What Can I Do for My Parents Now That They Are Gone?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
My parents passed away 25 years ago. I feel like I did not do anything good for them when they were alive and haven’t done anything for them after they passed away. I feel very guilty and it bothers me a lot.
What can I do for them now?
Answer
Thank you for your question. Don’t let guilt eat away at you, and do what you can now. Be a continuing charity for them, and you will find blessings from your sincerity, in sha Allah.
Hadith
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), “When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three: A continuing charity, knowledge that others benefited from, and a righteous son who supplicates for him.” [Tirmidhi]
He also said, (Allah bless him and give him peace), “The finest act of goodness is the kind treatment of a person to the loved ones of his father after his death.” [Muslim]
What You Can Do
Among the actions that you can do now that will bring some benefit to your parents are:
(1) Ensure that their property is correctly distributed according to Islamic inheritance laws;
(2) Praying for their salvation and the forgiveness of their sins;
(3) Being good to the ones they loved, by calling or visiting them;
(4) Giving charity on their behalf, such as sponsoring an orphan;
(5) Reading Qur’an, fasting, performing hajj or `umrah, and even performing salah on their behalf.
Related:
Donating Reward to the Dead: A Detailed Answer
Presentation of the Deeds of the Living to the Deceased and Martyrs and their Ranks
Can My Deceased Mother See Me At Her Grave?
The Rights of the Parents: Attaining Honor by Serving One’s Parents
Charity done on behalf of the deceased?
An Opportunity for Sadaqah Jariyah – Endless Charity, Endless Rewards⠀
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
