Title

Is it true that when the family name ends i.e there is no sons in the family that the marhooms of that family will not get any reward

Question

As salam mu alaqum

please advise on the comment below

Is it true that when the family name ends i.e there is no sons in the family that the marhooms of that family will not get any reward because there is no male to make dua for them ?Is it an india custom that you must have a son to carry on the family name ?Could you please advise me the islamic views of this customs.

Jazakallah

Answer

In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh

It is not true that when there are no sons in the family that the Marhūm of the family will not get any reward. It is not only the males of a family that can make Du’ā for the deceased but also the females can make Du’ā for the deceased.

A person receives Thawāb after his death, when somebody makes Du’ā for him irrespective of his relationship to the deceased. Thawāb could also reach a deceased because of an action which he had done in his life. As has been stated in a Hadīth:

When a person dies then he no longer attains any reward, except from three things

1.  Charity which benefits resulting from it are found continuously even after ones death, (such as sponsoring the building of a well, or building of masjid.etc.)
2. Or knowledge which is benefitted from.(Such as a person had imparted Deenī knowledge and now that knowledge is being practised upon).
3. Or a pious child which prays for his parents( or does good actions of which the Thawāb will be conferred to the parents)

(Mishkāt, Pg. 32Vol.1, Deoband)
,(Mirqāt ul Mafātīh, Pg .269, Vol.1.Multān)

Virtue of one’s family name or surname existing after one`s demise has got no basis in Islam. When one passes away then it is not the family name that will assist him but his good deeds that he had done in his worldly life will benefit him.

Many people are of the misconception that those who Allāh Tā’la has not gifted with sons are unfortunate, but Allah Tā`la in his infinite wisdom grants, some male children while he grants others female children. As Allah Tā`la mentions in the Qurān:

He grants whomsoever he wishes male children and whomsoever he wishes female children and whomsoever he wishes he make them barren.

(Sura 43, Ayāt no.50)

It is also common that when a couple does not have any male children then they are pitied. This is totally incorrect. Just the fact that Allāh Tā`la has bestowed the couple with children is enough that Allāh Tā`la be thanked for that.

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best
Wassalāmu ῾alaykum

Ml. Muhammed Sindhi,
Student Dārul Iftā

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Dārul Iftā