An infidel sending reward (esal-e-sawab) to a deceased Muslim
An infidel sending reward (esal-e-sawab) to a deceased Muslim
Question: My brother has passed away. One of his students, a Hindu, has given five hundred rupees to have the Quran recited for the forgiveness of my brother's soul. What should be done?
Answer: For the reward to reach the deceased, the doer of the action must first receive the reward, and for the reward to reach the doer, faith is a prerequisite. Therefore, the infidel's action (of giving and spending) cannot result in the reward reaching the deceased. Even if it were possible for the reward of Quran recitation to reach the deceased, it is established that reciting the Quran for payment does not result in any reward.
In the given situation, if the student insists, the only possible solution is that the student transfers the ownership of the five hundred rupees to a Muslim, and that Muslim gives the money to a deserving person and sends the reward to the deceased. However, after the ownership is transferred, the Muslim has the option to keep the money himself and not give it to anyone, including the deserving person.
(Jami'-ul-Fatawa, Volume: 3, Page: 317).