Is It Permissible to Fast on Behalf of a Deceased Relative?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

If I’m fasting on behalf of a dead relative, will I get the reward for making up for my missed fasts as well? Equal reward to each?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

It is not permissible or valid to fast on behalf of a deceased. Instead, one must pay the charity of expiation (fidya) for each missed fast. This also applies to prayer. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

The charity of expiation (fidya) is 2.2g of wheat or its equivalent monetary value. This charity must be given to a poor person. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.