Does the reward of reciting the Quran reach the deceased if I recite for them?

The Prophet ﷺ said: "When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, knowledge benefited from, or a righteous child who supplicates for him" (Sahih Muslim 1631) — and he mentioned du'a, not recitation. Neither the Prophet ﷺ nor his companions are known to have recited the Quran and gifted its reward to the dead, despite deaths being frequent among them and their love for one another being greater than ours; had it been good, they would have preceded us to it. Scholars differ: many Hanbalis and Hanafis permit gifting the reward of recitation, while al-Shafi'i and others held that it does not reach, citing "and that man shall have nothing but what he strove for" (Quran 53:39). What is agreed upon and established by clear texts is that du'a for them and istighfar on their behalf (Quran 59:10), sadaqah given for them (Sahih al-Bukhari 2756), and settling their debts and fasts all benefit them — so direct your effort there rather than to what is disputed.

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