Back to search

What is the ruling on praying two rak'ahs in Al-Aqsa Mosque for those who cannot reach it from Islamic countries?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

No one is permitted to pray on behalf of another, neither a obligatory (fard) nor a supererogatory (nafl) prayer. However, it is permissible to dedicate the reward of prayer to the deceased. This is the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah (the People of the Sunnah and the Community), and it is established that this benefits the deceased. It has been authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded giving charity and fasting on behalf of the deceased. Ahmad, Abu Hanifa, and a group of Maliki and Shafi'i scholars have affirmed the permissibility of dedicating the reward of financial and physical acts of worship to the deceased. Most Maliki and Shafi'i scholars hold that this is permissible only for financial acts of worship. Nevertheless, it was not the practice of the Salaf (early Muslims) to dedicate the reward of their prayers, fasting, Hajj, or recitations to the deceased. Rather, they performed acts of worship for themselves, while making supplications and giving charity on behalf of the deceased. This is the preferable and more complete approach. The Hanbalis held the view that it is permissible to dedicate the reward to both the living and the deceased.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy