Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: A righteous child who prays for their parents is beneficial for them, but otherwise, is not
The daily scholarly meeting of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Sadegh al-Hosseini al-Shirazi was held on Tuesday, the 8th of Rabi al-Thani.
In this session, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi answered a question regarding verse 88 of Surah Al-Shu’ara, where one of the names of the Day of Judgment is mentioned as: the day when wealth and children will not benefit. “How can this be while Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) says in a prayer: O God! If you have forgiven my parents before me, then make them my intercessors, and if you have forgiven me before them, then make me their intercessors,”.
He explained that based on this prayer, it is clear that children are beneficial to a human. His Eminence further said: Just being a child does not benefit the parents, unless the child, after the death of the parents, prays for them, and that prayer is beneficial for them. Or, the child can do a good deed in the name of the parents that will be rewarded, and the benefit will reach the parents.
Emphasizing that even just being a righteous child cannot benefit the parents, the Marja said: If a righteous child does not pray for the parents, he/she will not benefit them. Of course, it is possible that the Almighty God, because of the good deeds of a righteous child, forgive their parents after death, out of his grace, but if that righteous child prays for their parents, it will be beneficial for the parents and the reward will go to them. But if not, that child will not benefit their parents.
The supreme Marja continued by referring to a hadith from the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his pure family: When a person dies, his [chance of doing good] deeds is interrupted, except for one of three things: knowledge that benefits others, or charity that flows in his benefit, or a righteous child that prays for him.
In this regard, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi said: In this narration, it is emphasized that a person who has passed away is cut off from this world, unless there is charity such as a mosque and Hussainiya and the like, he has left behind, or he has left some knowledge, which can be used after his death and the reward will be given to him, or a righteous child who prays for them. But if the father passes away and his children did not pray for him, they would be of no use to him.
The Marja then stressed the effect of prayer, and said: Prayer or Dua is not only beneficial for parents. In fact, if today, we pray for Sheikh al-Mofid, who passed away a thousand years ago, it will be beneficial for him, because God Almighty has promised to answer the prayers, except in circumstances when the prayer will not be answered.
