Fatwa ID: 07703
Answered by Maulana Abdoullah limvoonheek
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum sheikh.
My parents passed away some time ago but they were not Muslim. Alhamdulillah Allah guided me to Islam. My question is, can I make dua for them and ask Allah to forgive them?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Wa alaikumus salaam
It is very important to honour and respect one’s parents. We learn from the incident of Ibrahim عليه السلام that even when one’s parent is a disbeliever, we should still respect and honour them.
However if it comes to disobeying Allah, then one should not listen to one’s parents. In the hadith it is mentioned: “Hearing and obeying is required from every Muslim man – in what he likes and what he dislikes – as long as he is not ordered with disobedience. If he is ordered with disobedience, then no hearing or obeying is required of him.”
Thus when one’s parents are still alive, one should make dua for them whether they are believers or not. Mostly for the disbelieving parents to be blessed with imaan. We are ordered to do so in the Quran (Surah Isra ayah 24):
“and submit yourself before them in humility out of compassion and say, My Lord, be merciful to them as they have brought me up in my childhood.”
But if they are deceased, then dua can be made only for a Muslim. We cannot make dua for a disbeliever which is the consensus of the Muslim ummah and the established stand where Allah says (Surah Taubah ayah 84):
“And never offer a prayer on any one of them who dies, and do not stand by his grave. They disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were sinners.”
The same is clearly mentioned also from the Quran (Surah Taubah ayah 113):
“It is not for the Prophet and the believers to seek forgiveness for the Mushriks, even if they are kinsmen, after it became clear to them that they are the people of hell.”
Therefore we come to the conclusion that one is not allowed to make dua for disbelieving deceased parents.
Hope this answers the question.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdoullah limvoonheek
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
Reference:
Mariful Quran surah Isra ayah 24
وَاخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُلْ رَّبِّ ارۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيٰنِىۡ صَغِيۡرًا
Mariful Quran surah Taubah ayah 84 & 113
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلٰٓى اَحَدٍ مِّنۡهُمۡ مَّاتَ اَبَدًا وَّلَا تَقُمۡ عَلٰى قَبۡرِهٖ ؕ اِنَّهُمۡ كَفَرُوۡا بِاللّٰهِ وَرَسُوۡلِهٖ وَمَاتُوۡا وَهُمۡ فٰسِقُوۡنَ
مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِىِّ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡاۤ اَنۡ يَّسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡا لِلۡمُشۡرِكِيۡنَ وَ لَوۡ كَانُوۡۤا اُولِىۡ قُرۡبٰى مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمۡ اَنَّهُمۡ اَصۡحٰبُ الۡجَحِيۡمِ
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ فِيمَا أَحَبَّ وَكَرِهَ مَا لَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَإِنْ أُمِرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَلاَ سَمْعَ عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ طَاعَةَ ”
Sunan Tirmidhi hadith 1707
