The deeds of the one who has died have ended, but what their family and friends do for them still reaches them. Here are the duties the heirs should settle first, and the recommended (mustahab) acts anyone can give as a gift.
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First: what is owed
A duty on the heirsقَضَاءُ الصَّلَاةِ وَالصِّيَام
Missed prayers and fasts: a duty, not a gift
This one is not optional. Under Sayyid al-Sistani's rulings, the eldest son must make up his father's missed obligatory prayers, or hire someone to do them, subject to conditions in the rulings. His missed Ramadan fasts are also to be made up by the eldest son, as an obligatory precaution. For a mother's missed prayers this is recommended, not obligatory. Check with your own marja', as rulings differ.
Find out what was missed. Ask family, and check the will.
The eldest son may pray and fast them himself, or hire a qualified person.
If the deceased left a will to hire someone and paid for it from the estate, the son is released.
Other children and relatives may also pray and fast for them as a recommended gift.
Debts, khums, zakat, radd al-mazalim and an unperformed obligatory hajj must be paid from the estate before anything is shared out, whether or not there is a will. Imam al-Baqir (a) warned that a child who was kind in life but does not pay a parent's debts after death is written as undutiful. A child who was undutiful but pays the debts and seeks forgiveness is written as dutiful.
List every debt: loans, unpaid bills, promises, and money held in trust.
Check whether khums or zakat was owed. Ask your marja's office if unsure.
Pay these from the estate first, before the heirs divide it.
If the estate is short, family members can pay from their own money as a kindness.
Carrying out the deceased's valid will is a trust, not a favour. A will can direct up to one third of the estate. Anything beyond one third needs the heirs' clear agreement. The executor must be trustworthy and must not neglect the task.
Find and read the will early, before the estate is divided.
Pay debts and religious dues first, then carry out the will from up to one third.
Act on charitable requests promptly: prayers, fasts, charity or a majlis they asked for.
If the will asks for more than one third, the heirs decide on the extra.
Almost any good deed can be done for someone who has died, and the reward reaches them. Imam al-Sadiq (a) said that prayer, fasting, hajj, charity, good deeds and du'a enter upon the deceased in the grave, and the reward is written for both the doer and the deceased. You lose nothing by giving. Shaykh al-Saduq adds that the deceased is made aware of what is done for them.
Make a simple intention before the deed: "I do this for the sake of Allah, and I gift its reward to [name]."
You can gift one deed to more than one person. Imam al-Sadiq (a) allowed including two people in one two-rak'a prayer.
Small and steady is better than large and rare. A short daily gift is a real gift.
Du'a and istighfar are the easiest gifts, and you can give them anywhere, at any time. Imam al-Sadiq (a) said the deceased rejoices at mercy and forgiveness asked for them, just as a living person rejoices at a gift. He also said that a hardship in the grave can be lifted because of a brother's prayer, and the deceased is told who sent it.
Say their name in your du'a after each daily prayer.
Use the Qur'anic du'a: Rabbighfir li wa li-walidayya wa lil-mu'minin (14:41).
Pray for them in qunut or in sajda, where du'a is close to acceptance.
Reciting Qur'an and gifting its reward is one of the recommended acts for the deceased in Sayyid al-Sistani's rulings. Any surah or any amount counts. Surat Yasin, al-Mulk, al-Fatiha, al-Ikhlas and al-Qadr are the ones families most often recite, at home or at the grave. A family can also share a full reading of the Qur'an (khatm) between them.
Share a khatm: give each family member or friend one juz' (30 parts in total) and agree a finish date, such as the seventh or fortieth day. This sharing is a practical family method, not a specific narration.
Recite Surat Yasin or al-Mulk and gift the reward, at home or at the grave.
Short and often is fine: al-Fatiha once and al-Ikhlas three times takes under two minutes.
Finish with salawat and say: "O Allah, send the reward of this to [name]."
At the burial, and on every later visit, it is recommended to place your hand on the grave and recite Surat al-Qadr (Inna anzalnahu) seven times. Imam al-Rida (a) said that whoever does this at a believer's grave will be safe on the Day of Great Terror. Sayyid al-Sistani lists it among the recommended acts after burial, followed by asking forgiveness for the deceased.
Face the qibla if you can.
Place your hand on the grave with fingers spread and pressed into the soil.
Recite Surat al-Qadr seven times.
Then ask Allah to forgive them and have mercy on them.
The first night in the grave is the hardest for the deceased. It is recommended to pray two rak'as for them on the night after burial. It is also called Salat al-Hadiyya, the gift prayer. Anyone can pray it, and many people can pray it for the same person. Our full step-by-step page is at islamicsouls.com/wahsha.
Time: any time on the first night after burial; best early in the night after 'isha. If burial is delayed, wait for the night after burial.
1st rak'a: al-Hamd, then Ayat al-Kursi once.
2nd rak'a: al-Hamd, then Surat al-Qadr ten times.
After salam: send salawat, then ask Allah to send its reward to the grave of [name, child of father's name].
Another reported method: al-Hamd and al-Ikhlas twice in the 1st rak'a; al-Hamd and al-Takathur ten times in the 2nd.
Shaykh Abbas Qummi records the Prophet's (s) words that no hour is harder on the deceased than the first night in the grave. He advises that if you cannot pray Salat al-Wahsha, you give charity for them that night. Of course, you can do both.
Set aside any amount on the night of burial and intend it for the deceased.
Give it to a person in need, or to a trusted charity that night or the next morning.
Food, water or clothing given in their name also counts.
Charity is among the deeds the Imams (a) named as reaching the deceased. A man told Imam al-Sadiq (a) that he wished to perform hajj and give charity for his late father; the Imam told him to do it, because his father would be rewarded. Give what you can, when you can. It does not need to be large.
Give a small regular amount, for example every Thursday night.
Choose people close to the deceased first: needy relatives, neighbours or orphans they knew.
Give with dignity: good food, new clothes, not leftovers.
Tell no one if you prefer. Hidden charity is still a gift.
A sadaqa jariya is charity that keeps working after it is given. Imam al-Sadiq (a) said a perpetual charity is among the few things whose reward follows a person after death. Family members can set one up in the name of the deceased, so the good keeps flowing for years.
Water: fund a well, a water pump or a drinking-water point.
Mosque or husayniyya: contribute to building, repairs, carpets or lighting.
Qur'an copies: place mushafs in a mosque, school or hospital.
Knowledge: support a school, a teacher, or a student's fees.
Orphans: sponsor an orphan's food, clothing and schooling.
Use a trusted, accountable charity, and keep a record of what was given.
Thursday night (the eve of Friday) has a special place in remembering the dead. A narration in Mustadrak al-Wasa'il describes the souls of believers coming near their homes and asking their families for charity and mercy. The Prophet (s) used to go to al-Baqi' every Thursday evening and greet the people of the graves.
Make Thursday night your family's fixed time for the deceased.
Recite al-Fatiha, Yasin or salawat and gift the reward.
Visiting graves is recommended, and the deceased are comforted by it. Thursday is widely recommended, though any day is fine. Lady Fatima (a) used to visit the graves of the martyrs on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Sayyid al-Sistani also recommends visiting the graves of one's father and mother.
Greet them as you enter: "Peace be upon the people of these dwellings, the believers and the Muslims. May Allah have mercy on those who went before and those who come after. We will join you, if Allah wills."
Face the qibla, place your hand on the grave, and recite Surat al-Qadr seven times.
Add al-Fatiha, al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, al-Nas and Ayat al-Kursi if you wish.
Make du'a for them, then for your own needs.
Keep the grave clean and respectful. Do not walk on graves.
You can pray recommended (nafila) prayers on behalf of someone who has died. Imam al-Sadiq (a) confirmed this, and said a child who prays for their parents after death is one of the deeds that follow them. This is separate from the missed obligatory prayers explained below.
Pray two rak'as with the intention of gifting them to the deceased.
You may include more than one person in the same two rak'as.
A good time is between maghrib and 'isha, or at night.
Duas.org records a two-rak'a prayer for forgiveness of one's parents, prayed between maghrib and 'isha. It uses the Qur'an's own du'as for parents. Pray it for a father or mother who has died, or for both.
