Ongoing Remembrance
Niyaz
In short
Sharing food with the intention of reward for the deceased.
A widely practised custom of charity and remembrance.
Niyaz
Custom, not a religious requirementNiyaz is the custom of preparing and sharing food, often with people in need, with the intention that its reward reaches the deceased. Feeding others is an act of charity; the specific forms Niyaz takes vary by community.
Sadaqah Jariyah
RecommendedSadaqah Jariyah is charity whose benefit continues — such as a water well, a copy of the Quran placed in a mosque, or support for education. Its reward continues for as long as people benefit.
Sources and review
- Najafyia Foundation, Guide for the Relatives of Marhumeen (May 2024) — pp. 9–11
- Al-Islam.org — Death and Death Ceremonies, Part 2: Ahkaam al-Mayyit — Duties towards the deceased
- Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, Islamic Laws — rules concerning the dead — Qadha prayers of the deceased; Wills
Primary jurisprudential reference: the rulings of Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani. Review status: Approved.