Abdul-Ganiyy Raji, the NASFAT National Da’wah Officer and National Mission Board Secretary, has called on Muslims to reconsider the importance of Fidau Prayer and focus on meaningful acts of care while their loved ones are still alive.
He questioned the fixation on elaborate funeral ceremonies, arguing that true devotion lies in prayers and Sadaqah (charitable acts) rather than rituals that lack solid foundations in the Qur’ān and Hadīth.
Raji addressed the recurring inquiries he has received about the legitimacy of Fidau Prayer, stating that while the Qur’ān encourages children to pray for their deceased parents, there is no scriptural basis for specific days like the 3rd, 8th, or 40th-day prayers. He cited Qur’ān 17:24: “My Lord: Have mercy upon both of them as they cared for me when I was young.” The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also emphasized that prayers from a righteous child benefit the deceased.
He explained that the Fidau Prayer tradition originated with African scholars seeking to replace pagan burial practices and as a means of income. However, he clarified, “Must a child organize a Fidau Prayer after the death of his parents? The answer is NO. Does a child need to pray for his late mother or father? The answer is YES.” He emphasized that gathering people for a prayer session is optional and not obligatory, provided it doesn’t devolve into a party or extravagant ceremony.
Raji criticized the irony of children who neglect their parents during their lives but spend lavishly on funeral ceremonies. “Why are people more committed to Fidau Prayer than the actual care they have to give their parents when they are alive? Who tells you it is Fidau Prayer that your mother and father need? How about the care they both deserve before they die?” he asked pointedly.
He stressed that the best form of remembrance is offering regular personal prayers and engaging in continuous charity (Sadaqah) on behalf of deceased parents. Examples include sponsoring an orphan’s education, empowering widows, or improving community mosques. “Why can’t you adopt a meaningful cause as Sadaqah for your late parents? Why are you enamored with burial ceremonies or Fidau Prayer?” Raji implored.
Quoting the Prophet (SAW), he reminded Muslims of the obligation to care for parents while they were alive: “Shame on him… who meets his two parents or either of them alive and does not make Paradise through them by loving and caring for them.”
Raji urged Muslims to invest their resources in charitable causes that offer long-term benefits rather than spending on fleeting funeral ceremonies. He concluded with a prayer: “May Allah give us the grace to see the truth as truth and follow it, and falsehood as falsehood and keep away from it. Āmīn.”
