may give it to someone else, or, if he prefers, keep it for himself. This was the position our shaykh preferred and considered the strongest.

As for citing the ḥadīth, “When the son of Adam dies, his deeds come to an end…,” that proof is untenable, for the Prophet ﷺ did not say, “his benefit comes to an end.” The cessation of the deed is one thing, the arrival of benefit to him is something else entirely.

As for the argument that, were a person benefited by another’s deeds, he would likewise be benefited by another’s repentance or declaration of Islam on his behalf—the answer is that this conflates matters Allah has separated, just as it would be to equate usury with lawful trade, or carrion with a properly slaughtered animal.

With respect to acts of worship, they fall into two categories: those that allow representation and those that do not. On what basis do you make this distinction? Fasting has been sanctioned on behalf of the deceased even though fasting, by its nature, admits no proxy; and in collective obligations, if a sufficient number perform the duty, it is waived for the rest.

After an extensive examination and debate, Ibn al-Qayyim affirmed that the reward of every righteous deed may be conveyed from a living person to someone who has died—or even to another living person. May Allah have mercy on him.