Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 1388
sahih

Narrated Aisha:

A man said to the Prophet (ﷺ), "My mother died suddenly and I thought that if she had lived she would have given alms. So, if I give alms now on her behalf, will she get the reward?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied in the affirmative.

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ‏.‏ أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنَّ أُمِّي افْتُلِتَتْ نَفْسُهَا، وَأَظُنُّهَا لَوْ تَكَلَّمَتْ تَصَدَّقَتْ، فَهَلْ لَهَا أَجْرٌ إِنْ تَصَدَّقْتُ عَنْهَا قَالَ ‏

‏ نَعَمْ ‏

‏‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 23, Hadith 140
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 2, Book 23, Hadith 470 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Allah’s Mercy and Grace manifests in many ways, one of which is that He, Most High, legislated for us different methods and means by which our sins can be forgiven, even after death. One of these means is charity, which is one of the good deeds whose reward can be gifted to the deceased. In this hadeeth, ‘Aishah, the Mother of Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), reports that a man mentioned to the Prophet ﷺthat his mother died suddenly, and he believed that, if she had been able to speak, she would have given away some of her money in charityor made a will dictating that part of her wealth be given in charity. He asked the Prophet ﷺ whether his mother would be rewarded if he were to give charity on her behalf. The Prophet ﷺreplied that she would,i.e., if he gave charity with the intention that its reward be gifted to her, then she would get its reward. The meaning of this is clearer and more explicit in a narration recorded in Saheeh Muslim, on the authority of AbooHurayrah(may Allah be pleased with him), that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “"When a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: Ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge and a righteous son who prays for him.".
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