CHAPTER ON FASTING DEBTS: Hadiths Concerning the Guardian (Wali) Fulfilling the Fasting of Someone Who Dies Owing a Fast
It is narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that:
A woman came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, “My mother has a debt of one month of fasting.” She asked, “Can I fulfill it for her?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Could you have paid off her debt if she had a financial obligation?” The woman replied, "Yes."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said, “Allah’s debt is more deserving to be fulfilled.” [165]
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: “If a person dies owing an obligation of fasting, then his guardian fulfills it.”
Amr ibn Shu'ayb, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated from his grandfather:
A woman came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I vowed to play the tambourine before you.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to the woman, "Fulfill your vow." The woman said, "I vowed to sacrifice an animal in that place where the people of ignorance used to slaughter animals." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Did you vow to sacrifice [it] to a statue?” She replied, “No.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Did you vow to sacrifice [it] to an idol?" She replied, “No.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Fulfill your vow."
Explanation:
This woman had vowed to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that if he returned safely from war, she would play the tambourine before him. And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered her to fulfill her vow.
Sabit ibn Dahhak, may Allah be pleased with him, related:
During the era of prosperity, a man supervised the sacrifice of a camel at Büvâne (a place near Yelemlem). He came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, "I supervised the sacrifice of a camel at Büvâne." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked him, “Is there in that place an idol worshipped from the days of ignorance?”
The Companions replied, “No.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Was there a place of celebration during the days of ignorance?" The Companions replied, “There was not.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Fulfill your vow. Indeed, vows made for disobedience to Allah are not fulfilled, nor should one fulfill a vow made to something beyond the power of Adam’s son."
Sare bint-i Miksim es-Sakafi, may Allah be pleased with her, reported:
I heard Maymuna bint-i Kardam say:
“I accompanied my father on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him’s Farewell Pilgrimage. The people were saying [things]. I began to follow the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him with my eyes, and my father approached him. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was upon his camel holding a whip like the whips of scribes. I heard them say ‘taptap.’ My father approached him and stood beside his foot.
He affirmed the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stopped and listened to my father. My father said:
‘O Messenger of Allah, I vowed that if I have a son, I will sacrifice some sheep on the slope of one of the Buwan hills.’
(The narrator Abdullah bin Yazid relates that Sare said fifty sheep.)
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asked him, “Is there anything of idols there?” My father said, "No." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Fulfill your vow for Allah’s sake.” So my father began to gather the sheep and slaughter them. One sheep escaped; he went out to catch it, saying, ‘O Allah, fulfill my vow.’ Then he caught its neck and slaughtered it."
Meymun ibn Karidam ibn Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates from his father, relating a shorter version of the hadith mentioned previously. In this narration, he said, "Is there an idol there?" or, "Is there a place for the celebrations of pre-Islamic times?" Karidam replied, “No.” Karidam relates: I said, ‘I have made a vow on behalf of my mother, and I vowed to fulfill it by walking; should I pay it?’ Ibn Bishr would sometimes say, “Should we pay it?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Yes."