Q: imaam, I appreciate the clarity you bring at graveyard on many accasions about what is to be read/not read, done/not done. I also appreciate it when you tell families to make own duas beccuze their duas are more likely to be accepted due to their sabr. Although not at first.

You also mentioned something about the soul. I want to know does the soul of the dead visit the home they died inn? Does it come to the home of the dead on Thursday night? ask for money? Ask the son to go for hajj? Can we pray fard for them that they did not perform and pray ours later in life?

A: According to salman Farsi (RA) (kibat al-ruh, p 173) ‘… the soul of the mumin (believer) lives in purgatory (place between earth and the hereafter.) He (RA) also makes mention that the soul roams wherever it pleases (with Divine Decree.)’

To assume that souls only visit particular people on particular days of the year or a given day of the week remains incorrect. Souls do not make demands for one to go for hajj, distribute money to the poor on their behalf, etc. None of this is found within the confinement of authentic Ahadith. To ignore these ‘demands of the soul’ would not create injustice towards the soul or the deceased. Giving voluntary charity, etc. and requesting a transfer of the reward (sawab) to the deceased has been viewed as rewarding to the deceased and the living (See the works of Allahmah Nawawi).

Hadith alluding to the souls visiting on particular nights should be viewed with caution and a prohibition can be placed on its blind acceptance so as to correct people’s belief (aqeedah.)

Should accepting Ahadith that rewards praying at particular times limit praying of the fard, also doing any additional deed that would create an addition to the religion and leads to a category of that which is going to be viewed as new obligatory motions, then in such a situation it would be best to abstain from such functions — although permissible at times. To leave out the fard intentionally is forbidden. One cannot transfer fard reward to anyone. To leave out any fard and thereafter fix particular days to recite portions of the Quran, etc. would remain a reprehensible action as well.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.

(p.s. we do not edit spelling of questions sent, kind check before sending off. In fact, i do not edit at all. Kindly excuse typos within my response as well. You all are welcome to correct.)

p.s. You cannot pray fard for anyone else!