them are of the opinion that there is no harm if one donates one blood or body parts to another, provided some conditions are met.

1. One cannot be forced to donate one’s blood or body parts.
2. One may donate his blood or body parts of his own free will.
3. One should not sell or get any material benefit for donating his blood or his body parts.

 

Some scholars though,  have voiced their opinion saying that it is forbidden to donate one’s body parts to another.   Their ‘daleel’ or argument is that man is not the inherent owner of his own body,   as the body was only give to man as a trust from Allah Subhanah,  Who is the Real Owner of everything.  Therefore it is not permissible to distribute something which does not belong to man in the first place.

 

The majority of the scholars are of the opinion that if one does it of his own free will,  and does not demand or get any material benefit from it, there is no harm in donating one’s blood or body parts to another.

 

And Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan