“Indeed...
“Indeed, two small units of prayer which you consider insignificant is more lovable to the inhabitant of this grave than your world in its entirety.”[^3] The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said: إِنَّ الْهَدَايَا لِلأَمْوَاتِ الدُّعَاءُ وَ الإِسْتِغْفَارُ.
“Indeed, the gifts [from the living] for the dead are du‘ā’ (supplication) and istighfār (seeking forgiveness of the sins of the dead).”[^4] Imām ‘Alī al-Ridā (as) is reported to have said: مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ زَارَ قَبْرَ مُؤْمِنٍ فَقَرَأَ عَلَيْهِ إِنّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ إِلاََّ غَفَرَ اللٌّهُ لَهُ وَ لِصَاحِبِ الْقَبْرِ.
“Whosoever of God’s servants visits the grave of a beliver, and recites seven times “ Innā anzalnāhu fī laylati’l qadr [...] ” Allāh would forgive him and the inhabitant of the grave.”[^5] and [^6] The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said: مَنْ مَرَّ عَلَى الْمَقَابِرِ فَقَرَأَ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ مَرَّةً وَوَهَبَ أَجْرَهُ لِلأَمْوَاتِ أُعْطِيَ مِنَ الأَجْرِ بِعَدَدِ الأَمْوَاتِ.
“Whosoever passes by the graves and recites Qul Huwallāhu Ahad 11 times and gifts its reward to the deceased, he is granted a reward proportional to the number of the dead.”[^7] Imām Ja’far al-Sādiq (as) is reported[^8] to have said: تَدْخُلُ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ فِي قَبْرِهِ الصَّلاةُ وَالصَّوْمُ وَالْحَجُّ وَالصَّدَقَةُ وَالْبِرُّ وَالدُّعَاءُ وَيُكْتَبُ أَجْرُهُ لِلَّذِي فَعَلَهُ وَ لِلْمَيِّتِ.
“Prayers, Fasting, Hajj, Sadaqa, good deeds and Du‘ā’ reach the dead in his grave, and their reward is written for [both] the doer and the deceased.” Imām Ja’far al-Sādiq (as) is reported ^9 to have said: مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَنِ مَيِّتٍ عَمَلَ [عَمَلاً] خَيْرٍ أَضْعَفَ اللٌّهُ لَهُ أَجْرَهُ وَنَفَعَ اللٌّهُ بِهِ الْمَيِّتَ.
“Whosoever among the Muslims does a good act for a dead person, Allāh rewards him manifold and makes the dead benefit from the same.” Therefore, as we pray for the deceased to attain happiness in the intermediate realm ( barzakh ), we should also make efforts to act on the means of their happiness as taught to us and humbly pray to Almighty Allāh to accept our deeds. The late Āyatullāh Shihāb al-Dīn Mar’ashī in his last will[^10] gave some thought provoking advice to his son.
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