Arguments Against Isal al-Thawab

Question

(1) Has the religion of Islam permitted isal al-thawab (gifting reward) or not? If it is permissible, and [a person] recites one surah and gifts [its reward] to many deceased, will all the deceased receive equally the reward of one [whole] surah, or according to [their] share? (2) A certain person calls isal al-thawab a bid‘a (innovation in religion) and, as proof, presents the following hadiths and verses. Is this correct? (1) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never gifted anyone the reward of even a single verse. (2)

Answer

(1) [ar]إن الإنسان له أن يجعل ثواب عمله لغيره صلاة أو صومًا أو صدقة أو غيرها عند أهل السنة والجماعة[/ar] “A person, according to Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama‘a, may make the reward of his deed [belong] to another — be it prayer, fasting, charity or something else” (al-Hidaya, vol. 1, p. 276).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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