As for the Qur’an, He says: “And those who come after them say, ‘Our Lord, forgive us…’” (al-Hashr 59:10), and so forth.
In Sunan Abū Dāwūd (3199) it is reported from Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When you perform the funeral prayer over the deceased, devote sincere supplication to him.”
Muslim (974) relates that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to teach them that when they went out to the graveyards they should say, “Peace be upon you…,” and so on.
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The reward of charity reaches the deceased, as shown in al-Bukhārī (1388) and Muslim (1004) from the ḥadīth of ʿĀ’ishah concerning the man who said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “My mother has died without leaving a will; will she receive a reward if I give charity on her behalf?” He replied, “Yes.”
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The reward of fasting reaches the deceased, as in the ḥadīth of ʿĀ’ishah recorded by al-Bukhārī (1952): “Whoever dies while owing fasts, his guardian should fast on his behalf.” Al-Bukhārī (1953) and Muslim (1148) likewise narrate from Ibn ʿAbbās: “A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, my mother has died and she owed a month of fasting; shall I make it up for her?’ He said, ‘Yes. Allah’s debt is more deserving of being settled.’”
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The reward of pilgrimage reaches the deceased, as in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (7315) from Ibn ʿAbbās: “A woman said, ‘Messenger of Allah, my mother vowed to perform ḥajj but did not do so before she died; may I perform it on her behalf?’ He said, ‘Perform ḥajj for her, for Allah is most entitled to what is fulfilled.’”
He—may Allah have mercy on him—said: These texts, taken together, prove beyond doubt that the reward of acts of worship reaches the deceased when a living person performs them on his behalf. What verse, analogy, or juristic principle could allow the transfer of one kind of reward while preventing another? By pure analogy the reward of every act may reach him: the recompense belongs to the doer, and if he gifts it to his Muslim brother nothing prevents its transfer—just as nothing prevents him from gifting property during his lifetime or waiving a debt that is owed to him thereafter.