Moreover, Allah—exalted be He—answers prayers and fulfils needs:

A group went to extremes in this matter and asserted that every deed performed by the living benefits the deceased. They therefore hire Qur’an-reciters to read for the dead. Such a practice benefits neither the deceased nor the living, because the reciter has taken payment for his recitation and therefore earns no reward. In addition, the practice itself is an innovation with no evidence to support it. Glory be to Allah! If the money paid to the reciter were instead given as charity on behalf of the deceased, it would be in accordance with the Sunnah and would benefit the dead. Performed as an innovation, however, it benefits no one; this is the inevitable result of abandoning the Sunnah.

Among Allah’s attributes is that He responds to those who call upon Him. The Almighty says, “And when My servants ask you about Me, indeed I am near; I answer the call of the caller when he calls upon Me” (al-Baqarah 2:186).

Allah has also commanded His servants to supplicate Him, saying, “Call upon Me and I will answer you. Indeed, those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell in humiliation” (Ghafir 40:60). He further says, “Who is it that responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him, removes hardship, and appoints you successors upon the earth?” (an-Naml 27:62). Many other verses convey the same command to pray and the same promise of response. This is part of His generosity, munificence, and kindness: He orders His servants to invoke Him so that He may answer them, even though He is independent of them. Yet, knowing their need of Him, He commanded them to call upon Him. And in the hadith: “Whoever does not ask Allah …”