Prayer for the Dead

[JBJ]

To Muslims,

Just a quick question. The Qur'an says that no one can bear the sins of another, but I read a book by a Muslim recounting Muhammad's life and says that right before he died he spent a night praying for deceased Muslims in a cementery. If the prayers don't help them get to heaven, what is their purpose? I'm not implying this is a contradiction, I'm just wondering. Thanks in advance,

JBJ

[JBJ]

Here's another question. Why did Muhammad once put palm leaves over a gravsite to help the two people buried there?

Sahih Bukhari
2.23.443
The Prophet once passed by two graves, and those two persons (in the graves) were being tortured. He said, "They are being tortured not for a great thing (to avoid). One of them never saved himself from being soiled with his urine, while the other was going about with calumnies (to make enmity between friends). He then took a green leaf of a date-palm tree split it into two pieces and fixed one on each grave. The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Why have you done so?" He replied, "I hope that their punishment may be lessened till they (the leaf) become dry."

JBJ

[Lulua]

Assalaamu alaikum ya muslimeen.

Greetings and good day.

First of all, JBJ...I shall address your first question. It is quite certain and clear that the Quran teaches us that each soul will and can bear only it's own sins...and not the sins of others. As well, along this line of thought, it is also part of belief that no soul shall bear the sins of others.

Now...in the prayer for the deceased...it is not that those who are praying for them are taking over the sins of the deceased, but rather that those who are alive and praying for the deceased are pleading with Allah...praying to Him and supplicating to Him that He shall be merciful and forgive the deceased, ease the punishment of the grave, and admit the deceased into Heaven. That is in no way proving or telling that those who are praying are taking the blame for what the deceased did in his lifetime.

Now...as for your second question...that in itself is a bit more deep...and really requires someone with much better knowledge of Islam and Hadith to explain the meaning of the Hadith. But one main thing that I can assure you of that it is not that by doing so (splitting the leaf upon the graves)...the prophet was not issuing example that he was taking over the sins of the deceased...but rather as an example that perhaps the length of time which it would take for the leaf halves to dry and crumble would be the length of time that they would receive respite from the torture of the grave that they were enduring, this respite as a result for the intermission of Mohammed (SAAW) by praying and supplicating to Allah for that remission of their torture for a time.

The basic lesson to be learned from this is that regardless of who prays for the deceased...or regardless of who the deceased was or is...that it is only Allah's mercy which is the interferring channel to release the soul from any enduring torture.

But...the catalyst here was that the living souls have prayed to Allah and pleaded for Him to shed His mercy upon those souls.

Hope that this helps to explain even slightly.

May we all be directed to the truth and that which is best.

Lulua.

[JBJ]

Hi Lulua,

That helps slightly, but I'm still a little confused. I guess my question is, do these prayers and shredding the palm leaves change how God acts? If they don't, then why perform them? If they do, then aren't the actions work that bear the sins? Thanks for the help.

JBJ