Some people in our village bring together some shaykhs who know how to read Qur’aan well, and they read Qur’aan on the grounds that this Qur’aan will benefit the deceased and bring mercy to him. Some others invite one or two shaykhs to read at the grave of a particular person, and others organize big gatherings where they invite one of the famous readers to read over loudspeakers, to commemorate the anniversary of a loved one’s death. What is the Islamic ruling on that? Does reading Qur’aan at the graveside or elsewhere benefit the deceased? What is the best way to benefit the dead? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you greatly on our behalf, and we thank you very much.

Praise be to Allaah. 

This action is bid’ah (reprehensible innovation) and is not
permissible, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever innovates
anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) that is not a part of
it, will have it rejected.” (Saheeh – agreed upon). And he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does anything
that is not a part of this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) will have it
rejected.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh). And there are
many similar ahaadeeth.  

It is not the Sunnah of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or the way of his rightly-guided
successors (the Khulafaa’ al-Raashideen – may Allaah be pleased with
them) to read Qur’aan over graves or to have gatherings to commemorate
the anniversary of a person’s death. All goodness is to be found in
following the Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his rightly-guided successors,
and those who followed their path, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):

“And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar
and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allaah is well-pleased
with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them
Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever.
That is the supreme success” [al-Tawbah 9:100]  

And the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “I urge you to adhere to my way (Sunnah)
and the way of the rightly-guided Khulafaa’ who come after me. Adhere
to it and bite onto it with your eyeteeth (i.e. cling firmly to it).
Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is
an innovation and every innovation is a going-astray.” And it was reported
in a saheeh hadeeth that he (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in a Friday khutbah: “The
best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the
guidance of Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). The most evil of things are those
which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going-astray.” And
there are many similar ahaadeeth. 

According to the saheeh ahaadeeth, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained the things that
will benefit the Muslim after he dies. He
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When a man dies,
all his good deeds come to a halt, apart from three: ongoing charity
(sadaqah jaariyah); beneficial knowledge; or a righteous
child who will pray for him.” (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh).
A man asked the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “O Messenger of Allaah, is there
anything that I can do to continue honouring my parents after they die?”
He (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “Yes: pray for them, ask for forgiveness for them,
fulfil their last wishes (wasiyah or will), honour their friends and
uphold the ties of kinship which you would not have were it not for
them.” The last wishes (wasiyah or will) expressed by the person before
he or she died should be fulfilled so long as they are in accordance
with sharee’ah. Other ways of honouring one’s parents is to give in
charity on their behalf, to make du’aa’ for them and to perform Hajj
and ‘Umrah on their behalf. And Allaah is the Source of strength.