['Aalim Network QR] Qur'an Khwanee

[abbas@dircon.co.uk (Abbas Jaffer)]

________________________________________________________________________
|                          w           w     w                          |\
|                           ||          ||   | ||                       |\
|                    o_,_7 _||  . _o_7 _|| 4_|_||  o_w_,                |\
|                   ( :   /    (_)    /           (   .                 |\
|                                                                       |\
|           ||  ||         |  ||   |T              |     | ||    |      |\
|   . _, _8 |_D_|| . _,_,_,_D_|| 4_|| q ]_o_7_o   _|_c 4_|_||   _|,_p q |\
|  (_): /         (_): . :            /        (_S           (_S      / |\
|                                                                       |\
|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
|_______________________________________________________________________|\

The question below was kindly answered by Brother Hamid Mavani.

Regards

Abbas Jaffer
Acting Moderator - ABDG-A.

...................................................................

Question:

In Afghanistan, Paksitan and India, Muslims, Sh'ii and Sunni recite Qur'an
for the deceased when they pass away. Now this tradition is called Qur'an
Khwanee. 
I understand it was never practiced by Ahlul-bayt.

So if there is no Islamic justification for it (other than reciting prescribed
suras like surah fatiha) is it bid'a (innovative) to do such a thing, or
mukrooh or halal?

......................................................................

Answer:

There are many hadith reports that exhort believers to recite
the Qur'an and perform other good deeds for the benefit of the
departed soul, especially on Thursday night and Friday.  These texts
are found in both the Shi'a and Sunni sources and thus there is no
credence to the claim that this practice is a bid'ah (innovation).
It is recommended to recite the Qur'an as much as possible and in
different situations.  Ayatullah Fadlullah was asked if it is
permitted to recite verses of the Qur'an during istibra or istinja
(i.e. in the bathroom) to which he replied that it is permissible,
on the basis that recitation of Qur'an is recommended at all times
and in all states.  (Masa'il-ul-Fiqhiyya, p. 41.)

In some Shi'a Imambaras they have instituted the practice of not
reciting Surah al-Fatiha or Surah Yasin for the deceased if it
coincides with the date of the martyrdom or birth anniversary of
the ahl-ul-bayt (a.s.).  Such a practice has no basis in Islam
and needs to be discarded through proper education.

wa bi-l-laahi-t-tawfiq,

Hamid Mavani