There is a unanimous consensus among the scholars of Islam that a continuous good deed left by a deceased benefits him till eternity. The hadith of the Prophet is famous and clear as regard this.
As for someone else doing a good deed and dedicating the reward to the dead, there is an inconsiderable difference among the scholars over this. Some scholars likewise claim a consensus upon some acts such as Sadaqah (charity), building of mosques, Dua, Hajj/Umrah, repaying obligatory fasts. They assert that any of these acts done by someone else with the intention of donating its reward to the dead reaches him/her.
The slight difference here pertains to acts like recitation of the Qur’an, fasting non-obligatory fast, observing nawaafil solaat, with the intention of dedicating its reward to the dead. The majority of the Muslim scholars, the Hanafiyyah, later Maalikiyyah, and Hanabillah vividly hold to the permissibility of all these acts with the intention of dedicating their rewards to the deceased. While some of the Shaafi’iyah also go with this stance as confirmed by Imam Nawawi in his Sharh Sahih Muslim Vol. 7 pg 90. An-Nawawi himself favored this opinion that the reward of a good deed (including recitation of the Qur’an) reaches the dead if dedicated to him. Imam Shaafi’i and few other of the school say otherwise.
Ibn Aa’bideen, A Hanafi scholar, said “In the chapter about performing Hajj on behalf of others, our scholars (Hanafiis) stated that it is permissible for a person to dedicate the reward of a good deed, such as prayer, fast, or charity, to someone else.” see Ad-Dur Al-Mukhtaar Vol 2 pg 243.
Abu Abdullah al-Ubay, a Maliki scholar has been reported in Muktasar Khaleel to have said: “If one initially recites the Qur’an to present its reward to a dead person, it will reach him like charity and Du’a. If he presents the reward of the Qur’an that he HAD recited, it will not reach the dead person since the reward of the reciter does not move from him to someone else.” Certainly, all the acts that are performed on behalf of someone need intention beforehand.
Imam Ahmad bn Hanbal was reported to have said: “the reward of a good deed benefits the dead, as stated in the texts of Sharia in this regard, and because Muslims of every country recite the Quran and dedicate its reward to their dead, and this act isn’t disproved by any of the Muslim scholars. On the contrary, all of them have agreed on it.” see al-Mubdee’ Sharh al-Muqni’ Vol 2 pg 281.
Ibn Muflih in his book “al-Furoo'”, reported from Ibn al-Jawzi that he said: “The reward of the recitation of the Qur’an reaches the dead person if one intends sending it to him/her before recitation”.
It is also stated in the famous book of the Hanabillah “Al-Iqnaa'” that “every good deed done by a Muslim with the intention of granting its reward, wholly or partially, to a dead or living Muslim, is permissible and beneficial.”
On the other hand, some Shaafi’iyah scholars are of the view that dedicating the reward of a good deed doesn’t benefit the dead. It was stated in the Fatwa of Iz AbdusSalam No.47: “Whoever does a good deed and dedicates its reward to another person: dead or alive, it doesn’t benefit the latter. Therefore, if he starts the good deed with intending its reward to that dead person then it doesn’t benefit the latter, except deeds on which there is a Sharia text, such as charity, fast, and Hajj. However, if the good deed is followed with supplicating to the dead then it benefits them, as agreed by Muslim scholars since supplication benefits the dead and the living according to the unanimous agreement of the scholars.”
Interestingly, the condition of the few Shaafi’iyah scholars who opined against recitation of the Qur’an for the dead also endorses this act if ended with a prayer. They said after the specific good deed (recitation of Qur’an as example), the reciters after the recitation should say اللهم إن كنت قبلت قراءتي هذه فاجعل ثوابها لفلان. صح ذلك. وعدّوا ذلك من باب الدعاء
“Oh Allah if you accept this my recitation, make its reward go to so so person” they say this is permissible and will be counted as part of Du’a.
For their initial rejection, they presented the verse in Suratu Najm as an evidence, whereby Allah says: وأن ليس للإنسان إلا ما سعى
“That man can have nothing but what he strives for”
As regard this verse, it is not an evidence that denotes against someone else dedicating his reward of a good deed to the dead. Certainly, the strive of a person is his; and this verse does not say one cannot give out his own strive to someone else. The verse only indicates that basically all strives belong to the owner. So if a person who did a good deed gifts and directs the intention of reward to someone else, he has his right of doing so, as he can also benefits from someone’s else dedication of reward to him. Likewise the famous hadith which says the deeds of a deceased are shut off except three; the hadith did not say the deceased won’t benefit from someone’s else deed dedicated to him.
If this verse will be an evidence against dedicating a reward of a good deed to the deceased, it should also encompasses all of worships including Sadaqah and Du’a because they are not done by the deceased himself – and to him is his own strive only!
Some scholars even held that dedicating the reward of a good deed to another person does not decrease the reward of the doer in the least.
It is also legal for an individual to observe the obligatory fast on behalf of a dead person. The hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbas is clear as regard this.
As for obligatory prayers, Al-Qurtubi mentioned there is a consensus that no one performs prayers on behalf of someone else. But for nawaafil acts, one may do a good deed an dedicates the reward for a dead. The rewards by Allah’s grace reaches the deceased. The basis of this argument that we must understand is that Faraa-id (obligatory) aspect of ibaadaat are not treated mostly in the same way as nawaafil. The famous fiqh maxim says:
“يغتفر في النوافل ما لا يغتفر في الفرائض”.
As for writing the deceased names on the donated books, there is no harm in that given the absence of relevant religious evidence stating otherwise. It may also encourage the receiver to remember the deceased in prayer.
Ibn Taemiyah in his Majmuu’ Fataawa Vol 24 pg 315, 366, after citing the two opinions as regard if the reward of recitation of Qur’an does reaches the deceased, he considered the opinion of permissibility as more correct.
As well, in page 324 of the same volume of his book, Ibn Taemiyah made a statement that When a person says “La ilaaha illa Allaah”, 70,000 times, less, or more and dedicates its reward to a dead person, Allaah will benefit the dead person with this action.”
Ibn Uthaimin also favored this opinion of the rewards of all good deeds (except specific individualism obligatory worships) dedicated to a deceased reaching him. See his Majmuu’ Fataawa Vol 2 pg 305.
For more explanations and references of scholars’ sayings who explained the permissibility of this act, you can see Fathu Qadeer of Shawkaani Vol 3 pg 142. And Mughni of Ibn Qudaamah Vol 2 pg 567.
Our Lord! forgive us and those of our brethren who had preceded us in faith; and do not allow any spite to remain in our hearts towards those who believe, our Lord! surely you are Kind and Merciful.