1st rak'a: al-Hamd, then ten times: Rabbighfir li wa li-walidayya wa lil-mu'minina yawma yaqumul-hisab (14:41).
2nd rak'a: al-Hamd, then ten times: Rabbighfir li wa li-walidayya wa li-man dakhala baytiya mu'minan wa lil-mu'minina wal-mu'minat (71:28).
In sajda, ten times: Rabbir-hamhuma kama rabbayani saghira (17:24).
A child who performs hajj for their parents after death is named by Imam al-Sadiq (a) among the deeds that follow them, and he allowed sharing one's hajj with them. Sayyid al-Sistani rules that hajj by proxy for the deceased is valid, paid or unpaid, obligatory or recommended. Tawaf can also be done on behalf of the deceased.
Recommended hajj or 'umra: you can perform it fully for them, or share its reward with them.
Tawaf: while in Makka, you can do extra tawafs on their behalf.
After ihram, Imam al-Sadiq (a) taught a du'a asking Allah to grant the reward of every hardship on the journey to the person you go for.
If the deceased still owed their obligatory hajj (Hajjat al-Islam), that is a debt, not a gift. See "Pay their debts" below.
Visiting the shrines of the Prophet (s) and the Imams (a), above all Imam al-Husayn (a), carries great reward, and you can do it on behalf of someone who has died. Sayyid al-Sistani lists ziyara among recommended acts that may be done for others, living or dead. Reciting Ziyarat 'Ashura for the deceased also benefits them.
If you travel to Karbala, Najaf, Mashhad or another shrine, make a ziyara in their name.
At home, recite Ziyarat 'Ashura or Ziyarat Warith and gift its reward.
You may also ask someone travelling to ziyara to make one for them.
When Ja'far ibn Abi Talib was martyred, the Prophet (s) asked Lady Fatima (a) to prepare food for his family for three days. Imam al-Sadiq (a) said this became the practice: neighbours cook for the bereaved for three days. Sayyid al-Sistani also recommends sending food for three days, and notes it is disliked to eat at the grieving family's home.
Friends and neighbours: send meals to the family for the first three days.
Visit, offer condolence, and help with errands and children.
Families: you do not need to host meals for visitors. Let others serve you.
Imam al-Sadiq (a) said that a good practice a person started keeps earning them reward after death, as long as others act on it. You can keep their good alive. Continue the charity they gave, the gatherings they hosted, and the people they cared for. Being kind to those they loved honours them too.
Continue their regular charity, or a cause they supported.
Keep hosting the majlis or gathering they used to hold.
Stay close to their relatives, friends and neighbours, and visit those they visited.
Teach their children and grandchildren the good habits they had.
Many families hold a majlis for Imam al-Husayn (a) in the name of their loved one and serve food. The format is a community custom. Its parts, however, are recommended: remembering Ahl al-Bayt (a), reciting Qur'an and ziyara, and feeding people as charity. Imam al-Baqir (a) himself asked in his will that money be set aside for mourning gatherings for him at Mina for ten years.
Keep it simple: Qur'an, a short majlis, Ziyarat 'Ashura and du'a for the deceased.
Gift the reward of the gathering to the deceased.
Feed guests and the poor as sadaqa in their name. Prefer to feed people in need.
Avoid debt or display. Cost is not the measure of the gift.
Gatherings on the third, seventh and fortieth day, and on the yearly anniversary, are customs in many communities, not requirements of religious law. Scholars answering on al-islam.org note that three days of condolence is the sunna. They describe the 7th, 40th and yearly gatherings as customary traditions. They are good when filled with Qur'an, du'a and charity, and kept within the family's means.
Treat dates as reminders, not rules. Nothing is lost if a family cannot hold them.
Fill the gathering with recommended acts: Qur'an, al-Fatiha, du'a and sadaqa.
Time the end of a shared khatm for one of these days.
Gathered from the hadith collections and the published guidance linked under each section. Details differ between scholars — please follow your own marjaʿ. Islamic Souls is a remembrance service, not a religious authority.