Fasting On Behalf of Someone Else

4th September 2017

                                                           

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Question: If someone is severely ill the extent of which makes him unable to fast, is it permissible for him to pay someone to fast on his behalf?

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

Generally, every individual is responsible for their own actions and must discharge their obligations to their ability. It is not allowed to pay someone to perform an act of worship on his/ her behalf. In the case of extreme difficulty, then with the exception of Fardh Hajj – Hajj badl – it is still not permissible to pay someone to perform an act of worship e.g. fasting, on one’s behalf.

The Fuqaha (legal jurists) of the Hanafi School disallow a person to fast on behalf of someone else even in the case of genuine necessity.[1] If the extent of illness is such that one is unable to fast at any time during the year and there is no hope of recovery in the future, then the rulings of a Shaykhul Fani (an old frail person) apply to the person i.e. to pay fidyah (legal compensation to the similar amount of sadaqatul Fitr) to the poor and needy people for each fardh fast.[2]

 

[Allāh Knows Best]

 

 

Written by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed

Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam

JKN Fatawa Department

 

 

[1] Fatawa Hindiyyah Book of Fasting, chapter those reasons that permit breaching the fast, vol 1 p. 228

وَلَا يَصُومُ عَنْهُ الْوَلِيُّ كَذَا فِي التَّبْيِينِ

 

[2] Fatawa Hindiyyah Book of Fasting, chapter those reasons that permit breaching the fast, vol 1 p. 228

فَالشَّيْخُ الْفَانِي الَّذِي لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الصِّيَامِ يُفْطِرُ وَيُطْعِمُ لِكُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِسْكِينًا كَمَا يُطْعِمُ فِي الْكَفَّارَةِ كَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