Fatwa ID: 05203
Answered by: Mufti Eunus Ali
Question
Question 1
If instead of sending reward to one person I send the reward to all Ummah, is it permissible then why instead of sending reward to all Ummah we are encouraged to do isaal/deeds for our parents or relatives instead of saying send the reward to all Ummah and all will receive the same reward including the person who does the action? Could you please clarify?
Question 2
If after reaching Jannah every person will be 100% happy and satisfied and will receive whatever he wants. Then why sometimes it is mentioned person will have only grief in Jannah of only that time which he had spent without the zikr of Allah when he/she will see the status in Jannah due to amaal. If he has 100% happy then why sadness.
The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The people of Paradise will not have any regrets except for those moments in which they were not engaged in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah.”
[Saheeh, related by lbnus-Sunnee in ‘Aml al-Yawmawal-Laylah (no.3). Refer to Saheehul-Jaami’ no.5446]
Question 3
Also, we are asked to do a lot of amaal to get high status in Jannah . Mufti sb even if we are in lower Jannah and 100% happy then what is the difference of having high status if in lower Jannah you never feel any inferiority.
Question 4
We know if you person does sincere towba/repentance then Allah forgives all his/her sins though rights of others need to be fulfilled. If just sitting at home in my heart if I do the sincere repentance surely Allah forgives then why we hear then like umrah removes all your sins, reading salaat tasbeeh removes your sins etc. like other nafal amaals which needs a lot of efforts we are asked to do to get our sins forgiven.
In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Answer 1:
Sa’d Bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him), Umm Sa’d (mother of the narrator) has died; what form of sadaqah is best? He replied: Water (is best). He dug a well and said: It is for Umm Sa’d. (Sunan Abu Dawood: 1681)
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) has narrated that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon Him) has stated: When anyone of you offers optional charity, then he should make it on behalf of his parents as they will receive the reward of it and nothing will be decreased from his reward. (At-Tabrani as mentioned in Sharhus Sudoor Bisharhi Haalil Mautawal Quboor of Imam As-Suyuti, Page 308, Darul Madani)
Al-Hajjaj Bin Dinar stated that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon be Him) has said: From amongst the good deeds amongst other good deeds, is that you pray for them (parents) along with your prayer, for you to observe fast on behalf of them along with your fast, and for you to offer charity on their behalf along with your charity. (Ibn Abi Shaibah as mentioned in Sharhus Sudoor Bisharhi Haalil Mautawal Quboor of Imam As-Suyuti, Page 309, Darul Madani)
From the above-mentioned Ahadith and similar narrations, we come to know that there is no harm or dislike in specifying individuals when intending to send the reward to them, as the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon Him) and the Sahabi had specified individuals as oppose to mention the whole ummah.
Likewise, if a person wishes to send the reward to the entire ummah he may do so and will see receive a reward equal to the number of people the person intended to send the reward to. (Fatawa Mahmoodiyyah, Volume 9, Page 206, Darul Iftaa Jamiah Faroorqiyyah)
Answer 2:
The regret of the people of Jannah which is being referred to in the Hadith will take place on the day of Judgement when they will be rewarded for those moments in which they had remembered Allah, whilst they will express regret for those moments that had elapsed without the remembrance of Allah as they will not receive any reward for it. This however will not be in Jannah, as Jannah is a place of peace and bliss. (Faidhul Qadir Sharh Al-Jami As-Sagheer, Volume 5, Page 390, Darul Ma’arifah & Urdu translation and commentary of Ibn Sinas: Amalul Yawm Wal Laylah by Maulana Irshad Ahmed Farooqi, Page 29, Zamzam Publishers)
Answer 3:
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The lowest in rank among you in Paradise would be asked: Desire (whatever you like). And he would express his desire and again and again express a desire. He would be asked: Have you expressed your desire? He would say: Yes. Then He (Allah) would say: For thee is (granted) what thou desirest, and the like of it along with it. (Saheeh Muslim:182)
If the lowest in rank is given all that he desires and more, it is then not possible for our minds to comprehend what is prepared for the people of Jannah in the higher ranks. (Mirqatul Mafatih, Volume 10, Page 298, Maktabah Rasheediyyah)
The higher one is in ranks the closer one will be to Allah. (Hadil ArwahIla Biladil Afrah, Page 78, Darul Hadith)
Just as one would make an effort to do the best they can to achieve high marks and a good result in an exam as this would open the door to better opportunities and lead to a better job etc, one should make an effort to achieve a high ranking in Jannah as the reward is unimaginable.
To further elaborate this Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates the Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Allah said, “I have prepared for My Pious slave’s things which have never been seen by an eye, or heard by an ear, or imagined by a human being.” If you wish, you can recite this Verse from the Holy Qur’an:–“No soul knows what is kept hidden for them, of joy as a reward for what they used to do.” (Saheeh Bukhari: 3244)
In conclusion, Jannah is an uncharted territory that cannot be comprehended by the human mind; hence our main goal should in achieving the highest rank possible.
Answer 4:
Allah has stated:O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent.” (Surah At-Tahreem:8)
Commenting on the above verse, Saeed bin Jubair (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated: “sincere repentance” is the accepted repentance and repentance will not be accepted until 3 conditions are met:
1. Fear that the repentance may have not been accepted.
2. Hope that the repentance has been accepted.
3. The continuation of obedience/good deeds. (Tafseer Qurtubi, Volume 9, Page 421, Darul Hadith)
Furthermore, Allah has stated: The forgiver of sin, acceptor of repentance, severe in punishment, owner of abundance. There is no deity except Him; to Him is the destination. (Surah Al-Mu’min: 3)
In this verse, Allah has informed us that he is both the acceptor of repentance and severe in punishment so that we remain between fear and hope and do not become content with our actions. (Tafseer Ibn Kathir, Volume 4, Page 84, Darul Hadith)
In conclusion, tawbah should be made as much as possible; whilst at the same time, one should not suffice and become content with only that, as there is no guarantee that it has been accepted. Rather, one should strengthen their tawbah with those good deeds regarding which the Prophet (peace be upon Him) has informed us that they expiate sins.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Mufti Eunus Ali
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
