Is it permissible to include my parents (the deceased father and the illiterate mother) in the reward of reciting the Quran and seeking forgiveness by saying "Astaghfirullah" (I ask Allah for forgiveness) a specific number of times, with the intention of the reward going to my deceased parents?
The scholars unanimously agree that the deceased benefits from charity given on their behalf. This is based on the hadith of the man who asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about giving charity on behalf of his deceased mother, and he permitted him to do so. However, scholars have differed regarding dedicating the reward of physical acts of worship, such as prayer and reciting the Qur'an, to the deceased. The Malikis and Shafi'is held that it is not permissible, while the Hanafis and Hanbalis considered it permissible. The preponderant opinion is that it is permissible to dedicate the reward of all acts of worship, and this is the view favored by An-Nawawi, Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Abi Al-Izz Al-Hanafi, and Ibn Taymiyyah. Therefore, it is permissible to recite the Qur'an and seek forgiveness and dedicate the reward thereof to one's parents.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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