✦ By: ʿUbaydullāh Ṭāhir (حفظه الله)
Narrated by ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها):
“Whoever dies while obligated to fast, his guardian should fast on his behalf.”
→ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1952, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1147)
Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما):
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, my mother has died and she had one month of fasting due. Should I make them up for her?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“If your mother had a debt, would you not pay it off?”
He said: “Yes.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Then the debt of Allah is more deserving to be fulfilled.”
→ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1953, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1148)
✔ Some scholars interpret the above ahādīth to mean that it is permissible for a wali (guardian or close relative) to fast on behalf of the deceased, and by doing so, the deceased is absolved from the responsibility.
✔ Other scholars maintain that fasting is a purely personal obligation, and no one can fulfill it on behalf of another. Instead, they say that a fidya (compensation) should be given for each missed fast:
→ One mudd (approx. 0.5 kg) of food per missed day, to be given to a poor person.
The wali can be:
The hadiths clearly support the validity of fasting on behalf of the deceased, as long as the wali chooses to do so.
◈ It is established by authentic ahādīth that a close relative (wali) may fast on behalf of a deceased person who had missed obligatory fasts.
◈ However, due to scholarly difference of opinion, some prefer giving fidya (feeding a poor person per day) instead.
◈ The stronger and more supported opinion — based on explicit hadith — is that fasting on behalf of the deceased is valid, and no fidya is required in that case.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
❖ Authentic Hadith Evidence
Narrated by ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها):“Whoever dies while obligated to fast, his guardian should fast on his behalf.”
→ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1952, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1147)
Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما):A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, my mother has died and she had one month of fasting due. Should I make them up for her?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“If your mother had a debt, would you not pay it off?”
He said: “Yes.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Then the debt of Allah is more deserving to be fulfilled.”
→ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1953, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1148)
✿ Scholarly Discussion and Differing Opinions
✔ Some scholars interpret the above ahādīth to mean that it is permissible for a wali (guardian or close relative) to fast on behalf of the deceased, and by doing so, the deceased is absolved from the responsibility.
✔ Other scholars maintain that fasting is a purely personal obligation, and no one can fulfill it on behalf of another. Instead, they say that a fidya (compensation) should be given for each missed fast:
→ One mudd (approx. 0.5 kg) of food per missed day, to be given to a poor person.
✿ Who is Considered a Wali (Guardian)?
The wali can be:
- The son or daughter
- The father or mother
- A brother, uncle, or any other close relative
Summary of Views:
| Opinion | Description |
|---|---|
| Permissible to fast on behalf of deceased | The wali may fast in place of the deceased; this clears the deceased’s obligation. |
| Fasting not allowed, fidya required | The deceased’s fasts cannot be fulfilled by others; instead, fidya must be paid. |
The hadiths clearly support the validity of fasting on behalf of the deceased, as long as the wali chooses to do so.
Conclusion:
◈ It is established by authentic ahādīth that a close relative (wali) may fast on behalf of a deceased person who had missed obligatory fasts.
◈ However, due to scholarly difference of opinion, some prefer giving fidya (feeding a poor person per day) instead.
◈ The stronger and more supported opinion — based on explicit hadith — is that fasting on behalf of the deceased is valid, and no fidya is required in that case.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
