Reciting the Qul Surahs at a Communal Gathering, and Fatiha

Question

If giving the fatiha is correct, then in what manner? And what is the ruling on giving the fatiha in this manner: food is placed on a plate and water in a glass or the like in front of one person, hands are raised, salawat, Surah al-Fatiha and Surah al-Ikhlas are recited, and then that food is fed to children — is this permissible or not? Please explain with references to reliable books. And what is the ruling on reciting the “qul” surahs at a communal gathering for the deceased, the khatm and the like?

Answer

This method is baseless in the Sacred Law, a bid‘a (innovation in religion), impermissible and to be abandoned. The method of conveying reward that accords with the Sacred Law is this: one performs prayer, keeps a fast, gives some poor person food, clothing or anything else, and then supplicates: “O Allah, convey the reward of this to such-and-such a person.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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