A Fabricated Method of Isaale Thawaab Being Propagated

Q: Janaa'iz-34: The monthly Aabe Hayaat (Gujarati journal from Ahmadabad page. 19)contains an article entitled Ziyaarat The article cites a Hadith which it says has been quoted by Mulla Ali Qaari RAH. in Fataawaa Awzjandi. The Hadith states that three days after Rasulullaah SAW. son Hadhrat Ibraheem RADI. passed away, a villager presented some dates, barley bread and camel's milk to Rasulullaah SAW. Rasulullaah SAW. then recited the first five verses of Surah Baqara (until MUFLIHUN), Surah Ikhlaas thrice and then Surah Faatiha. Thereafter, Rasulullaah SAW. raised his hands and made du'aa. He then passed the rewards of the Faatiha and the food on to the soul of his son and instructed Hadhrat Abu Dharr RADI. to distribute the food, is this narration authentic?

Answer: Hadhrat Mulla Ali Qaari RAH. never wrote a book titled Fataawaa Awzjandi. Furthermore the narration quoted has no source and is a fabrication. It is indeed a tragedy that people who perpetrate acts of Bid?ah should stoop to the lever of fabricating Ahadeeth and attributing them to the most truthful Rasulullaah SAW. Merely to bolster their stance, to create mischief and to beguile the unsuspecting public.

Grave is the statement that emerges from their mouths (because it will lead them to Jahannam). They speak only lies. You thought that the matter was trivial, whereas it was grave (a grave sin) in Allaah's sight.

Rasulullaah SAW. said, "The one who purposely lies about me should prepare for his abode in Jahannam.

Rasulullaah SAW. also said, "Towards the end of time liars shall emerge who will bring to you Ahadeeth that neither you nor your forefathers have ever heard before. Guard yourselves against them so that they never cause you to stray and cause you to fall into dispute.

The narration quoted in the question has been fabricated in the year 1857 A.D., after which people have been publishing and distributing it. The grand Mufti of Delhi at the time Allaama Sadrud Deen Khan RAH. and other research scholars of the time declared it to be a fabrication and even stated that Mullaa Ali Qaari RAH. never penned a book titled Fataawaa Awzjandi.

When the said book and narration were mentioned to the scholars of Makkah and Madinah, the Hanafi Mufti Hadhrat Abdullah RAH. the shaafi Mufti Sheikh Muhammad umar RAH., the Mufti of Madinah Allaama Muhammad Ibraheem RAH., the Mufti of Taa'if Allaama Noor Ahmad RAH. and several other Muftis all declared that attributing the narration to Rasulullaah SAW. is a grave sin and slander. They also declared that Hadhrat Mulla Ali Qaari RAH. never wrote a book named Fataawaa Awzjandi.

When asked about the same, Allaama Abdul Hayy Lakhnowi RAH. stated that Hadhrat Mulla Ali Qaari RAH. never wrote a book named Fataawaa Awzjandi and that the narration in question is fabricated and cannot be relied on at all. There is no trace of such a narration in the books of Ahadeeth.

Note the following question posed to Hadhrat Shah Abdul Azeez Muhaddith Dehlawi RAH.:

Q: Janaa'iz-35: Is it permissible to prepare food and pass the rewards on to the soul of Rasulullaah SAW. during Rabee'ul Awwal and to the soul of Hadhrat Husayn RADI. during Muharram?

Answer: A person has the prerogative of passing on the rewards of his deeds to whomsoever he pleases. is however no specific time, day or month for this (Isaale Thawaab). There is however no harm in doing so during times when rewards are multiplied, such as in the month of Ramadhaan (when rewards are multiplied seventy times) because Rasulullaah SAW. has encouraged. this. This has been reported by Hadhrat Ali RADI.. If Rasulullaah SAW. and the Shari'ah have not specified any act or time, it will be futile to do so and also in conflict with the sunnah. Remember that any act that conflicts with the sunnah is Haraam and therefore not permissible. one may give some sadaqah individually and secretly to avoid show but on any day one chooses. Therefore, carrying out such acts on the 3rd, 10th, 12th, 20th and 40th days and annually is not an Islaamic practice and is a result of emulating the ways of the non-Muslims.
And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.3