By Shaikh Ahmad Kutty

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“And those who came after them say: ‘Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith.’” (Q 59:10)

1. A Living Tradition of Mercy

When death visits a home, hearts instinctively turn toward the Qur’an. Its verses become both comfort and supplication—a bridge of mercy between the living and the departed. For centuries Muslims have gathered to recite these divine words over their loved ones who have returned to their Lord, seeking peace for their souls and renewal of faith for their own hearts.

Far from being a recent innovation, this practice is anchored in the classical heritage of Islam. Scholars such as Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn al-Qayyim, Imām al-Nawawī, Ibn Qudāmah, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Ḥajar, and Ibn Rajab affirmed that reciting the Qur’an for the deceased constitutes ṣadaqah jāriyah—ongoing charity that continues to bless both reader and recipient.

2. Prophetic Foundations of Continuing Reward

“When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1631)

Although the ḥadīth does not mention Qur’an recitation explicitly, classical exegetes placed it under ʿilm nāfiʿ (beneficial knowledge) and ṣadaqah jāriyah. Reciting the Qur’an is worship filled with divine light; when one gifts its reward to another, that light becomes intercession and mercy in the grave.

“A good word is like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches reach the sky; it yields its fruit at all times by its Lord’s leave.” (Q 14:24–25)