Answer
Short answer: No one can know the ultimate destination of another. But, rest assured: assuming your loved one worked with the intention to please Allah, Allah promises to reward her immensely and grant her Paradise.
Salam dear questioner,
Thank you very much for your question. Thank you also for your concern about your grandmother.
This concern is called kindness to parents; a value that many people do not pay heed to nowadays as you mentioned.
Your kindness to your grandmother has the same merits and rewards as your kindness to your parents.
We pray to Allah the Almighty to reward you abundantly for this and I can tell that your sons and daughter will do the same thing with you.
I can tell you with full certainty and without any hesitation that if your grandmother did these things purely for the Sake of Allah to gain His Pleasure and in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), she will receive the greatest rewards from Allah the Almighty.
And she will end up entering Paradise insha`Allah.
Let me remind you of those rewards in this limited space.
Reward for Prayer
Allah tells us:
Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (Quran 2:277)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
The five daily (prescribed) prayers, and Friday (prayer) to the next Friday (prayer), and the fasting of Ramadan to the next Ramadan, is expiation of the sins committed in between them, so long as major sins are avoided. (Muslim)
Also, Prophet Muhammad said:
Give good tidings to those who walk to the mosques in darkness for having a perfect light on the Day of Judgment. (Abu Dawud)
Reward for Zakah
Allah says about the reward for giving Zakah:
… but My mercy encompasses all things. So I will decree it [especially] for those who fear Me and give zakah and those who believe in Our verses. (Quran 7:156)
The prophet is reported to have said:
There is no one who offers the five (daily) prayers, fasts Ramadan, pays Zakah and avoid the seven major sins, but the gates of Paradise will be opened to him, and it will be said to him: “Enter in peace.” (An-Nasa’i)
Reward for Fasting
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said:
Every deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied for him, between ten and seven hundred times for each merit. Allah said: ‘Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for it.’ (Muslim)
Reward for Hajj
The prophet said,
(The performance of) `Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous `Umrah; and the reward of Hajj Mabrur (i.e., one accepted) is nothing but Jannah. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Reward for building mosques
The Prophet said:
He who built a mosque for Allah, Allah would build a house for him like it in Paradise. (Muslim)
Reward for Giving Charity
`Uqbah Ibn `Amir narrated, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah say,
Everybody will be shaded by his sadaqah (on the Day of Judgment) until it has been judged between the people. (Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim)
The Prophet said,
He who gives in charity the value of a date which he legally earned, and Allah accepts only that which is pure, Allah accepts it with His Right Hand and fosters it for him, as one of you fosters his mare, until it becomes like a mountain. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Now after knowing the great rewards awaiting your grandmother in the Hereafter, are you still worried about her status before Allah?
Rest assured, if your grandmother did these things to please Allah, she will be blessed in her grave until the day of Judgement.
Then, she will move by the grace and mercy of Allah to the blessings that will never cease or come to an end, which is the blessing of Paradise.
Her grave is furnished from Paradise for her. She will be clothed in garments from Paradise.
A gate to Paradise will be opened for her, and its breezes come to her, and she will smell its fragrance and she will feel delight in what she can see of its blessings.
Her grave will be made wide and spacious for her. She will be given the glad tidings of Allah’s pleasure and Paradise.
Making Du’a for Our Late Loved Ones
As for making du`aa’ for your grandmother, this is one of the best things you can do for her.
The Prophet said,
When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased). (Muslim)
`Awf bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah offered the funeral prayer, and I memorized this supplication (that he said for the deceased),
O Allah! Forgive him and have mercy on him (on her). Grant him ease and respite. Make his resting place a noble one, and facilitate his entry. Wash him with the most pure and clean water, snow and hail. Purify him from sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. Give him in exchange a home better than his home (on earth) and a family better than his family. Grant him entrance to Paradise and protect him from the trials of the grave and the torture of Hell Fire. (Muslim)
Or you can say du`aa’ you want and be sure that Allah will answer it.
You should bear in mind that the good deeds she did to please Allah will be a reason for forgiving the hidden sins that we do not know about.
We read in the Qur’an what means:
And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember. (Quran 11:114)
Salam.
I hope this answers your question.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
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