the efforts of his parents, he falls within the general purport of Allah’s saying: “And that a person can have nothing but what he strives for.” Thus, there is no need to qualify this general meaning by means of this hadith and the similar reports cited in this chapter by Majd Ibn Taymiyyah in al-Muntaqa, as some have done.
Know that all the hadiths he cites in this chapter specifically concern a child in relation to his father or mother. Therefore, using them as evidence that the reward of devotional acts reaches all the dead—as Majd Ibn Taymiyyah indicates in his chapter heading, “Chapter: The Reward of Devotional Acts Gifted to the Dead Reaches Them”—is incorrect, because the claim is broader than the evidence. No evidence has come establishing, in general terms, that all the dead benefit from all the righteous deeds that the living dedicate to them, except in certain specific matters mentioned by al-Shawkani in Nayl al-Awtar (4/78–80), and subsequently by the present writer in his book Ahkam al-Jana'iz wa Bida'uha (Funeral Rulings and Their Innovations), may Allah facilitate the completion of its publication. One of these is supplication for the dead, which benefits them if Allah, exalted is He, answers it. So keep this in mind, and you will be safe from excess and neglect in this matter. In summary, a child may give charity, fast, perform Hajj, perform ‘Umrah, and recite the Quran on behalf of his parents, because this is part of their striving. He may not do so on behalf of others, except in cases specifically established by the evidence, as previously indicated. Allah knows best.
- “What is the matter with your camel, that it complains of you? It claims that you have made it draw water, until, when it grows old, you intend to slaughter it. Do not slaughter it; place it among the camels, so that it may remain with them.”
Imam Ahmad recorded it (4/173): Aswad ibn Amir narrated to us; Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash narrated to us, from Habib ibn Abi Umrah, from al-Minhal ibn Amr, from Ya‘la, who said:
“I do not think that anyone among the people witnessed more of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, than I did”—then he mentioned the incident