Isal al-Thawab in the Customary Manner

Question

The customary fatiha, the method of which is this: food or sweets are placed, some surahs and verses are recited, and the reward is conveyed to the deceased; and in some methods particular dates, months, place, food and so on are also specified. For example, the kunde of Imam Ja‘far Sadiq (a ritual food offering in earthen bowls) is held on the 22nd of Rajab, and its method is this: an unused, brand-new earthen bowl is taken, filled with halwa (a sweet dish of semolina or flour cooked in ghee)

Answer

Isal al-thawab in itself — without binding oneself to a date, day, form and the like — by reciting the Holy Qur’an and tasbih, by performing prayer, by fasting, by giving the poor food, clothing, cash and the like, whenever one has the ability, is correct and beneficial according to the Shari‘a; whereas the forms set out in the question are bid‘a and impermissible.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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