Hiring a reciter to read the Qur.aan upon the soul of the deceased
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Question: What is the ruling regarding hiring a reciter to read the Noble Qur.aan upon the soul of the deceased?

Response: This is an innovation and there is no reward in it for the reciter and nor the deceased. This is because the reciter read for (some) worldly gain and wealth only. Every righteous action done for (some) worldly gain does not draw one near to Allaah and there is no reward from Allaah. Based upon this, this action i.e. hiring someone to recite the Noble Qur.aan upon the soul of the deceased is a pointless action and there is nothing in it except wasting the money of the inheritors (of the deceased). So be wary of it for certainly it is an evil innovation.

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen
al-Bid'u wal-Muhdathaat wa maa laa Asla lahu - Page 278;
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il fadheelatush-Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen - No.357