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Fatwa CenterShe takes care of sick old non-Muslim patients
Question
Same question needs more answers, plz?
I am confused (Inspired by another question)?
I am confused some people say you cannot help the dead and then others say if you pray for them and do good deeds in their name you can? I wonder which one is right?
I have several patients I have taken care of over the years even outside the hospital , one lady was not a muslim and barely even a believer and others were believers just not in Islam, and one was Muslim who asked for a bible before she died instead of a Koran, I gave it to her because I did not want her to suffer during her last days wondering which God was the true God that is hard enough to do when you are alive and healthy !!
So first did I do something wrong? Second can I help those wonderful heart of gold beautiful people that I cared for now?
They were more than just patients they were like family ,they gave me advice and love and understanding when I had no one.
I even adopted one woman from the Nursing home after she left the hospital just to make sure she got buried instead of cremated as the state would have done since she had no family and was a ward of the state. She was Catholic and wanted to be buried not cremated, I made sure her wish was fulfilled.
I spoke of Islam with them but not lessons or anything. After all they were old or sick. I just wanted them to have peace before they died.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
In regard to gifting the reward of good deeds to a dead Muslim, then the most preponderant opinion of the scholars 
is that it is permissible and the dead benefits from it; for more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 83855.
We mentioned “a dead Muslim” because it is not permissible to gift good deeds for a non-Muslim and he does not benefit from it in principle. Moreover, a non-Muslim is not called a believer because he disbelieves in Allaah, Allaah Says (what means): {And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.}[Quran 3:85]
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 91537 and 90698.
As regards helping that woman to be moved to a place where she can be buried instead of being cremated, then this is a good thing, because in Islamic Law, a dead person should be buried and not cremated because cremation is strictly prohibited; Allaah Says (what means): {Then He causes him to die, then assigns to him a grave.}[Quran 80:21]; for more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84963.
Finally, we advise you to do your best so that those people embrace Islam and you should clarify to them that Islam is the true religion, especially by having a good behavior with them, and if a person is sick or (physically) weak (because of being advanced in age), then it is most likely that he/she would accept the truth.
In this regard you may make use of some Fataawa about an introduction to Islam and the true God; you may refer for example to Fataawa 88906, 81529, 84349 and 89122.
Allaah Knows best.
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